As NY Gov. Kathy Hochul Weighs Whether to Remove Eric Adams From Office, Here's What Could Happen Next

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is meeting with "key leader" in Manhattan Tuesday to discuss "the path forward," weighing whether to remove the New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has been accused of engaging in a "quid pro quo" with the Trump administration following a call from The Justice Department to have his corruption case dropped. Concretely, prosecutors who resigned following the DOJ's orders said Adams would be exchanging increased immigration enforcement for the dropping of the corruption charges against him.

In this context, the prospect of his removal has raised the question about what will happen if Adams is indeed removed by Hochul.

As governor, Hochul has the power to remove Adams, and she has come under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to exercise this power.

"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 continued, 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."

Calls for Adams to resign or be removed, have increased over the past days, with Democrats being among the biggest critics of the mayor, who has sought to revert the city's sanctuary policies. If the governor ultimately decides to remove Adams, the process could be complicated.

According to the City Charter, "the mayor may be removed from office by the governor upon charges and after service upon him of a copy of the charges and an opportunity to be heard in defense." The suspension may not extend more than 30 days, meaning that Adams would be required to formally answer the governor's charges and make a case for himself if he wants to change her mind and be returned to the office within the 30-day time frame.

Based on the case provided, Hochul may then lift Adams' suspension if she finds he made a case sufficient to allow him to resume duties— or order him permanently removed as mayor, according to AM-NY.

Another scenario would involve the creation of an "Inability Committee" to examine whether a sitting mayor can continue to discharge their duties. However, this may not apply in Adams' case, considering the historical precedent set by Mayor Ed Koch in 1987 when he suffered a stroke.

"I think that it's important to note the historical perspective on an Inability Committee," City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said on Oct. 10, weeks after he was indicted last fall. "The word inability, I believe, was chosen because of that very fact, of the mayor being unable, physically unable, to fulfill his role. That is not what we have in this instance."

Further, if Adams resigns or is removed from office, the public advocate, Jumaane Williams, would become acting mayor of the City. Williams would then be required to call a special election within 80 days to elect a new mayor to serve the remainder of Adams' term, which expires on Dec. 31.

That scenario would not change the timeline of the November mayoral election, in which voters will decide who will be New York City's mayor for the next four years.

For his part, Adams seems unwilling to leave office. Speaking of the weekend, he said during an appearance at a Baptist church, "the most sanctified among us are calling for me to step down... I'm not going to step down, I'm going to step up."