New York Governor Kathy Hochul left open the possibility of removing Mayor Eric Adams from office on Thursday night amid allegations that federal authorities were prepared to dismiss his criminal case in exchange for his assistance with President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
As the sole state official empowered to remove Adams, Hochul revealed during an appearance on MSNBC that she is consulting with government officials about the mayor’s future.
Speaking with host Rachel Maddow, she mentioned having read a letter from former acting Manhattan US Attorney Danielle Sassoon that alleged Adams’ legal team proposed a “quid pro quo” in hopes of having his federal charges dropped.
“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.
“I have to do what’s smart, what’s right and I’m consulting with other leaders in government at this time,” she added. “This just happened. I need some time to process this and figure out the right approach.”
Her remarks come on the heels of her deputy, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, urging Adams to resign and accusing him of being beholden to President Trump.
“New York City deserves a Mayor accountable to the people, not beholden to the President,” Delgado stated in a terse social media post. “Mayor Adams should step down.”
A spokesperson for City Hall dismissed these comments, insisting that Adams would remain in office. “Mayor Adams has been clear over and over again, he’s not stepping down, he’s stepping up,” the spokesperson said on Thursday night.
However, Hochul’s office quickly clarified that Delgado’s statements do not reflect the governor’s views. “Gov. Hochul is carefully reviewing these allegations,” a spokesperson told The Post. “Lieutenant Governor Delgado does not now and has not ever spoken on behalf of this administration.”
In her resignation letter, Sassoon alleged that at a January 31 meeting in Washington, D.C., Adams’ attorneys “repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo,” suggesting that he would assist with immigration enforcement if his indictment were dropped. Bloomberg via Getty Images reported that Manhattan US Attorney Danielle Sassoon claimed this quid pro quo was offered in hopes of seeing his federal charges dismissed.
“It is a breathtaking and dangerous precedent to reward Adams’s opportunistic and shifting commitments on immigration and other policy matters with dismissal of a criminal indictment,” Sassoon wrote. “Nor will a court likely find that such an improper exchange is consistent with the public interest.”
Defense attorney Alex Spiro dismissed Sassoon’s allegation as a “total lie.” “We offered nothing and the department asked nothing of us,” he said.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who directed Sassoon to file a motion to dismiss the case on Monday, also refuted any notion of a deal between Adams and Trump in a response letter to the Manhattan prosecutor. “(The) Government is not offering to exchange dismissal of a criminal case for Adams’s assistance on immigration enforcement,” the letter stated.
Bove argued that the charges against Adams were “politicized” and undermined his ability to govern the city, while also accusing Sassoon, a Republican, of insubordination. He further contended that because of the pending prosecution, Adams is unable to communicate “directly and candidly” with city officials and federal agencies responsible for national security and crime, ultimately supporting Sassoon’s resignation.
“This situation is unacceptable and directly endangers the lives of millions of New Yorkers,” Bove wrote.
Additionally, Adams announced on Thursday that he was exploring the use of an executive order to reopen a federal immigration space at Rikers Island, which would compel federal authorities to collaborate with local officials in expelling criminal migrants from the US.
This decision follows a meeting on Thursday between Adams and Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan.
{Matzav.com}