Hochul won't remove NYC mayor, will instate guardrails
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams seated during a 2023 press conference in NYC. Photo: Photo by Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said Thursday she won't exercise her power to remove NYC Mayor Eric Adams from office but she plans to instate strict guardrails on his administration.
The big picture: Hochul, an ally of Adams, had indicated earlier this week she was weighing the "serious step" of booting him from his position after a top Justice Department official requested federal prosecutors drop federal bribery and fraud charges against the indicted mayor.
- Top federal prosecutors have been urging the DOJ to uphold the case and refrain from giving in to political pressure, with at least half a dozen of them resigning over the matter.
- The mayor, who has denied any wrongdoing in the case and pleaded not guilty to all charges, has resisted pressure to resign.
Driving the news: "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," Hochul said during a news briefing Thursday.
- "He has to earn that, and there's an opportunity to do that," she added.
- The governor's plan to hold Adams accountable includes creating a special inspector tasked with directing NYC's department of investigations in order to prevent interference.
- She also proposed giving the city comptroller, the public advocate and the NYC council speaker authority to sue the federal government using outside counsel.
- Asked if she thinks the mayor should resigned, Hochul said, "it is not up to me to tell them to leave."
What he's saying: "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 in a statement after Hochul's address.
- "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."
- He added, "I look forward to continuing those conversations."
Zoom out: The governor blamed the Trump administration for "trying to use the legal decision facing our mayor as leverage to squeeze and punish our city."
- She said "he's taking out his anger and frustration" over his conviction in the New York criminal trial on New Yorkers.
Flashback: Hochul said earlier this week that "in the 235 years of New York State history," the governor's power to remove an elected mayor had never been used and that "overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly."
- However, she added "the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored."
Context: Adams was the first NYC mayor to face criminal charges while serving in office.
- He was indicted last year on charges of bribery and fraud following a federal investigation that his campaign illegally conspired with foreign businesspeople and Turkish officials.
- Adams was scheduled to go to trial in April.
More from Axios:
- Jack Smith among 900 former prosecutors alarmed by Trump's DOJ
- DOJ moves to drop Eric Adams charges after 7 prosecutors resign
- Trump's DOJ is at war with its own prosecutors
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional statements.
