New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she will meet with “key leaders” to discuss removing embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office.
As governor, Hochul has the power to remove Adams, and she has come under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to exercise it amid Adams’ numerous scandals, including an alleged quid-pro-quo with the Justice Department to drop criminal charges against him in exchange for Adams aiding the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“In the 235 years of New York State history, these powers have never been utilized to remove a duly-elected mayor; overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly,” Hochul wrote in a statement late Monday.
“That said, the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored,” she said, adding she had summoned “key leaders” to her Manhattan office on Tuesday to discuss “the path forward, with the goal of ensuring stability for the City of New York.”
A legion of high-profile figures in New York politics have expressed doubt that Adams can continue as mayor or outright called for him to resign, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Hochul’s own Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado and New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
Four of Mayor Adams’ deputies resigned Monday over concerns that he is doing President Trump’s bidding.
Adams, for his part, vowed to stay on as mayor as recently as Sunday. "I have a mission to finish, the mission that God put me on many years ago,” he told churchgoers in an impassioned sermon.
Hochul closed out her statement Monday saying her biggest concern is the “well-being of my 8.3 million constituents who live in New York City.”
“I will be monitoring this situation extraordinarily closely to ensure that New Yorkers are not being shortchanged by the current crisis in City government,” she added.
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