Hochul Won’t Push to Remove Adams, But He’s Still Feeling Heat from Others to Resign

Turmoil continued to swirl around Mayor Eric Adams even after Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would not take the unprecedented step of removing him from office.

In a sign of the continuing unrest, six people, who were among a small group of protestors ebjecting to her decision, were given summonses for blocking the street at 633 Third Ave. outside the governor’s Manhattan office near 40th St.

“My strong belief is that the will of the voters, and the sanctity and integrity of the next Democratic elections preclude me from any other action,” Hochul had said in annoucing her decision Feb. 20.

It has been a wild week for Adams but perhaps nothing was stranger than the appearance on Fox News on Friday Feb. 14 with the Trump Administrations border czar Tom Homan’s where the mayor pledged to work with the administration to remove illegal migrants and violent criminals.

“If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York City, and we won’t be sitting on the couch—I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?”Honan said in the appearance on the Fox & Friends show. Then Honan called for Governor Hochul to be removed from office for upholding the city’s sanctuary city regulations. “Governor Hochul, she needs to be removed,” Homan said. “The one who needs to be removed is her. She supports sanctuary policies.”

The appearance came after seven top federal prosecutors resigned rather than follow an order from the Trump Justice Department for the Southern District of New York to drop its five count criminal case against Adams so that he would be unhindered in efforts to aid the Trump administration’s migrant crackdown. Danielle Sassoon acting US Attorney for the Southern District, started the dizzying round of resignations when she claimed Adams had engaged in an illegal “quid pro quo” to help in the immigration crackdown in exchange for dropping the five count corruption case against him. She resigned Feb. 13 rather than follow the orders from the Trump DOJ in Washington, sent by the acting deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, to drop the case.

Six other top prosecutors also resigned rather than sign an order telling Judge Dale Ho they were withdrawing the case. Finally, the Bove had to make the trek to New York himself on Wednesday Feb. 19 to ask Judge Ho to allow prosecutors to withdraw the case.

Initially observers thought Ho would move quickly to render his ruling. But after hearing from Adams attorneys and the DOJ, Judge Ho on Friday, Feb. 21, ruled that he would not rubber stamp the motion to withdraw the case. Instead he appointed Paul Clement, a former solicitor general in the George W. Bush administration, to make an amicus argument against the motion by Adams’ attorneys and the DOJ to drop the case.

The Adams administration was already in turmoil earlier in the week when four deputy mayor’s resigned on Feb. 17 including Adams closest advisor, First deputy mayor Maria Torres-Springer, who was only promoted after the previous first deputy mayor Sheena Wright resigned in October. Also joining Torres-Springer in the stampede for the exits was Anne Williams-Isom, deputy mayor for health and human services; Meera Joshi, deputy mayor for operations; and Chauncey Parker, deputy mayor for public safety, who only took the post when the previous deputy mayor for public safety Philip Banks resigned.

All four notified Adams on Feb. 17 that they would step down from their posts, shortly after Adams and Honan appeared on Fox News. At least one of the empty seats will be filled soon. Kaz Daughtry, a controversial deputy commissioner in the NYPD who had feuded with members of the press over police coverage, will replace Chauncey Parker, the New York Times reported.

Despite the Hochul move on Thurday, to not push for Adams ouster, calls for his resignation had been growing all week. City Council speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lindor, who is also in the running in the Democratic primary for mayor, were among the latest calling for him to resign.

“He now must prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, step aside and resign,” said a statement from Adrienne Adams [who is not related to Mayor Adams] on Feb. 17, citing the resignation of the four top deputies. “This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor.”

Mayor Adams is clearly feeling the pressure. Adams, who had continually insisted, “I did nothing wrong” spoke at a press conference on Feb. 18 where a cop had been rushed after he was shot in the shoulder in downtown Manhattan. But he refused to any any “off topic” questions, and left after fielding only three questions about the shooting. As the press corps attempted to follow to get in some questions about his embattled administration, a phalanx of officers temporarily blocked reporters from following.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who was at the Bellevue press conference with Adams intervened and said softly, “Let them through.”

By then Adams had a good 20 yard lead on the pack of journalists trailing him. But when Adams got to the lobby, a few people sitting on a bench asked him if they could take his picture. Adams obliged and that gave the press horde the opportunity to catch up to him.

”Mayor Adams, why won’t you answer questions from the press?,” shouted one reporter in the horde.

Adams stopped and snarled, “because you’re liars.”

He then proceeded out the back of the hospital and into a waiting SUV.

Meanwhile, the four deputy mayors who resigned, said they will stay on board to ensure a “smooth transition” in an administration that appears increasingly chaotic and under siege.