Governor Kathy Hochul has suggested the possibility of an unprecedented move against Mayor Eric Adams, announcing plans to meet with key officials to discuss the future of his administration. While she stopped short of declaring any immediate action, her remarks raise the question of whether she is considering using her constitutional authority to remove Adams from office.
Politico writes:
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.
It’s worth noting that the federal charges did not spur the governor to take action. Instead, it was Adams’ decision to work with the Department of Justice to crack down on illegal immigration.
Note that she didn’t even contemplate this when he was indicted for corruption for being on the Turkish payroll. Only when he agreed to cooperate with the enforcement of federal law. https://t.co/WOPlPnoHXt
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) February 18, 2025
Adams has been a critic of illegal immigration and the Democratic Party’s acceptance of it. In 2023, during a radio interview, the New York Mayor said, “Well, when we think about the immigration reform, we’re going to need the help from Congress as well. I think the president has an obligation to deal with the immediate concerns. But when we talk about immigration, it is going to take a combination of the executive and the legislative body. We have to address this. El Paso should not be going through this. Chicago should not be going through this. Houston, Washington, New York, no city should have to make a decision if they’re going to provide for their citizens, particularly coming out of Covid or if they’re going to deal with an onslaught of migrants and asylum seekers.
We received over 30,000 asylum seekers that are in need of not only shelter or food, education for children, healthcare, some of the basic items that are needed, and this is really impacting on the quality of life in New York and our ability to provide for every day, long-term New Yorkers on the needs that they have during this difficult time. This must be addressed.”
Adams soon afterward began being investigated by the Biden Department of Justice. The downfall of Adams may be good news for another New York political family looking to make a comeback.
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