Gov Kathy Hochul meeting with ‘key leaders’ to discuss possible removal of Mayor Eric Adams

The meeting will take place on Tuesday at the governor's Midtown Manhattan office.

Hochul said that she had spoke with one of the outgoing deputies, Maria Torres-Springer and expressed concern about Adams' leadership as close aides continue fleeing his side. Others had previously left amid the corruption scandal. Hochul said that if Torres-Springer and others "feel unable to serve in City Hall at this time, that raises serious questions about the long-term future of this mayoral administration."

"I recognize the immense responsibility I hold as governor and the constitutional powers granted to this office," Hochul said Monday. "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. That said, the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored."

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also indicated that Hochul should remove Adams from office. The City Charter gives the governor the power to oust the mayor should that office see fit. Adams' September indictment was the beginning of calls for him to step aside or be removed. Since then, Comptroller Brad Lander as well as City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams have called for Adams to resign. Adams said that he has no intention of stepping down.

The Trump administration's Department of Justice under AG Pam Bondi has dropped the case against Adams. The Biden administration had brought suit alleging illegal campaign contributions. They also claimed that Adams had taken free trips and luxury hotel stays on the dime of Turkish officials and that he returned their largess by allowing a certificate of occupancy for their New York consulate without passing fire inspection.

Adams has denied the charges but prosecutors from the federal court of the Southern District of New York has resigned in recent days over the dropping of the charges. They say that they believe there is enough evidence to prove their case against Adams. Adams claims that he was politically targeted by the Biden administration for speaking out against Biden's disastrous border policies that saw a massive increase in illegal immigration into the US, which adversely effected many of the nation's largest cities, including New York.

Adams has been in tough spot after tough spot over the past few years. He inherited a Covid-ravaged city from former Mayor Bill de Blasio before Biden's border crisis took its toll on the sanctuary city. New York City has a "right to shelter" law, meaning that if a person in New York seeks shelter, the city must provide it. This has been for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers too. New York has seen thousands upon thousand pour in and has taken it upon itself to house and feed these people.

While New York's City Council has passed laws designating the Democrat-led city to be a sanctuary city, meaning that it is against local law for city cops to follow federal immigration law. Adams has indicated that he's willing to work with the Trump administration in facilitating the mass deportations in New York. He appeared alongside Trump's border czar Tom Homan on Fox and Friends where the two spoke of their cooperation on the immigration issue.

Critics have said this is a quid pro quo, where Trump drops the charges against Adams and Adams plays ball with Trump on immigration. Adams has denied that.