(Reuters) – Four deputies to New York Mayor Eric Adams plan resign in the coming days in a withdrawal of support for the embattled mayor after President Donald Trump’s Justice Department asked to drop criminal charges against Adams, citing his sympathies with Trump’s immigration policy, local media reported on Monday.
The attempt to dismiss charges against Adams had already prompted mass resignations in the Justice Department by officials who refused to comply with the decision to drop charges, which had previously been affirmed in a grand jury indictment.
Reuters could not confirm the reports by WNBC television and the New York Times that four deputy mayors also intended to resign. Representatives of Adams’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment but a spokesperson told WNBC and the Times that nobody had resigned as yet. The four officials named in the reports could not be reached for comment.
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Adams on Sunday conducted a Zoom meeting with at least three deputy mayors who expressed their intention to resign from his administration, WNBC reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The meeting’s aim was to convince senior aides to delay any decision about leaving, which could weaken the mayor’s position as he resists call to resign, WNBC said.
First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom first told the mayor in person on Friday that they intended to resign, WNBC said, citing one unnamed source.
A fourth deputy mayor, Chauncey Parker, who oversees public safety, also told the mayor he intended to resign, WNBC said.
The New York Times later reported similar news, citing three people with knowledge of the deputy mayors’ plans.
Adams, a Democrat and former police officer elected in 2022, has been under pressure to resign since federal prosecutors brought a five-count criminal indictment last September charging him with accepting travel perks from Turkish officials and political donations from foreigners in exchange for taking actions to benefit Turkey.
Adams pleaded not guilty, has denied any wrongdoing, and said he would not resign.
After Trump came back into office on January 20, however, the new leadership of the Justice Department sought to dismiss the charges.
U.S. District Judge Dale Ho still must sign off on the request.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
