Gov. Hochul declines to remove Adams from office, outlines actions to strengthen oversight over Adams, NYC
Hochul moves to limit Adams' power
Gov. Kathy Hochul is increasing state oversight of New York City Mayor Eric Adams instead of removing him from office, citing concerns over his alleged ties to the Trump administration. Hochul’s plan includes appointing a deputy inspector general, expanding the state comptroller’s authority, and allowing city officials to sue the federal government without the mayor’s approval. FOX 5's Sharon Crowley has the story.
NEW YORK - Governor Kathy Hochul has decided not to immediately remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office amid his bribery case and connections to the Trump administration. Instead, she is pushing for increased oversight of City Hall through new legislative measures aimed at reestablishing public trust.
This comes after former prosecutors accused Adams' lawyers of offering a "quid pro quo" — providing help on immigration to President Donald Trump, in exchange for dismissing the case.
"We know they'll stop at nothing to exercise control in New York," Hochul said, referring to President Trump and his Border Czar Tom Homan.
Adams insists he's still running NYC
As Mayor Eric Adams faces mounting legal and political challenges, concerns are growing over his ability to effectively govern New York City. While Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed increased oversight, legal experts say it won’t significantly impact daily city operations. FOX 5's Linda Schmidt has the story.
Hochul has closely monitored the situation with Adams, citing concerns about Adams’ reliance on the Trump administration to resolve the case, which many say could compromise his political integrity.
Here's what she'll say she'll do.
Hochul takes action against Mayor Adams
What we know:
Governor Hochul announced Thursday that she will not use her authority to remove Mayor Adams at this time, citing concerns that such a move would create "disruption and chaos" and undermine democracy.
Instead, she proposed legislation to enhance oversight of City Hall.
Hochul outlined a series of actions she plans to take:
- Establishing a new inspector general role at the state level, in direct communication with the NYC Department of Investigation (DOI), which monitors City Hall and municipal employees.
- Empowering the City Council and City Comptroller to take legal action against the federal government using independent lawyers, instead of relying on the city’s corporation counsel.
- Strengthening the role of the State Comptroller to increase oversight of the city’s financial transactions.
Additionally, the City Comptroller, City Council Speaker, and Public Advocate will be authorized to initiate legal proceedings as part of the expanded oversight efforts.
The plan, she says, will be in effect until the end of 2025, subject to renewal.
The backstory:
Mayor Adams was indicted in September on bribery and other charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
His case took a dramatic turn when the Justice Department abruptly ordered prosecutors to drop it, allegedly to facilitate his cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The move has led to a wave of resignations within the Justice Department, and a judge has yet to rule on whether the case will be officially dismissed.
RELATED: Justice Department asks for charges against Mayor Adams to be dismissed
The controversy surrounding Adams deepened after four of his top deputies resigned on Monday, raising further questions about the stability of his administration.
What they're saying:
In response to Hochul’s announcement, Adams stated, "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."
Hochul has defended her approach, saying, "New York is facing a grave threat from Washington. The Trump administration is already trying to use the legal jeopardy facing our mayor as leverage to squeeze and punish our city."
New York Law School professor Stephen Louis questioned the effectiveness of Hochul’s proposals, stating, "There are plenty of people who can examine what’s going on in the mayor’s office. There are people who can sue the federal government. So it’s not really clear how this solves anything."
Will Adams resign?
Eric Adams' fate hangs in the balance as his corruption case remains ongoing
During the 90-minute hearing, Judge Ho made no decision, but pressed DOJ officials to explain why they wanted to drop the case. It's not clear when the judge will reach a decision--the process could take days or even weeks. FOX 5 NY's Sharon Crowley lays out the details.
If Adams were to leave office on or after March 26, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would take over until a new mayor is voted on at the Nov. 4, 2025 election, after also having run in the primary election.
Adams has confirmed that he will run for re-election in 2025 as the incumbent Democratic candidate.
What happened at Wednesday's court hearing?
Judge will wait to rule on Adams' criminal case
Justice Department lawyers and New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced a federal judge who will ultimately make a decision on their request to drop the mayor's corruption charges weeks before a trial in April. FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay has the latest.
In an 80-minute showdown, a federal judge grilled officials from President Donald Trump's Justice Department over its demand to throw out New York City Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case.
Manhattan federal Judge Dale E. Ho refused to rule immediately, leaving Adams' fate as mayor in the balance.
In an interview with NY1 after his appearance in federal court Wednesday, Adams remains adamant, saying, "I did nothing wrong," claiming that he was a victim of what he calls "overagressive investigation."
"I’m telling you it hurts, and I’m a victim," Adams said.
Ho called the hearing after Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove and two other lawyers from Justice Department headquarters filed paperwork last Friday seeking a dismissal.
The Justice Department's effort to end the case has created a divide between Washington and the federal prosecutors' office, leading to the resignation of seven prosecutors in protest.
It has also caused a rift within Adams' administration, with four of his deputy mayors resigning this past Monday.
Amidst all of this, Judge Ho decided not to make a rushed decision saying, "I’m not going to shoot from the hip right here on the bench."
The judge stated that he wanted to carefully review the "unusual situation," which could take days or even weeks. This puts everyone involved in Adams' reelection campaign and the April 21 trial date in a difficult position. However, Ho indicated he would rule soon, noting that "it is not in anyone’s interest for this to drag on."
Adams indictment
Adams was indicted in September and accused of accepting more than $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and travel perks from a Turkish official and business leaders seeking to buy influence while he was Brooklyn borough president. He faces multiple challengers in June’s Democratic primary.
He has denied any wrongdoing.