Queens Borough President Donovan Richards held a virtual meeting with Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing crisis at City Hall.
The meeting was held in response to the resignation of four deputy mayors on Monday, Feb. 17, over allegations that Mayor Eric Adams agreed to a quid pro quo with the Trump Administration in order to have federal corruption charges dropped.
Maria Torres-Springer, the city’s First Deputy Mayor, Anne Williams-Isom, deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, Meera Joshi, the deputy mayor for Operations, and Chauncey Parker, deputy mayor for Public Safety all resigned on Monday, citing “extraordinary events” in the Adams Administration.
Hochul, who has faced calls to remove Adams from office, held meetings with key city officials at her Midtown office throughout the day on Tuesday to discuss Adams’ future at City Hall.
Richards said he had a “clear-eyed and frank” virtual meeting with Hochul on Tuesday in response to the fall-out of the resignations, adding that he trusts the Governor to make a decision that puts New Yorkers first.
“The powers of her office are mighty and come with immense responsibility, but I have full faith and confidence that she will continue to put the interests of our city and state first in the days ahead,” Richards said in a statement.
Richards also called for “steady-handed leadership” at City Hall at a time when New York’s diverse communities are ” under threat now more than ever before.” He accused the Trump Administration of implementing “extremist, xenophobic” policies that do not serve New Yorkers and said Adams should consider whether his administration can properly serve New York residents throughout the Trump presidency.
“We need steady-handed leadership at City Hall that can not only weather these crises but address them head-on and continue to move New York City forward,” Richards said. “New Yorkers deserve that from a laser-focused government they can trust, and I encourage Mayor Adams to give deep, honest thought as to whether his administration is capable of delivering such a government.”
Hochul, meanwhile, expressed concerns following Monday’s resignations, and scheduled meetings with key city officials Tuesday to discuss the Mayor’s position.
“If [the resigning deputy mayors] feel unable to serve in City Hall at this time, that raises serious questions about the long-term future of this mayoral administration,” Hochul said in a statement Monday evening.
Richards, along with NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who also met with Hochul on Tuesday, could potentially be part of a city-run “Inability Committee” to weigh whether Mayor Adams is still able to discharge the duties of his office.
Adams has repeatedly insisted that he is “going nowhere” amid calls for his resignation or removal from office. He recently stated as much to a congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church in Queens Village on Feb. 16.
The Mayor told the congregation that he is “not going to step down, [but] I’m going to step up” during the service and has also dismissed allegations that he agreed to a quid quo pro as “silly.”
Danielle Sassoon, the former interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who resigned from her post after the DOJ moved to dismiss federal corruption charges against Adams, accused Adams of agreeing to a quid pro quo with federal prosecutors, alleging that the Mayor would only agree to help with Trump’s immigration agenda if the charges against him were dropped, according to widespread media reports.
Critics of the Mayor have pointed out that the charges have been dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning they could be resurrected at any time. Activists have raised concerns that this could mean that Adams could be coerced into cooperating with Trump on his immigration agenda.
Shortly after the charges were dropped last week, Adams announced an executive order allowing ICE agents into the Rikers Island prison complex, stating that agents would be authorized to assist in criminal investigations, “in particular those focused on violent criminals and gangs.”
