Solo Act: Mayor Adams Leaves Coterie of Confidants Behind in Final Public Briefing

Mayor Eric Adams faced reporters alone Tuesday — without his usual podium of aides, attorneys and deputies or theme song — to answer a barrage of questions at his first official news conference since pleading not guilty last week to federal charges. corruption.

“I have a city to run and I have a great team to run,” he said as he stood in the City Hall rotunda, a change from the usual Blue Room used for his weekly news conferences. “My deputy mayors, my chief counsel, my commissioners, my legal team – they need to focus on running the city.”

Alone on stage, he repeated a defiant message that has become increasingly emphatic in the past week, even after the mayor was hit with a five-count indictment, including charges of conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud.

“Every day, New Yorkers are hit with bad news. And the message is that if you encounter an obstacle, just throw up your hands and give up?” he said.

“That’s not who I am. And if that’s who I am, then I should never have put myself in this position as mayor. I couldn’t be clearer: obstacles don’t hold me back, they strengthen me. And that has been my life story.”

Amid the turmoil that followed the resignation of top officials, including his police commissioner, and the criminal case brought by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Adams exudes an aura of confidence and optimism. Since the charges were first revealed last Thursday, he has stood with religious and civil rights leaders outside Gracie Mansion and visited churches, including one Monday night in Corona, Queens.

“You can’t worry about the road when God is in the driver’s seat,” he said Tuesday, leaning heavily on his faith. ‘That’s the one controlling me. And I will be here for this city.”

‘Great service’

Adams has also tried to fill his daily schedule with business-as-usual appearances, and on Tuesday he announced his intention to permanently nominate Muriel Goode-Trufant, his current interim business advisor, to the role.

That top city attorney job had been vacant for months after Sylvia Hinds-Radix resigned, and his previous nominee, Randy Mastro, withdrew after an awkward City Council hearing.

On Tuesday, he also announced that he has appointed Allison Stoddart as chief counsel, replacing Lisa Zornberg, who resigned weeks ago, reportedly over the mayor’s refusal to fire several key advisers under law enforcement investigation.

Shortly after he announced Stoddart, cheers came from the offices above. Two sources confirmed that she received a standing ovation when she entered.

Adams was answering questions about the resignation of key adviser Tim Pearson, who submitted his resignation letter on Monday announcing his departure at the end of the week – noting that he had not pushed Pearson out.

“Tim made the decision that he wanted to focus on a different aspect of his life and deal with the issues he was dealing with,” the mayor said of Pearson’s departure. “And he decided it was time to go through with it. And I respect that. He served his city as a police officer and in private and public life. And he goes on to the next level.”

But Adams dodged questions about whether the city would still pay for Pearson’s legal fees as he fights four lawsuits from former colleagues alleging sexual harassment and retaliation, or who — if anyone — might replace him as head of the shadowy Office of Municipal Service Assessment that Adams created as Pearson’s domain.

A spokesman for the city’s legal department, Nicholas Paolucci, said the city is still investigating whether taxpayers can cover the costs of Pearson’s attorneys.

“Each determination of the Legal Department’s representation is subject to review as new facts and circumstances are discovered,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to evaluate Tim Pearson’s legal representation, as we would any current or former employee.”

In addition, Adams’ private attorney, Alex Spiro, filed a motion Tuesday asking a judge to impose sanctions on U.S. Attorney Damian Williams’ office in Manhattan, accusing federal prosecutors of illegally leaking protected grand jury records material to the New York Times and other media. .

“The administration has shown abject disregard for Mayor Adams’ rights and the grand jury secrecy provisions” of the law, the filing said, arguing that the leaks “eroded public support for the mayor long before he was ever accused of a crime and able to defend themselves in court.”

At his news conference, the mayor dodged questions about whether Spiro can continue to represent him in both his civil assault case and his federal corruption case, saying instead that reporters should ask the company’s attorney.

Adams also did not answer questions about his understanding of the city’s campaign finance rules, whether he believes he is being targeted by federal authorities, and for what. And he would not comment on what he thought the Turkish government would expect in return when the national airline offered him free travel upgrades – a key element in the corruption case against him.

He warned other elected officials who may feel compelled to help different constituencies given his ongoing investigations.

“I have done nothing wrong, and any elected official in this city making calls on behalf of a constituent should be concerned about what is being offered there,” he said.

His final answer at the press conference was lighter: How was the service on Turkish Airlines, a reporter asked?

“I love that question,” he said. “Great service, great service.”

Additional reporting Greg. B Smith and Gwynne Hogan

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