List of people who have resigned from Adams administration: Who are they?

NEW YORK - In less than a month, nearly a dozen officials and staffers under NYC Mayor Eric Adams' administration have either resigned, been arrested, or in some cases, both.

First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright resigned on Tuesday, the same day Mohamed Bahi, a senior community affairs liaison, was arrested and charged with witness tampering after resigning the day before.

These ex-Adams admins join a growing list of ranking officials who have resigned amid the ongoing corruption case against the mayor. 

Here's a list of names and details regarding each official's departure. Click each one to jump to each section. 

• James, Edward Caban 
• David, Philip, Terence Banks 
• Sheena Wright 
• Lisa Zornbergm 
• Ashwi Vasan 
• Winnie Greco
• Rana Abbasova

The list does not include Tim Pearson, a top aide to Adams, who was also told to turn over his phones to officials, former NYC Sheriff Anthony Miranda, who is reportedly under investigation over claims he allegedly solicited donations or Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco, New York City Fire Department chiefs who were arrested for bribery. 

NYPD Police Commissioner Edward Caban, James Caban

The Caban brothers

Caban stepped down from his post following a federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York that may not have been linked to the federal corruption case.

FOX 5's Morgan McKay said that federal investigators were reportedly looking into whether his twin brother, James Caban, sold police protection to nightclubs and restaurants in the city. 

James Caban, a former NYPD officer, was fired in 2001 after he was caught threatening a cab driver. More recently, he has run a nightlife consulting business.

Meanwhile, after the searches of the Caban brothers, a Brooklyn juice bar owner publicly accused a mayoral aide, Ray Martin, of trying to extort him by claiming he would receive better police treatment if he hired James Caban as a consultant. As part of the investigation, police seized phones from several precinct-level NYPD officials.

A week after the searches, Caban announced his resignation, telling officers that he didn’t want the investigations "to create a distraction." The same day, Martin was fired from his job at City Hall.

Davin, Philip, Terence Banks

The Banks brothers and a consulting firm

After taking office in 2022, Adams turned to a pair of brothers to help oversee two of the city's most important institutions, the public schools and the police department. He made Philip Banks, formerly a top NYPD chief, his deputy mayor for public safety. He made David Banks, who had run a network of boys' schools, the schools chancellor.

The same day the feds raided Sheena Wright's home, they also simultaneously raided Philip Banks' single-family home in Hollis and seized devices from him and his brother David Banks. 

Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Philip Banks

Phil Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety, resigned after the feds raided his home.

Banks, a close friend of Adams, had previously been the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed officer but resigned suddenly in 2014 after being implicated in a separate corruption scandal that rocked City Hall.

Banks wasn’t charged in that case, but he was named as an unindicted co-conspirator. He later admitted to accepting gifts, like overseas trips, meals, and cigars, from two businessmen who were convicted of bribing police officers and other officials.

On Sunday, Adams said that Banks had told him "he wants to transition to some other things" and "doesn’t want this to be a constant burden on the work that we’re doing in the city." The mayor added, "I wish my good friend well."

Banks’ resignation came days after his brother, the city’s schools chancellor David Banks, who announced that he would stepping down months earlier than planned at the direction of the mayor.

NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks

NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks and the husband of Sheena Wright announced that he would resign on Oct. 16, just over a week after he had announced that he would step down at the end of the calendar year.

Banks' resignation followed a secret wedding to Wright on Martha's Vineyard in late Sept. 

Terence Banks

Terence Banks, the youngest of the three, was listed among hundreds of unpaid appointees to Adams's transition team when he first became mayor.  He founded a government and community relations consulting firm, the Pearl Alliance. The following year, he retired from the MTA.  At least two of his clients later received subpoenas from federal prosecutors, who seized Banks's phones and searched his home last month, according to the New York Times.

All three Banks brothers have denied wrongdoing. An attorney for Philip Banks, Benjamin Brafman, said Monday that federal prosecutors had assured him his client was not a target of the investigation. He said prosecutors were initially scrutinizing "insignificant" Zelle payments between the brothers that were actually related to poker games.

First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright

First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright resigned Tuesday amid the ongoing NYC Mayor Eric Adams' federal corruption case. 

Wright and David Banks share a home in Hamilton Heights that was raided by the feds in September. 

Many have questioned the timing of the wedding and Banks' resignation. However, Banks told FOX 5 "anybody that would criticize has probably never been in love."

Lisa Zornbergm, Adams' chief counsel 

Adams' chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, resigned. Since July 2023, Zornberg had been the lead attorney for both the mayor and City Hall.

"I am deeply grateful to Mayor Adams for giving me the opportunity to serve the city, and I strongly support the work he has done and continues to do for New Yorkers," Zornberg said in a statement. 

Zornberg had advised Adams and other city officials on legal strategy for over a year and often parried legal questions from the press on his behalf. She was not his personal lawyer.

Ashwi Vasan, NYC Health Commissioner

Health Commissioner of New York City, Dr. Ashwi Vasan, submitted his resignation and will leave his position by the end of this year.

Vasan has led the health department since 2022.

Winnie Greco, Director of Asian Affairs

Greco had been Adams’ connection to the city's Chinese American community for nearly a decade, organizing fundraisers and traveling with him to China when he was Brooklyn borough president.

She was later appointed as the city’s director of Asian American affairs, earning a salary of $196,000 a year.

In November, the city’s Department of Investigation launched a probe into Greco after a report by THE CITY questioned her political fundraising and possible misuse of her position for personal gain.

In February, federal agents searched two of her properties and the New World Mall in Flushing, Queens, where Adams held at least three fundraisers. Campaign records show he received dozens of $249 donations—the maximum eligible for the city's matching funds program.

Rana Abbasova, Adams aide

Rana Abbasova, a former aide to Eric Adams, was fired after previously serving as the mayor’s liaison to the Turkish community. However, a reason for her termination has not been disclosed.

The aide described in the indictment matches Abbasova, who was placed on leave in November 2023 when the federal investigation became public.

An attorney for Adams, Alex Spiro, has accused the former aide of misleading prosecutors for her own benefit.

Will Adams resign? 

Adams has dismissed calls for his resignation, downplaying concerns about his ability to govern while he builds his legal defense and reshapes his team. "I’m confident that once the full story is revealed—not just a one-sided version—New Yorkers will see we can stay focused and get the job done," he said Monday.

However, he’s facing increasing pressure to cut ties with those involved in the investigations, including from Governor Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove him from office. Both Police Commissioner Edward Caban and top advisor Timothy Pearson have also stepped down.

Eric Adams