New York governors have the power to kick New York City mayors out of office, and there's a chance Gov. Kathy Hochul could be the first to use it. Eric Adams is the first of the city's 110 mayors to be criminally charged while in office, Reuters notes, and the indictment has left Hochul in what the New York Times calls an "awkward position." So far, she has chosen her words carefully. On Thursday night, she called the indictment "the latest in a disturbing pattern of events that has, understandably, contributed to a sense of unease among many New Yorkers" but she didn't call for Adams to step down, the Times reports.
Removing Adams from office would give the governor a "chance to shatter any perception of weakness and distance herself from a mayor under federal indictment," per the Times—but it could also alienate many of his supporters ahead of next year's election. Another potential problem for Hochul is that New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is next in the line of succession, the Albany Times Union reports. Williams ran against Hochul in the 2022 Democratic primary and has criticized policies including her congestion pricing plan. The Times Union predicts that there would be "a tense relationship between City Hall and the state Capitol" if Adams were removed.
Prosecutors say Adams, who arrived at a federal courthouse to be arraigned Friday morning, took bribes including travel perks from Turkish officials and business execs, the AP reports. The Times notes that with no precedent for a governor removing a New York City mayor, it's not clear how the process would unfold if Hochul decides Adams has to go. In 1932, Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt, fearing the issue could affect his presidential campaign, considered removing Jimmy Walker—described by Avenue as "a Prohibition-era dandy who stuffed his pockets with bribes while proving to be a remarkably effective civic manager"—but the mayor resigned instead and moved to Europe with his showgirl mistress. (More Eric Adams stories.)
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