New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, has announced she will not remove New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, from office but will instead push for measures to limit his authority following a series of corruption allegations.
Hochul’s decision comes as the U.S. Justice Department moves to drop a corruption case against Adams, a move that has drawn criticism amid claims of political interference.
The mayor was indicted last year on bribery charges, accused of accepting more than $100,000 (£75,000) in gifts from Turkish citizens in exchange for political favours. He has pleaded not guilty, maintaining his innocence.
While Adams’ trial is set for April, Hochul on Thursday outlined a series of legislative proposals aimed at increasing oversight of his administration.
Her plan includes the creation of a new inspector general for New York City, additional funding for state legal action against the Trump administration, and expanded resources for the state comptroller’s office to monitor city finances.
Explaining her decision not to remove Adams, Hochul said she could not overrule the “will of the voters” but insisted her proposed “guardrails” would ensure city leaders act in the public’s best interest. The measures require approval from the New York City Council and the state legislature before taking effect.
Adams pushed back against the governor’s plan, arguing that restricting his authority would undermine New Yorkers’ democratic power. “While there is no legal basis for limiting New Yorkers’ power by limiting the authority of my office, I have told the governor, as we have done in the past, that I am willing to work with her to ensure faith in our government is strong,” he said in a statement.
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The controversy surrounding Adams deepened when the Trump administration ordered federal prosecutors in Manhattan to drop the case against him, citing national security concerns.
The directive led to the resignation of top prosecutor Danielle Sassoon, who later alleged in a letter to the U.S. attorney general that Adams had agreed to enforce Trump’s immigration policies in exchange for the charges being dismissed. Several other federal prosecutors resigned in protest.
Adams has denied any deal with the Justice Department, while his attorney, Alex Spiro, argued in court that the charges should be dismissed so the mayor can regain his security clearance and resume high-level public safety discussions.
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