NY Gov. Kathy Hochul under pressure to remove embattled NYC Mayor Eric Adams from office
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul met Tuesday with New York City leaders to discuss the "path forward" after four top aides to embattled Mayor Eric Adams resigned amid increasing pressure on Hochul to remove Adams from office.
Hochul has not publicly indicated how she's leaning, but after her meeting with The Rev. Al Sharpton, the longtime civil rights leader said Hochul told him she would conduct more consultations and “see what the judge decides tomorrow.''
Federal Judge Dale Ho has set a hearing for 2 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the U.S. Justice Department's efforts to dismiss corruption charges against Adams. Ho must sign off on the dismissal request.
Adams has been under pressure to resign since a criminal indictment last September charged him with accepting travel perks and political donations from Turkish officials to take actions that benefitted their country.
Adams has also been accused of cooperating with President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, defying longstanding city policy, in exchange for the Justice Department dropping charges against him. Critics claim he sold out the city to avoid a trial set for April. Adams pleaded not guilty and has adamantly denied what he called "sensational" charges.
Adams, like Hochul a Democrat, is a former police officer who took office in 2022.
Hochul lauded the work of the resigning New York City officials, First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer and Deputy Mayors Anne Williams-Isom, Meera Joshi and Chauncey Parker. Hochul said their unwillingness to serve under Adams "raises serious questions" about the future of his administration, and she acknowledged having the power to remove Adams from office.
“In the 235 years of New York State history, these powers have never been utilized to remove a duly elected mayor," Hochul said in a statement Monday. "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."
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Justice Department wants Adams to focus on illegal immigration
In seeking to dismiss the charges against Adams, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a former criminal lawyer for Trump, said the Justice Department did not assess "the evidence or the legal theories" on which the charges are based. He said the September indictment now interfered with Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to illegal immigration and violent crime.
Several federal prosecutors resigned rather than obey the dismissal order, but other officials formally filed the motion to drop the charges last week. The possibility that Adams could walk away from the charges has prompted his critics to dial up the pressure on Hochul to remove him from office.
Laura Tamman, a political science professor at Pace University in New York, said she does not view Hochul's statement on Tuesday as a sign she will start the process of removing Adams.
"I think she is attempting to show that she is aware of the danger he poses to New York City and buy herself some time while the charge dismissal process plays out in federal court," Tamman said. "I'm sure she also hopes this will encourage him to resign, though he seems highly unlikely to do so under any circumstances."
Resigning Adams aides pledge smooth transition
Torres-Springer, Williams-Isom, Joshi and Parker issued a joint statement thanking Adams for "giving us the opportunity to serve New Yorkers in these roles," and said they would work to ensure a smooth transition.
Adams said the four would remain in office temporarily to allow for a "seamless transition." He expressed disappointment with the resignations but said "given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future."
City Council speaker urges Adams to resign
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, no relation to the mayor, said the mayor should resign. She said he has "lost the confidence and trust of his own staff, his colleagues in government, and New Yorkers."
Hochul said she will do what is best for New York City.
“Let me be clear: my most urgent concern is the well-being of my 8.3 million constituents who live in New York City," Hochul said. "I will be monitoring this situation extraordinarily closely to ensure that New Yorkers are not being shortchanged by the current crisis in city government.”
Adams still has his defenders, such as state Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, and Hazel Dukes, president of the New York state NAACP. Both expressed support for him Tuesday, but they're a minority amid a swelling tide of opposition to the mayor, whose prospects for reelection later this year now appear dim.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is believed to be among those considering a run to replace him, though he hasn't formally announced his candidacy.
− Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas
How can the governor remove the mayor from office?
The city charter states that the governor can remove the mayor from office "after service upon him of a copy of the charges and an opportunity to be heard in his defense. Pending the preparation and disposition of charges, the governor may suspend the mayor for a period not exceeding thirty days."
So Hochul must provide Adams with a written complaint laying out the accusations that are prompting the ouster. Adams then would be afforded some type of public hearing to defend himself against the claims. How that would work is not immediately clear, and there is no precedent for it.
Who would become acting mayor?
After the hearing, Hochul would make her final decision to remove him or allow him to stay. If he is out, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would become acting mayor.
The timeline is important because the mayoral election will take place this year. If Adams is removed from office before March 26, or 90 days before the June primary election, Williams would need to call a special election. The winner would serve as mayor until the newly elected mayor takes office in January.