What a Mayor in Crisis Means for New York City
The New York Times
As federal investigations swirl around Mayor Eric Adams, his political influence, his agenda and his re-election effort are at risk.
If Mayor Eric Adams needed any further evidence of his diminished stature in New York City, this past week was a new low point.
On Tuesday, the mayor’s handpicked choice to become the city’s top lawyer withdrew his nomination, sparing himself and the mayor from a public rejection.
Two days later, a separate embarrassment emerged: Mr. Adams’s police commissioner, Edward A. Caban, resigned under duress. Mr. Caban and his twin brother are under federal investigation, one of four federal inquiries circling the highest levels of the Adams administration.
Then, late Saturday, came another blow: The mayor’s top legal adviser at City Hall, Lisa Zornberg, abruptly stepped down.
The swarm of federal scrutiny has raised questions about Mr. Adams’s fitness to lead the city; his ability to negotiate with the City Council and with state and federal leaders to push his agenda; and his capacity to lure and retain talented people in city government.