Gov. Kathy Hochul assembling ‘key leaders’ to discuss next move on Eric Adams after shocking deputy mayors resignations
Gov. Kathy Hochul has assembled “key leaders” for a series of meetings Tuesday at her Manhattan office to discuss Mayor Eric Adams’ future after half of his deputy mayors stepped down Monday.
Hochul announced the dramatic move in a Monday night statement and cited the “troubling” allegations swirling around Adams and the shocking resignations of his four crucial aides, including First Deputy mayor Maria Torres-Springer, earlier in the day.
“If they feel unable to serve in City Hall at this time, that raises serious questions about the long-term future of this Mayoral administration,” the Democratic governor said.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards are among the leaders expected to meet with the governor, sources told The Post.
Speaker Adams, Lander, who is running for mayor, and Richards would all potentially sit on an “inability committee” that could lead to Adams’ ouster or at least temporary removal from office.
Rev. Al Sharpton will also be in attendance, a source said.
The meetings will be in-person and remote, and last throughout the day, the source said.
Hochul is the only official in the state that has the sole power to boot Adams from his post.
She previously did not rule out the drastic move after allegations emerged last week that President Trump’s Department of Justice agreed to drop the federal corruption charges against Adams if the Democrat agreed to help with the White House’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Here’s the latest on Mayor Eric Adams
- Gov. Kathy Hochul assembling ‘key leaders’ to discuss next move on Eric Adams after shocking deputy mayors resignations
- Mayor Adams bizarrely invokes ‘Mein Kampf,’ takes vicious dig at Dem rival in defiant message refusing to step down
- NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams calls for Eric Adams to resign as chaos engulfs City Hall
- Half of NYC’s deputy mayors dramatically resign in wake of Eric Adams’ controversial reprieve from Trump DOJ
Hochul acknowledged the gravity of the situation in her Monday statement, noting a governor has never in the history of the state removed a Big Apple mayor.
“That said, the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored,” she said.
“Tomorrow, I have asked key leaders to meet me at my Manhattan office for a conversation about the path forward, with the goal of ensuring stability for the City of New York.”
Adams and the DOJ have both denied the alleged “quid pro quo” that was first raised in now-former acting Manhattan US Attorney Danielle Sassoon’s resignation letter last week. She stepped down rather than file a motion to dismiss the criminal case against Adams.
Adams has repeatedly said he has no intention of leaving office.
Sharpton told The Post Monday night he has “deep concerns” about the direction the city is heading and wants to hear what Hochul has to say Tuesday.
Still, he placed blame on President Trump for the “bad situation” he said the city faces.
A City Hall spokesperson told The Post Adams is “always available” to meet with Hochul about how the two officials can work together and stressed the four departing deputy mayors would stay on until their replacements are found.
“Mayor Adams has been clear that his loyalty is solely to the 8.3 million New Yorkers he represents, and the mayor is always available to speak with the governor about how we can continue to deliver for them,” the spokesperson said while noting achievements City Hall has reached since Adams first took office.
The impending departures of Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Health Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker have thrown the city government into further turmoil.
Calls for Adams to step aside kept growing Monday, including from Speaker Adams, who is not related to the mayor.
“He now must prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, step aside and resign,” she said in a statement. “This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor.”
Lander, in a letter to Mayor Adams, floated the possibility that he could push forward with the “inability committee” if the mayor can’t present a “contingency plan” to handle the mass resignations of his deputy mayors.
City Hall said Monday night it would reply to Lander but reiterated there would be a “seamless transition” between the outgoing deputy mayors and their replacements.
Meanwhile, Adams continued to dig in, oddly invoking “Mein Kampf” and taking shots at Public Advocate Jumaane Williams during a Brooklyn church rally. Williams, a progressive Dem, would stand in as mayor if Adams is removed.
The mayor was indicted last September, triggering questions about his ability to lead in the country’s largest city. He has denied all wrongdoing.
