New York Governor Kathy Hochul isn’t removing NYC Mayor Eric Adams just yet

MANHATTAN (CN) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that she isn’t removing New York City Mayor Eric Adams from his post, even as she faces mounting pressure to act on Adams’ leverage-based alliance with President Donald Trump.

“I was deeply troubled by the accusations leveled at Mayor Eric Adams, not just the initial indictment, but also the more recent allegation of a quid pro quo with the Trump administration,” Hochul said at a press conference announcing her decision. “After careful consideration, I have determined that I will not commence removal proceedings at this time.”

Instead, Hochul plans to introduce legislation that places new guardrails on Adams’ administration to strengthen the oversight of his leadership, including installing a deputy for city affairs to bolster the power of the state inspector general and adding protections for the city’s Department of Investigation commissioner to prevent Adams from firing them.

The measures are not a “power grab” from Albany, Hochul said, but rather a way to address the “crisis situation” of waning public confidence in New York City officials.

“This is an opportunity to install safeguards that we need to have in place to give people confidence that there’s only one factor in every decision that’s made, and that’s what’s best for the people of the city,” she said.

Hochul added that the changes will expire at the end of December 2025 and are subject to renewal.

Adams said in a statement that there is “no legal basis” to limit the power of his office, as Hochul is suggesting.

“I was elected by the people of New York City and its working-class communities to uphold their values — and that is what our administration has done,” Adams said Thursday. “While there is no legal basis for limiting New Yorkers’ power by limiting the authority of my office, I have told the governor, as we have done in the past, that I am willing to work with her to ensure faith in our government is strong. I look forward to continuing those conversations.”

The governor has the constitutional power to remove the mayor of New York City, but the process can be cumbersome and no governor in the state’s history has ever done so. Hochul hasn’t totally ruled out potentially removing Adams in the future, however.

“I will never surrender power that I have,” Hochul said Thursday.

Calls for Adams’ resignation were at their loudest on Thursday when Hochul made her announcement. Adams was indicted in September 2024 over a scheme that prosecutors say involved taking luxury perks and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish businessmen and a government official, as well as defrauding a city program that matched small-dollar donations.

The case was headed for a historic trial in spring until the Trump administration extended a hand to the first-term Democrat and former NYPD captain.

On Feb. 10, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove penned a letter to federal prosecutors, directing them to immediately dismiss the case against Adams without prejudice. Bove claimed that the ongoing prosecution was unfairly distracting Adams from his reelection efforts and mayoral duties — specifically as it pertains to tackling the city’s immigration crisis.

Controversy ensued as critics feared the Trump administration dangling the threat of charges over Adams’ head in exchange for his cooperation on federal deportation efforts. At least seven federal prosecutors resigned rather than bow to the Justice Department’s orders to drop the case.

One of those prosecutors was Danielle Sassoon, Trump’s temporary pick to lead the Southern District of New York. Sassoon wrote in her resignation letter that she attended a negotiation meeting between Adams’ lawyers and top officials in Trump’s Justice Department that “amounted to a quid pro quo” in which the mayor would assist with federal immigration enforcement in exchange for his indictment being dismissed.

There was fallout at Adams’ City Hall, too. Four deputy mayors stepped down from their high-ranking positions in Adams’ administration amid concerns that he is now beholden to Trump.

A federal judge still needs to greenlight the dismissal of the case before Adams’ corruption charges are officially iced. On Wednesday, Bove, Adams and Adams’ lawyer Alex Spiro appeared in court to urge a judge to do just that.

According to Bove, the court doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter.

“You have a record undisputed that there is no quid pro quo,” Bove told U.S. District Judge Dale Ho on Wednesday. “But I don’t concede that, even if there was a quid pro quo, that there would be an issue with this motion.”

Ho, a Joe Biden appointee, is yet to rule on the future of the case.court doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter.

“You have a record undisputed that there is no quid pro quo,” Bove told U.S. District Judge Dale Ho on Wednesday. “But I don’t concede that, even if there was a quid pro quo, that there would be an issue with this motion.”

Ho, a Joe Biden appointee, is yet to rule on the future of the case.

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