Mayor Eric Adams visits “FOX & Friends” at Fox Information Channel Studios in Midtown Manhattan on Feb. 14, 2025.
Photograph by John Lamparski/Getty Pictures
The swift fallout continues from Thursday’s wave of federal prosecutor resignations over President Trump’s Justice Division shifting to drop Mayor Eric Adams‘ corruption charges — with a number of city pols freshly calling for Hizzoner’s ouster and Gov. Kathy Hochul not ruling out taking steps to take away him from workplace.
Danielle Sassoon’s beautiful resignation Thursday as U.S. Lawyer for the Southern District of New York after refusing a high DOJ official’s request to dismiss the Adams case prompted 5 different federal prosecutors with the Public Integrity Division to step down that very same day after the Justice Division tried to switch the case from the SDNY to the unit, the New York Instances reported.
Nevertheless, an explosive Wednesday letter that Sassoon despatched to Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi triggered the brand new requires Adams’ elimination from workplace. Within the Feb. 12 letter, Sassoon mentioned she couldn’t adjust to the order to drop the fees as a result of it’s “inconsistent with my ability and duty to prosecute federal crimes without fear or favor.” She mentioned the memo ordering the case be dismissed, which expressly websites Adams having the ability to give attention to serving to implement Trump’s immigration crackdown as a cause for letting him off the hook, amounted to a quid-pro-quo.
The political ramifications got here rapidly, with a wave of latest requires Adams to step down or for Hochul to take motion.
“The last thing the people of New York want is for our city to turn into an annex of the Trump administration, yet that is exactly what is happening,” state Senate Deputy Majority Chief Michael Gianaris mentioned in a Friday morning assertion. “Eric Adams is clearly compromised and can no longer be considered the legitimate leader of our city. He must step down or be removed.”
Hochul to ‘figure out the right approach’
Gov. Kathy Hochul didn’t rule out the potential of giving Mayor Eric Adams the boot throughout a Thursday evening interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.Will Waldron/Albany Instances Union through Getty Pictures
In the meantime, Hochul, for the primary time, didn’t rule out the potential of giving Adams the boot throughout a Thursday evening interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.
The governor famous it was “unbelievably unprecedented” for the primary Justice Division to intrude in Adams’ case and that the allegations in Sassoon’s letter had been “extremely concerning and serious.” Whereas she stopped in need of committing to take away Adams, she did go away the door open to the chance, which contrasts together with her earlier place of displaying no urge for food to dismiss the mayor.
“I cannot, as the governor of this state, have a knee-jerk, politically motivated reaction like a lot of other people are saying right now,” Hochul mentioned. “I have to do what’s smart, what’s right, and I’m consulting with other leaders in government at this time.”
She added that she wants time to “process this and figure out the right approach.”
Hochul’s second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, didn’t look ahead to his boss to make up her thoughts, as he known as on Adams to resign in a social media put up on Thursday evening. However he did cease in need of urging Hochul to power Adams out.
“New York City deserves a mayor accountable to the people, not beholden to the president,” Delgado wrote. “Mayor Adams should step down.”
When requested about Hochul’s feedback throughout a Friday morning FOX & Mates interview, Adams merely mentioned, “She has her role; I have my role.”
‘I want ICE to deliver’
Protestors converse out towards ICE on Feb. 13, 2025.Photograph by Lloyd Mitchell
After assembly with Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan on Thursday, Adams mentioned he would subject an govt order permitting federal immigration brokers to function on Rikers Island for the primary time in 10 years. The mayor’s transfer sparked quick outrage from elected officers and advocates who mentioned it violates town’s sanctuary legal guidelines, which bar its cooperation with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement in lots of situations.
Adams and Homan appeared collectively Friday morning on FOX & Mates, throughout which Homan, when requested if Adams didn’t “come through” in aiding within the immigration crackdown, mentioned he would “be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’”
“And I want ICE to deliver,” Mayor Adams mentioned in response. “We’re going to deliver for the safety of the American people.”
Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, together with Council Members Alexa Aviles (D-Brooklyn) and Sandy Nurse (D-Brooklyn), tied the mayor’s announcement on to Sassoon’s resignation over his costs being dropped.
“Today’s statement by the mayor only further connects it to the resignations at DOJ over the apparent quid pro quo identified by the recently resigned U.S. Attorney for the Southern District,” they mentioned in a Feb. 13 assertion. “This announcement only deepens the concern that the mayor is prioritizing the interests of the Trump Administration over those of New Yorkers.”
