New York governor Kathy Hochul considers removing Eric Adams as she calls crisis meeting that could determine NYC mayor’s fate

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is seriously considering removing Big Apple Mayor Eric Adams from office, announcing she is convening a meeting to determine the controversial mayor’s fate.

The governor has been facing calls to fire Adams since the Trump administration asked federal prosecutors to drop his corruption case in what has been called a ‘quid pro quo’  so he could could aid the President’s immigration crackdown and campaign for reelection without the burden of pending charges. 

Many of the mayor’s advisors have stepped down in the aftermath, and on Monday, Hochul said she spoke with four deputy mayors who had announced their resignation earlier in the day.

‘If they feel unsafe to serve in City Hall at this time that raises serious questions about the long-term future of this Mayoral administration,’ she said.

The governor went on to say she recognizes that she has the constitutional authority to fire Adams, but 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 is troubling and cannot be ignored.’

She then announced that she has asked ‘key leaders’ to meet her in her Manhattan office on Tuesday to discuss ‘the path forward, with the goal of ensuring stability for the City of New York.’ 

‘Let me be clear: my most urgent concern is the well-being of my 8.3million constituents who live in New York City,’ Hochul continued. 

‘I will be monitoring this situation extraordinarily closely to ensure that New Yorkers are not being shortchanged by the current crisis in city government,’ she vowed.

Hochul’s announcement came just hours after Adams announced that four deputy mayors resigned amid questions about the mayor’s ties with the Trump administration.

The top deputies included First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker.

In their resignation letters, Torres-Springer, Joshi and Williams-Isom wrote: ‘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.’

Hochul noted they have each ‘been strong partners with my administration across dozens of key issues.’ 

The deputy mayors’ resignations came just days after Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor announced she was stepping down.

Republican Danielle Sassoon blasted the ‘rushed and superficial’ process to vacate the case against Adams in a scathing eight-page resignation letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday.

Sassoon, the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said prosecutors were prepared to seek a new indictment against Adams before the Trump administration intervened. 

The charges included more crimes of destroying evidence, instructing others to destroy evidence and providing false information to the FBI. 

Sassoon also warned bosses she was confident that Mayor Adams ‘has committed the crimes with which he is charged.’

She said she would refuse the Justice Department’s order to drop the corruption case against him, which stems from allegations Adams accepted illegal campaign contributions and bribes of free or cheap travel.

Two senior Justice Department officials also quit after department leadership in Washington moved to drop the case.

Adams was indicted in September on charges that while he worked as Brooklyn borough president, he accepted over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and lavish travel perks such as expensive flight upgrades, luxury hotel stays and even a trip to a bathhouse. 

The indictment said a Turkish official who helped facilitate the trips then leaned on Adams for favors, including asking him to lobby the Fire Department to let a newly constructed, 36-story diplomatic building open in time for a planned visit by Turkey’s president.

Prosecutors said they had proof that Adams personally directed political aides to solicit foreign donations and disguise them to help the campaign qualify for a city program that provides a generous, publicly-funded match for small dollar donations.

Under federal law, foreign nationals are banned from contributing to U.S. election campaigns.