NY Gov. Doesn't Rule Out Removing Eric Adams From Office Over Allegations of 'Quid Pro Quo' With Trump Admin

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she doesn't rule out removing NYC Mayor Eric Adams from his post over allegations that he engaged in a "quid pro quo" with the Donald Trump administration, agreeing to help enforce its immigration crackdown in exchange for the dismissal of the charges against him.

Speaking to MSNBC, Hochul said she is consulting with officials about next steps regarding the matter, as she is the only official in the state who has the power to remove Adams from office. "The allegations are extremely concerning and serious, but 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 said.

The governor went on to mention that the allegations are recent and she needs "some time to process this and figure out the right approach."

However, other officials have already made up their minds. Hochul's lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, called on Adams to resign, saying the city "deserves a Mayor accountable to the people, not beholden to the President." "Mayor Adams should step down," he added.

State Senator Mike Gianaris issued a similar statement, saying that "the last thing the people of New York want is for our city to turn into an annex of the Trump administration, yet that's exactly what is happening."

"Eric Adams is clearly compromised and can no longer be considered the legitimate leader of our city. He must step down or be removed," Gianaris added in a publication on X.

A City Hall spokesperson, however, rejected the calls, reiterating that Adams won't step down. "Mayor Adams has been clear over and over again, he's not stepping down, he's stepping up," the spokesperson said, as quoted by the New York Post.

At least six senior Justice Department officials, including Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, have resigned so far as a result of the developments, choosing that option rather than complying with the Justice Department's order.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who had been temporarily leading the prosecution of Adams, was among those who stepped down. In a scathing resignation letter, Sassoon stated that dismissing the charges in return for Adams' assistance on immigration policy would be "improper."

Sassoon accused the department of agreeing to a "quid pro quo," which entailed dropping the case to get Adams' help with Trump's immigration crackdown in exchange. "I remain baffled by the rushed and superficial process by which this decision was reached," Sassoon wrote in a passage of the letter addressed at Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a former personal criminal defense lawyer for President Donald Trump, had issued the order for dismissal on Monday, citing concerns that the case against Adams amounted to "weaponization" of the justice system. Bove's memo to Sassoon emphasized that her office had no authority to challenge this determination and warned that the Justice Department would not tolerate "insubordination."

John Keller, the acting head of the Public Integrity Section, and Kevin Driscoll, the acting head of the department's criminal division, which oversees national federal criminal cases, followed Sassoon by resigning. Three deputies—Rob Heberle, Jenn Clarke, and Marco Palmieri—resigned as well.