New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced she will not remove Eric Adams from office on Thursday, despite the New York City mayor facing deep concerns over his leadership priorities, but will impose new guardrails on his administration.
The governor said she will introduce legislation that seeks to increase oversight over Adams’s administration and prevent the mayor from firing the head of the Department of Investigation without the approval of the state inspector general.
It arrived as the embattled mayor faces calls to resign from local and state leaders, as well as the public, for positioning himself close to President Donald Trump and accepting the Justice Department’s help in getting the criminal bribery case against him dropped.
The governor was forced to reckon with Adams this past week after four top officials in Adams’s administration, including his first deputy, resigned on Monday, believing the mayor’s priorities were in conflict with their oath of office.
It all came to a head after the former top prosecutor in Manhattan federal court claimed the mayor’s lawyer engaged in “what amounted to a quid pro quo” with Justice Department officials to get the charges dropped.
Adams, appearing next to border czar Tom Homan on Fox News last week, denied the allegation.
Citing “troubling” conduct in City Hall, Hochul met with leaders on Tuesday, including Reverend Al Sharpton, to discuss a plan to move forward.
Hochul considered removing Adams from office but such action would be unprecedented, no governor in New York’s 235-year-long history has made a similar move.
Adams’s leadership had been questioned since the mayor was indicted in September on five criminal counts, including bribery for allegedly accepting lavish travel benefits from the Turkish government in exchange for his help building a consulate. He also faced charges on allegations he accepted illegal campaign donations from a straw donor scheme.
Yet the mayor managed to cling onto power, asserting his innocence and refusing to step down even while people in his inner circle and administration also faced investigations.
Adams positioned himself closer to Trump since being indicted, defending his harsh anti-immigration agenda, praising his administration and echoing his claims of corruption in the Justice Department.
Just weeks into Trump’s new administration, the acting number two of the DOJ requested federal prosecutors the charges against Adams, saying it was necessary so the mayor could assist President Donald Trump in carrying out his agenda.
The Trump-appointed acting head of the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office refused to do so and resigned.
At least six other federal prosecutors, including heads of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Office also resigned in refusing to make the motion to dismiss.
Despite the internal and external pushback on the DOJ to drop the case against, Adams has refused to resign.
Hochul’s proposals require city and state legislature approval, which could lead to challenges from Adams and his allies.
