Former metropolis Comptroller Scott Stringer. Feb 13, 2025.
Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Former metropolis Comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer is elevating alarm bells about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed guardrails for Mayor Eric Adams, warning in a Friday letter that the measures “risk complicating” metropolis authorities and setting “problematic precedents” for the state exerting its affect over town.
In his missive, Stringer counseled Hochul for trying to reign in Adams’ authority. This follows a former Manhattan US Legal professional’s accusations that the mayor’s lawyer made a take care of President Trump’s DOJ to do the administration’s bidding in alternate for dropping his corruption case. Adams, his lawyer, and prime DOJ officers have all denied the accusations from the previous federal prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon.
Hochul launched the legislative measures, which might enhance state oversight of town and provides extra energy to different citywide officers, as a step towards stabilizing Metropolis Corridor within the wake of 4 deputy mayors resigning over Adams’ alleged pact with Trump. She unveiled the proposals final week as a substitute of utilizing her energy as governor as well Adams from workplace.
All three of the measures should be accredited by the Metropolis Council and state legislature. If handed, they might sundown on the finish of the yr, at which level they should be renewed.
Gov. Kathy Hochul talking on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.Picture By Dean Moses
Nonetheless, Stringer argued in his letter that Hochul could also be going too far in her effort to maintain Adams in line. He cautioned that her proposals might hamstring future mayors unnecessarily when Adams himself is the issue.
“The problem we face is not a lack of effective and robust oversight mechanisms for New York City,” Stringer wrote. “It is the unqiue and unacceptable situation created by Adams’ malpractice, his overt willingness to put his own interests ahead of the safety and functioning of the city.”
Stringer took situation with two of the three proposals.
One would add a brand new deputy state inspector basic for New York Metropolis and require that the mayor search approval from that workplace to fireplace town Depatment of Investigation commissioner. The opposite would give citywide officers — together with the comptroller, public advocate, and Metropolis Council speaker — the flexibility to deliver their very own lawsuits with out having to undergo town’s Legislation Division, which experiences to the mayor.
The previous is geared toward giving the state extra oversight of the mayor’s actions, whereas stopping them from ousting a DOI commissioner for political causes. The latter would enable citywide officers to deliver lawsuits in opposition to the federal authorities, presently the Trump administration, within the case {that a} mayor like Adams just isn’t keen to.
However Stringer mentioned there are already robust watchdogs in place for town, together with the state Legal professional Normal’s workplace, which regularly works with DOI and town comptroller on probes. He contended that including one other oversight arm might create a “needless layer of buearocracy.”
On prime of that, he mentioned taking away the mayor’s capability to fireplace the DOI commissioner might diminish mayoral authority going ahead.
“Removing a DOI commissioner is an extraordinary step, but it is one that the mayor must be empowered to take when the situation calls for it,” Stringer mentioned.
Mayor Eric Adams.Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Relating to the opposite measure, Stringer mentioned he believes it isn’t essential as a result of the Legislation Division has proven itself to behave independently of the mayor.
“The possibility of three sets of officials and lawyers engaging in potentially competing and overlapping litigation would seem to open the door to additional chaos and confusion,” he mentioned.
Stringer mentioned he helps Hochul’s third proposal to spice up funding for the state comptroller’s workplace as a way to strenghen its scrutiny of town’s funds.
Adams, for his half, claims there may be “no legal basis” for the governor to position limits on his govt energy.
