Seven high-ranking officials in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s administration have resigned since he took office in 2022, with three in the past month.
The latest resignations are simply par for the course, according to Adams, who is at the center of an FBI corruption investigation.
“People come in and out of government,” Adams said at his weekly press conference. “Dr. Vasan has been here. He’s going to be here for three years. Three years! That’s some wear and tear on you. And when you look at others who have been here three years, into this administration, they come, they serve, they produce a great quality product, and then you go on. Being in government, and being inundated, constantly, it wears on you.”
Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan submitted his resignation on Monday, citing that he intends to spend more time with his family. His resignation does not have any connection to the onslaught of subpoenas being brought against top administrators, for Vasan has not been subjected to any federal inquiry.
“I’m so far away from that world, and my focus has been on the health of the city,” Vasan said of the investigations.
However, New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks, who is very much intertwined in the federal investigation, announced his resignation on Tuesday.
Just two weeks ago, Banks handed over his cellphone to FBI investigators and had his home raided, a home he shares with First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. His brother is also Phil Banks, a former police officer, who serves as deputy mayor for public safety.
Banks’s ties to the federal investigation stemmed from his other brother Terence Banks, whose consulting firm was able to acquire million-dollar contracts for clients with government agencies, including contracts with New York City.
The Banks brothers have denied any wrongdoing. David Banks said he would retire at the end of the calendar year, and he did not make any mention of the federal investigation.
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned a couple of weeks ago, likely due to his brother’s role in settling disputes between the police and popular establishments about noise complaints and other violations.
Caban and his twin brother, James Caban, had their phones seized by the authorities. The investigation is looking into whether the police commissioner benefited from his brother’s consulting firm.
Two days after Edward Caban resigned, city hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg announced her resignation, with reports pointing to Adams’s refusal to terminate administration officials under investigation as part of her reasoning.
Beginning last November, the FBI’s investigation into Adams’s 2021 campaign became public after agents confiscated his phone and iPad. The investigation was focused on allegations that Adams received foreign money from Turkey in exchange for his influence in expediting fire department approval for a new consulate building.
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The flurry of investigations into Adams and his confidants and administration members, along with the high turnover at the mayor’s office, has prompted Democratic primary challengers to run against Adams come 2025.
“Pithy slogans can’t paper over this concerning pattern of turnover at the highest levels of city government,” state Sen. Zellnor Myrie said. “In the face of a housing shortage and a growing affordability crisis, New Yorkers deserve stable leadership from City Hall — not this steady exodus of city commissioners.”