New York City Mayor Eric Adams maintained his innocence during his weekly press conference at City Hall on Tuesday, after more information about his federal indictment was brought to light as additional City Hall aides resigned, were fired and one aide was arrested.
The avalanche of departures continued. First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright resigned on Tuesday and was replaced by Maria Torres-Springer, who was the former deputy mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce.
Winnie Greco, whose home was raided by the FBI in February and was an aide to the mayor for Asian affairs, resigned on Monday. Rana Abbasova, a staffer for Adams at the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, whose home was also raided last year and is believed to be cooperating with federal agents in the case against Adams, was fired on Monday.
“People come in and out of government…Some people are departing because they want to do something else with their lives," said Adams. “There's nothing wrong with that. And some people we thought was not a good fit.”
Mohamed Bahi, a senior liaison to the city’s Muslim community in the mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, was arrested and charged on Tuesday with witness tampering and destruction of evidence in connection to the federal case against Adams.
Bahi, who resigned on Monday, is alleged to have “met with five potential witnesses and directed them to lie to law enforcement officers in connection with a federal criminal investigation,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
“I would never instruct anyone to do anything that's improper. Never have. Never will do that,” Adams said regarding the charges levied against Bahi.
Pressure continues to mount for the mayor as federal prosecutors earlier said additional charges for him are likely. As of now, Adams faces five counts of criminal charges including wire fraud, bribery and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national.
Adams said he was confident with his relationship with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove him from his position.
“The governor made it clear that you're the mayor of the city,” said Adams. “The governor and I have been extremely successful together. She's a partner.”
In other news, the mayor addressed the change in the McGuinness Boulevard bike lane project in Greenpoint. The major vehicular thoroughfare will now have parking-protected bike lanes, coupled with a one-lane reduction on both sides of the streets. This aligned more with what community residents and elected officials called for, the mayor said.
When asked whether the city listened to bike advocates now that his administration was under political pressure, the mayor said otherwise.
“Well actually…There were great conversations with business leaders, community leaders, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, the borough president,” said Adams. “We were able to come up with a way to get the items that were important to both groups.”
There were 229 crashes involving injuries on McGuinness Boulevard from 2015 to 2019, and three people have died in crashes in the past 10 years, according to the cty Department of Transportation.
The mayor also announced the heating season has begun, which means all building owners must provide tenants with adequate heat until May 31, 2025.
The inside temperature must be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees between 6:00am and 10:00pm. The indoor temperature must be at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit no matter the outside temperature between 10:00pm and 6:00am.
This also applies to hot water, which should be at a constant minimum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Tenants can call 311 or the Department of Housing Preservation and Development if issues come up regarding heating.
