With less than five months until the Democratic primary, seven candidates hoping to unseat Mayor Eric Adams took the stage at a mayoral forum on the Upper West Side. While Adams was absent, his presence loomed large as challengers criticized his leadership and laid out their visions for the city.

The Justice Department has had discussions about the future of the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams -- including the possibility of dropping the case all together, sources familiar with the talks told ABC News.