On Monday, four senior aides to New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced their resignations, adding to the ongoing controversies that have characterized his administration. This shift creates a notable gap in the city’s leadership structure.
This announcement comes on the heels of a February 10 directive from the Justice Department, which urged federal prosecutors to drop corruption claims against Adams. The department argued that continuing with the case was obstructing the Democratic mayor’s ability to advance President Biden’s policies, especially in relation to illegal immigration enforcement.
The corruption allegations against Adams were first brought to light in September and are linked to activities from his time as Brooklyn borough president in 2014.
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Among those resigning are First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer and Deputy Mayors Meera Joshi, Anne Williams-Isom, and Chauncey Parker. Their decisions come at a time when pressure is mounting on Governor Kathy Hochul to either remove Adams from office or encourage him to resign on his own.
This resignation wave follows last week’s departure of U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and five senior officials from the Justice Department, after Sassoon opted not to dismiss the charges against Adams.
The mayor’s office confirmed the resignations in a statement to NBC New York, commending the deputies as “exceptional public servants who have been instrumental in transforming New York City.”
The statement elaborated, “Together, we’ve achieved historical milestones in housing, created the greatest number of jobs the city has ever seen, provided support to countless New Yorkers and migrants, developed innovative public spaces, and improved safety across the board. New Yorkers owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service to our city.”
Reports suggest that Adams attempted to convince the aides to rethink their resignations during a Zoom meeting over the weekend, but they ultimately decided to move forward with their resignations.
Joshi, who held the position of Deputy Mayor of Operations, reportedly conveyed a collective message from the deputies in an email sent to agency commissioners.
“In light of the extraordinary events of recent weeks and to uphold the commitments we made to serve New Yorkers and our families, we have made the difficult decision to resign from our positions,” the statement read.
TIME has reached out to the Mayor’s office for additional comments.
