Gov. Hochul satisifed with high-level resignations in Adams administration after corruption indictment
NEW YORK — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she is satisfied with the avalanche of high-level resignations from Mayor Eric Adams’ senior ranks after she urged him to clean house, the strongest endorsement she’s given Adams since the a federal corruption indictment against him dropped late last month.
“I had asked him to work to bring in new blood and new blood to help stabilize the city, calm it all down, and he’s doing that,” Hochul said at the Columbus Day Parade.
In the wake of bribery and conspiracy charges against Adams, Hochul — who has the power to remove the mayor from office — reportedly told him he needed to drop embattled members of his inner circle. Although he has said the changes were routine turnover, Adams appeared to fall in line, with several top aides leaving, including many who are caught up in several local and federal corruption investigations.
Those who have resigned in recent days include Schools Chancellor David Banks, Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Phil Banks and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. None have been accused of wrongdoing.
Many of those who have resigned had their homes raided and electronics seized by federal authorities conducting multiple different corruption investigations. In addition to the Turkey inquiry, the feds are looking at whether top Adams administration officials were engaged in schemes involving influence peddling, kickbacks on city contracts and NYPD nightlife enforcement abuse.
Hochul said Adams is “working well through the chaos,” adding that their teams were working closely to tackle a number of key issues. She had previously said that while individual personnel decisions are up to Adams, she had directed him to “make changes in the administration.”
“I wasn’t talking about individuals,” the governor said. “I was just saying, ‘I need to have new people around you to create stability and to settle the whole situation down.’ This is what I’m trying to do, is have a calming influence on this so people in New York City know that their lives will not be disrupted by what’s happening in City Hall.”
City Hall was thrown into chaos starting with a round of FBI raids in early September on five top officials — all of whom have since resigned. A few weeks later, the mayor pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts alleging he accepted and solicited brides from the government of Turkey and its associates in exchange for carrying out political favors.
Adams has appointed Maria Torres-Springer as first deputy mayor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos as Schools Chancellor and Allison Stoddart as Chief Counsel, while the top public safety deputy role and other positions remain empty.
Interim NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon, who is under fire after being raided himself, is expected to leave his post, with the city’s current Sanitation Department commissioner, Jessica Tisch, seen as a top contender to replace him.
Adams declined to answer a question on Monday about whether New Yorkers can expect resignations from Chief Advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin or Jesse Hamilton, whose phones were both seized by state authorities upon returning from a trip to Japan. Diana Boutross, a top executive at Cushman & Wakefield, one of the city’s largest real estate firms and registered lobbyist Adam Clayton Powell IV also joined the trip.
The Manhattan DA’s office is looking into corruption in the city’s leasing of commercial properties, the New York Times reported.
Previously, Adams had resisted calls to fire his top aides — with Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg resigning after the mayor ignored that advice.
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