City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams called for Mayor Eric Adams to step down from office Monday, hours after four top aides resigned from his mayoral administration over his cooperation with President Donald Trump and the fallout of his criminal case being dismissed.
Speaker Adams said the mass resignations at City Hall Monday were a sure sign that Mayor Adams had lost the “confidence and trust” of his own staff, his government colleagues, and New Yorkers throughout the city.
“He now must prioritize NYC and New Yorkers, step aside and resign,” Speaker Adams said. “This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor. These resignations are the culmination of the mayor’s actions and decisions that have led to months of instability and now compromise the city’s sovereignty, threaten chaos, and risk harm to our families.”
Meanwhile, City Comptroller Brad Lander, a key contender in the mayoral race, demanded Monday that Mayor Adams draft and present by this Friday a contingency plan to avoid a massive leadership vacuum in city government.
He sent a letter to the mayor stating, among other things, that his compliance with the federal government on “matters of immigration and criminal justice” calls into question his ability to fulfill his duty to NYC.
“Given the gravity of this situation and the chaos it has unleashed among New Yorkers, I formally request that your office promptly develop and present a detailed contingency plan outlining how you intend to manage the City of New York during this period of leadership transition,” the letter stated.
Moreover, Lander said if Adams does not present a contingency plan, he would call for a meeting of what is known as the “Inability Committee” — a provision in the City Charter that allows for a group of people to examine whether a sitting mayor can continue their calls of duty to the city.
Both Lander and Speaker Adams would be one part of the committee, per the charter. Others include the corporation counsel, a deputy mayor chosen by the sitting mayor, and the borough president who has been in office the longest (in this case, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards).
Meanwhile, Adams has continued to maintain that he is innocent of all corruption charges and has repeatedly said since the DOJ’s move to dismiss his criminal charges on Feb. 10 that the city is his top priority.
“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,” Adams said in a Feb. 14 statement released from City Hall. “I am solely beholden to the 8.3 million New Yorkers that I represent, and I will always put this city first.”
Filling the void
Meanwhile, each departing deputy mayor said it was an “honor” to serve the city under the embattled mayor’s leadership.
Deputy Mayors Maria Torres-Springer, Anne Williams-Isom, Meera Joshi and Chauncey Parker will remain in their positions for now, and the resignations are not effective immediately, a City Hall spokesperson said.
“They’re going to stay on for the next few weeks to make sure the transition is smooth, and there are already talks about who will replace them,” the spokesperson said.
It is unclear right now who their replacements will be or how the mass exodus will impact the scandal-ladden administration.
Three of the deputy mayors—Torres-Springer, Williams-Isom and Joshi—sent a joint statement to the press about their departures, which indirectly points to the federal Justice Department’s move to dismiss Adams’ criminal charges.
“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,” the statement said. “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 deputy mayors went on to say it has been the “greatest honor and privilege” to serve in their posts.
“We sincerely thank the mayor for giving us the opportunity to serve New Yorkers in these roles, stand ready to ensure a smooth transition of our duties, and wish Mayor Adams and all of our colleagues much strength and courage in the work ahead,” the statement continued.
Parker, too, released a statement about his resignation.
“Serving as deputy mayor for public safety under Mayor Adams has been an honor of a lifetime,” he said. “Together, we have made our streets safer, more just, and have improved quality of life for all New Yorkers. I am confident that the administration will continue on our mission to deliver for the people of this city.”
The four resigning deputy mayors handle operations, housing, economic development, labor health and human services, infrastructure, and public safety, all of which are some of city government’s most critical responsibilities.
Torres-Springer has her own more recent claim to fame. She took over as first deputy mayor following Sheena Wright’s departure in September. Wright was part of the massive wave of Adams administration officials who left their positions amid ongoing federal probes that started last year.
She also worked with Adams on the controversial City of Yes housing plan, which resulted in zoning changes that some politicians described as “pro-housing,” while others were concerned about displacement and development.
