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New York Governor Raises Removing Mayor With City Hall in Crisis
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is raising “serious questions” about the future of Eric Adams’ administration, citing her power to remove the mayor as she calls for a meeting with key leaders Tuesday to discuss a path forward.
(Bloomberg) -- New York Governor Kathy Hochul is raising “serious questions” about the future of Eric Adams’ administration, citing her power to remove the mayor as she calls for a meeting with key leaders Tuesday to discuss a path forward.
The crisis surrounding Adams intensified after four top deputies said they were resigning and the speaker of the city council called for him to step down. Hochul, a fellow Democrat, called allegations of a ‘quid pro quo’ between the mayor and the Trump administration “extremely concerning and serious.”
“I recognize the immense responsibility I hold as governor and the constitutional powers granted to this office,” Hochul said in a statement Monday night, adding that they have never been used to remove an elected mayor in the state’s 235-year history. “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.”
Calls for Adams to leave office intensified a week after a top official at the President Donald Trump’s Justice Department called on federal prosecutors in Manhattan to drop their pending bribery case. The DOJ has left open the possibility that charges could be refiled, sparking concern that he’s now beholden to the Republican president — who remains deeply unpopular with city Democrats.
“This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor,” Speaker Adrienne Adams, no relation to the mayor, said in a statement Monday, adding that his actions have led “to months of instability.”
The mayor has remained defiant, saying he’s not leaving office and is able to continue doing the job despite the chaos surrounding City Hall.
“Go back and do an analysis from the day that I was indicted, to what we have accomplished,” he told reporters on his way out of an event at a church in Brooklyn Monday, according to Politico. “That is my ability to lead through turmoil and I’m going to continue to do that.”
His administration was dealt a serious practical and political blow when the four deputy mayors said on Monday that they planned to resign amid furor over the DOJ’s move.
“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,” First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom and Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi said in a joint statement.
In the wake of the resignations, city Comptroller Brad Lander called on Adams to develop a “detailed contingency plan” or risk a potential removal from office.
The departures “create an unprecedented leadership vacuum at the highest levels of City government and wreak havoc on the City’s ability to deliver essential services to New Yorkers,” Lander said in a letter to Adams on Monday. Lander is a among a group of Democrats challenging Adams in the June mayoral primary.
The comptroller said he would convene the city’s Committee on Mayoral Inability if the mayor didn’t deliver a plan by Friday. The committee — which includes Lander — can start the process of removing Adams if at least four of five members vote against him.
The four deputy mayors used to oversee much of the city’s government. Torres-Springer was promoted to first deputy mayor in October, managing strategy, operations and budgetary oversight. Joshi was the deputy mayor for operations. Williams-Isom was responsible for health and human services, while Deputy Mayor Chauncey Parker was deputy mayor for public safety.
Adams called the officials “extraordinary public servants who have been vital to our work reshaping New York City.”
“I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future,” the mayor said in a statement.
Former interim Manhattan US Attorney Danielle Sassoon said Adams’ defense lawyer offered “what amounted to a quid pro quo” in a Jan. 31 meeting, in which the mayor “would be in a position to assist with the Department’s enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed.” Sassoon resigned rather than order the charges dropped.
Monday’s resignations are concerning on several levels, said Lupe Todd-Medina, president of Effective Media Strategies, the firm that worked with Hochul and other Democratic candidates. “What is most troubling for me is the quality of the individuals leaving public service,” Todd-Medina said in a statement.
“Between the four, the city is losing decades of knowledge and a wealth of experience,” she said.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
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First Published:18 Feb 2025, 10:33 AM IST
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