New York Governor Kathy Hochul is considering removing New York City mayor Eric Adams from office after four of his top aides resigned on Monday.
Hochul said in a statement that she plans to meet with key leaders in Manhattan on Tuesday to discuss “the path forward,” and that the resignations of four deputy mayors raises “serious questions about the long-term future” of his administration. It’s the latest update in what for Adams has been a succession of overlapping scandals that has left a power vacuum in the city’s government.
The news comes after the Justice Department on Feb. 10 ordered federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against Adams, stating that the case was interfering with the Democratic mayor’s ability to follow through with the President’s agenda to crack down on illegal immigration. The dismissal “without prejudice,” however, means that the charges could be revived should the Justice Department choose to do so, worrying constituents and other politicians that it gives the Trump Administration leverage over Adams’ administration.
“I refuse to go back to the days where our constituents are caught in the crossfire of political turf wars,” Hochul said in her statement.
The charges were brought against Adams in September, tracking alleged crimes back to 2014, when he was the Brooklyn borough president.
First deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer as well as deputy mayors Meera Joshi, Anne Williams-Isom, and Chauncey Parker resigned Monday as calls for Gov. Kathy Hochul to remove Adams—or for Adams himself to step down—have grown.
Their actions follow the resignations of U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and five high-ranking Justice Department officials last week after Sassoon refused to drop the charges against Adams.
In a statement to NBC New York, the mayor’s office confirmed the latest resignations, stating that the deputy mayors were “extraordinary public servants who have been vital to our work reshaping New York City.”
The statement continued: “Together, we’ve broken housing records, created the most jobs in the city’s history, provided for hundreds of thousands of longtime New Yorkers and migrants, built unprecedented public spaces, and made our city safer at every level. New Yorkers owe them an enormous debt of gratitude for their service to our city.”
NBC also reported that Adams attempted to convince the aides to stay via a Zoom call over the weekend, though they ultimately decided to follow through with their resignations.
Joshi, who worked as deputy mayor of operations, reportedly sent a joint statement on behalf of the deputies in an email to agency commissioners.
“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,” the statement read.
Hochul, a Democrat like Adams, has the power to remove the New York City mayor from office but previously opted not to at the time he was initially charged. In her latest statement, however, she said: “In the 235 years of New York State history, these powers have never been utilized to remove a duly-elected mayor; overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly. That said, the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored.”
Hochul’s consideration of taking what would be an unprecedented action comes at a time of mounting pressure from Democrats to remove Adams if he himself doesn’t resign. New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado called for Adams’ resignation, as did Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, adding that “If Adams won’t resign, he must be removed.” And while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not go so far as to call for a resignation, he expressed concerns about the Adams administration’s future.
If Hochul removes Adams from office—or if Adams resigns—Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who has indicated that he is prepared to serve, would become acting mayor. Within 80 days, Williams would need to call a special election to elect a new mayor for the rest of Adams’ term, which runs until Dec. 1. The mayoral election in November to succeed Adams for a new four-year-term would still take place as planned.
Former state comptroller Carl McCall released an open letter on Feb. 15 endorsing former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to be Adams’ replacement. “Donald Trump wants us to fail as a community. For that reason, the leadership of New York City has rarely, if ever, been as vital as it is today,” McCall wrote. “The people of New York cannot be represented by someone whose loyalty to the city is compromised—we deserve a Mayor of New York to be for New York.” Cuomo responded in a statement that he and McCall had a “special bond” and that McCall’s voice is “needed more than ever—for his is one of moral clarity, experience and guided by what is right for the people above all else.”
Adams, meanwhile, insists that his leadership is not compromised by the Trump Administration’s dropping of his charges. In a Feb. 14 statement, he wrote, “I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered—nor did anyone offer on my behalf—any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never.”
