NYC Mayor Eric Adams' Administration Is Collapsing

Weekend Reporter

Four deputy mayors from New York City Mayor Eric Adams' administration resigned Monday after the Justice Department moved to dismiss Adams' corruption case.

Newsweek reached out to Adams' office via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) moved to drop bribery charges filed against Adams in September 2024, citing concerns that the ongoing case was "unduly restricting" the Democratic mayor's ability to focus on critical issues like illegal immigration and violent crime and that the charges were brought too close to this year's mayoral election.

The DOJ made it clear that the dismissal was not based on the strength of evidence in the case.

Some criticized the move to dismiss Adams' charges as quid pro quo. Adams, the DOJ and Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, have denied those allegations. Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon and several other DOJ officials have decided to resign rather than comply with the order.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she is considering removing NYC Mayor Eric Adams from office after four top deputies resigned amid the Justice Department's efforts to close his corruption case.

What To Know

Following the DOJ's decision, New York's First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker all planned to step down on Monday, WNBC first reported.

Adams addressed the resignations in a statement, saying, "I understand their decision."

"I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future," Adams said.

Hochul, a Democrat, said she will convene a meeting of key leaders Tuesday in Manhattan "for a conversation about the path forward." She said the departures Torres-Springer and other top officials raise "serious questions about the long-term future" of Adams' administration.

The city charter outlines a court-like process for removal, requiring the governor to first present the mayor with formal charges and then allow him an opportunity to defend himself. However, there is little precedent for how this process would unfold. As Hochul noted in her statement, these removal powers have never been used against a sitting mayor in New York's history.

The four deputies "will remain in their roles for the time being to ensure a seamless transition," the mayor added.

Joshi emailed her staff on Monday to announce that she, Williams-Isom and Torres-Springer were departing and shared a joint statement from all three.

"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," they said in the email obtained by The New York Times.

"While our time in this administration will come to a close, our support for the incredible public servants across the administration with whom we have stood shoulder to shoulder and our championing of this great city and all it stands for will never cease," the email added.

In a separate statement, Parker called serving in the administration the "honor of a lifetime."

"Together, we have made our streets safer, more just, and have improved quality of life for all New Yorkers," Parker said. "I am confident that the administration will continue on our mission to deliver for the people of this city."

The resignations followed a meeting with Adams on Sunday, during which at least three deputy mayors expressed their intention to resign from his administration. They cited concerns over the DOJ's decision to drop the charges against Adams, a move that appeared to be tied to the mayor's cooperation in deporting migrants from New York City.

On Friday night, the deputy mayors also reportedly met with Adams at the official mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion, where they voiced concern over his alleged quid pro quo.

The resignations come after five months of turmoil amid the administration. The crisis began with the mayor's federal indictment on bribery and fraud charges, followed by a wave of unrelated corruption probes that engulfed the city's leadership.

The fallout has been swift and far-reaching. At least half a dozen senior aides resigned after federal agents seized their phones, including two police commissioners.

Details About Eric Adams Case

Adams was indicted last September on charges of bribery, fraud and illegal solicitation of campaign contributions, dating to his days as Brooklyn Borough president, a position he was elected to in 2014.

He was accused of accepting more than $100,000 in luxury travel gifts and campaign contributions from foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish official, as well as pressuring the New York City Fire Department to open a consulate in New York without a fire inspection. Adams has denied all allegations.

What Has Eric Adams Said About Immigration?

Adams and Homan appeared on Fox & Friends last Friday to discuss their plans to collaborate on immigration enforcement. During the discussion, Adams reiterated his support for going after "dangerous people" on the streets of New York, which he said he's been talking about since 2022.

On Thursday, Adams announced that he would issue an executive order allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into the Rikers Island jail complex to help in criminal investigations "in particular those focused on violent criminals and gangs."

The move came after a meeting between Adams and Homan.

The mayor's office previously pointed Newsweek to multiple occasions before the DOJ moved to drop the case and before Trump even took office when Adams expressed his openness to sending ICE agents back to Rikers Island after they were banned from the jail complex in 2014 due to sanctuary laws. Sanctuary laws restrict local police from cooperating with federal immigration agents.

During an interview on Sunday on CNN's State of the Union, Homan said he and Adams met eight or nine weeks ago and discussed getting ICE agents in Rikers Island and collaborating on public safety issues.

What People Are Saying

Adams said in a statement on Friday: "I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered—nor did anyone offer on my behalf—any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never."

"I am solely beholden to the 8.3 million New Yorkers that I represent and I will always put this city first. Now, we must put this difficult episode behind us so that trust can be restored, New York can move forward, and we can continue delivering for the people of this city," he added.

Hochul said in a statement on Monday: "I recognize the immense responsibility I hold as governor and the constitutional powers granted to this office. 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 that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored."

Former acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon said in her resignation letter sent last Wednesday that at a meeting in late January attended by Manhattan federal prosecutors, DOJ lawyers and Adams' lawyers, per The New York Times, the mayor's attorneys offered "what amounted to a quid pro quo."

Bove wrote in a footnote in the DOJ's order to dismiss Adams' charges issued last Monday that he said at the meeting that "the government is not offering to exchange dismissal of a criminal case for Adams' assistance on immigration enforcement."

Homan said on CNN's State of the Union, "That's ridiculous," when host Dana Bash asked him, "It sounds like the DOJ dropped the case against Adams, and in exchange, he let you into Rikers. Is that what happened?"

"I really don't think it had anything to do with whatever is going on at the Justice Department. We never talked about that. It's kind of out of my lane," Homan added.