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Should he stay or should he go: Gov. Hochul, top Dems mull Mayor Adams’ fate
By
Jon Campbell
and
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Feb 18, 2025
Modified Feb 18, 2025
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Courtesy of Rachel Noerdlinger
By
Jon Campbell
and
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Feb 18, 2025
Modified Feb 18, 2025
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Gov. Kathy Hochul pondered the fate of New York City Mayor Eric Adams Tuesday in a series of meetings with prominent people in politics in her Midtown office as the number of officials calling for the mayor’s resignation steadily increased.
The Democratic governor, who has the legal authority to remove Adams from office, set up several sit-downs Tuesday with prominent New York City officials and leaders to gauge their thoughts on Adams’ future.
The meetings come as the mayor faces a wave of staff departures and continued questions about whether he traded his cooperation with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown for the pending dismissal of federal corruption charges.
The Reverend Al Sharpton entered Hochul’s office on 3rd Ave. shortly before noon and exited less than an hour later. He told reporters he was “concerned” about the state of the city. Hochul, he said, told him she would wait for U.S. District Judge Dale Ho to rule on the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss Adams’ charges. A hearing in the case is set for Wednesday.
“My feeling is that the faith of the city’s people have been shaken and there needs to be a resolve,” Sharpton said. “But at the same time, we must protect the law and not establish a precedent that could come back to harm us.”
Other officials meeting in-person or virtually with the governor included Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander.
Andy Eichar, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, said Jeffries plans to speak with Hochul and “other stakeholders in person or over the phone in the next few days about the developing situation at City Hall.”
In a statement following his meeting with the governor, Richards said Adams should “give deep, honest thought as to whether his administration is capable of delivering” a government the people can trust.
The Council leader said only that she and Hochul had a “productive meeting.” She called for the mayor’s resignation on Monday.
She joined members of Congress and the state Legislature, including state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who in recent days called for Adams to step down
The mayor has refused demands for his resignation and has denied any quid pro quo with the Trump administration. On Tuesday, Adams called reporters “liars” as they shouted questions about what he would say to Hochul as she weighs his future.
Jay Walker, a nonprofit executive from Chelsea, chanted “Remove Eric Adams” with about three dozen other demonstrators on the sidewalk outside Hochul’s office before Sharpton arrived.
“He’s toast,” Walker said of the mayor. “She might as well remove him now. He’s completely compromised.”
State law gives the governor broad authority to remove certain local officials, including mayors and sheriffs. That’s mirrored in the city charter, with both requiring the governor to provide the mayor with a copy of the charges he’s facing and an opportunity to defend himself.
Hochul can also suspend the mayor for 30 days while removal proceedings are ongoing.
Lupe Todd-Medina, a Democratic consultant who worked on Hochul’s 2022 campaign, said the governor is smart to seek the counsel of other leaders, particularly those in the Black community. Adams is New York City's second Black mayor.
But she said removing an elected mayor is a heavy responsibility, and Hochul has to ensure she “really considers her own voice.”
“She needs to be true to herself,” Todd-Medina said. “You want to be comfortable with your decision, and I think that begins with self-reflection.”
Kathryn Wylde, president of the business group Partnership for New York City, said she would speak with the governor later in the day.
“I think we’re in good hands with Gov. Hochul,” Wylde said. “She has demonstrated that she can manage this situation, and we’re counting on her to make sure the city continues to have the professional leadership it requires to keep things running.”
Republicans and conservatives began attacking Hochul over Adams' potential removal from office.
“The people should make the decision,” said Ruben Diaz Sr., a former city councilmember from the Bronx. “Not Gov. Hochul, not Al Sharpton. Not a clique.”
But Hochul isn’t the only one who can remove the mayor.
City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running for mayor himself, has called on Adams to provide a plan to ensure New York City residents are receiving services amid the ongoing mayoral turmoil.
If Adams doesn’t provide a plan, Lander said he would reach out to other members of what’s known as the "inability committee" to determine if the mayor can discharge his duties.
Under the city charter, the committee would comprise five members, including the city’s comptroller, corporation counsel, the Council's speaker, a deputy mayor of the mayor's choosing and the longest serving borough president. The committee can begin a process for removing the mayor, which would ultimately require the City Council's approval.
After meeting with Hochul on Tuesday afternoon, Lander said he discussed both the state and city processes.
“We acknowledged both of them are relatively untested processes with a lot of questions around them,” Lander said. “Which is why watching over the next few days to see what happens in each of these things is what makes sense to do before any next-step decisions are made.”
Brigid Bergin contributed reporting.
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Politics
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
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Jimmy Vielkind
Jimmy Vielkind covers how state government and politics affect people throughout New York. He has covered Albany since 2008, most recently as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Jimmy led a team of reporters that won a New York Press Club award for coverage of Andrew Cuomo’s downfall and was on a team that won a Gerald Loeb Award for coverage of Amazon’s HQ2 process. A native of the Capitol Region, Jimmy has two degrees in urban planning. His position is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Reach Jimmy at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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