Moderation in all things – including booting Mayor Eric Adams from office.
A small but increasingly vocal cadre of moderate New York Democrats are urging caution on ejecting Adams as the Big Apple’s mayor — as lefty pols lead the charge to have him resign or be removed for working with President Trump.
“Removing him because, `We’re mad at you for helping Trump?’” ex-Gov. David Paterson told The Post sarcastically.
“I don’t hear anything of a cause for him to leave office.”
Concerns over Adams’ ability to govern New York City — and a corresponding drumbeat to somehow oust him from office — reached a fever pitch Tuesday as a parade of Democratic muckety-mucks marched into Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office in Manhattan for a high-stakes conclave on what to do about the mayor.
The meetings were prompted by the shocking resignations Monday of four deputy mayors widely seen as providing stability to Adams’ beleaguered administration.
Their exits followed Trump’s Department of Justice moving to dismiss Adams’ corruption case — a move that top federal prosecutor Danielle Sassoon, as she resigned, stunningly alleged came with an improper “quid pro quo”: that the mayor would have to do the president’s bidding on immigration.
The alleged deal — which Adams’ attorney and DOJ officials denied — was widely seen by critics, mostly progressives, as keeping the mayor beholden to Trump, rather than New York City voters.
Lefty city Comptroller Brad Lander, who was among the pols Hochul met with Tuesday, signaled his intent to convene an “inability committee” — one of the only ways to remove a mayor from office, other than suspension or removal by the governor.
Other lawmakers, who are largely but not all progressive, have similarly called for Adams to resign, including City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
But other high-profile Empire State leaders, such as Paterson, urged a more cautious approach, especially with the upcoming mayoral election.
“There are two choices: remove him from office or let the voters decide,” Paterson said. “I prefer the latter. Let the voters figure it out.”
State Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs contended those who want Adams ousted simply haven’t reckoned with the fact that the process to remove a sitting New York City mayor — which has never been undertaken before in state history — is complicated and potentially lengthy.
Better to just wait until the upcoming election, he said.
“There is a misconception that removal by the Governor is a quick process,” he said. “It requires due process and would likely take almost as long as it will take to get to the election.”
Several conservative Democrats also noted that Adams faces a likely bruising June primary.
“WHAT A CHUTZPAH! NY’s primary is 4 months away and @GovKathyHochul
wants to decide who should be our Mayor!!” tweeted state Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn).
“No backdoor meetings are necessary @GovKathyHochul NYers will choose their next Mayor themselves!”
City Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens) said voters should decide Adams’ fate, not a politically connected “witch hunt.”
“Why remove him? Because he started cooperating with Trump on immigration policy,” he sarcastically quipped. “It’s stupid.”
Adams also garnered defenders among Republicans.
“As often as I’ve criticized Mayor Adams and disagreed with his policies, the Governor is wrong here and is being motivated by politics not law,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island). “She is rushing to remove him because he is working with the Trump Administration to rid our city of dangerous foreign criminals and gangs.”
The mayor did receive a day-long reprieve in judgment from House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow Brooklynite.
Jeffries said he and other House Democrats will wait to opine on Adams’ potential removal until after a federal judge decides on whether to agree dismiss the criminal case — a decision that could come Wednesday.
Here’s the latest on Mayor Eric Adams
- Gov. Kathy Hochul assembling ‘key leaders’ to discuss next move on Eric Adams after shocking deputy mayors resignations
- Mayor Adams bizarrely invokes ‘Mein Kampf,’ takes vicious dig at Dem rival in defiant message refusing to step down
- NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams calls for Eric Adams to resign as chaos engulfs City Hall
- Half of NYC’s deputy mayors dramatically resign in wake of Eric Adams’ controversial reprieve from Trump DOJ
But he still left Adams twisting in the wind when questioned following a community event Tuesday in Coney Island.
“It’s a deeply disturbing development,” he said. “Mayor Adams has a responsibility to decisively demonstrate to the people of New York he has the capacity to govern in the best interest of New Yorkers, as opposed to taking orders from the Trump administration.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, a longtime Adams ally, also gave an ominous statement after he met with Hochul.
Richards, as the city’s current longest-serving borough president, would be part of a five-person “inability committee” that could boot Adams from office.
“New York City, its values and its diverse communities are under threat now more than ever before — the obvious targets of an extremist, xenophobic federal administration that has no interest in the common good. Meanwhile, far too many New Yorkers are struggling to find affordable housing, a good-paying job or opportunities for their children to grow,” he said in a statement.
“We need steady-handed leadership at City Hall that can not only weather these crises but address them head-on and continue to move New York City forward,” Richards added. “New Yorkers deserve that from a laser-focused government they can trust, and I encourage Mayor Adams to give deep, honest thought as to whether his administration is capable of delivering such a government.”
Marist College pollster Lee Miringoff said he’s not surprised that some moderate Democrats are not sticking up for Adams.
“People are fleeing the political titanic,” Miringoff said, noting the departures of four deputy mayors.
Marist conducted a New City poll last October that found nearly 70% of voters wanted Adams to resign following his indictment.
“The dismissal of the criminal case helps Adams legally but not in the electoral arena. New Yorkers are not going to be thrilled when you’re lining up with Donald Trump,” he said.
“His approval rating was already low to begin with. Moderate Democrats are not going to stick out their neck for him,” he said, when asked about more centrist Dems who’ve been silent on whether Hizzoner should be removed.
— Additional reporting by Haley Brown
