New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he accepted the resignation of Philip Banks III, the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety.
During a Monday morning interview on Spectrum News New York 1, Adams said he spoke to Banks on Sunday and today and "he stated he wants to transition to some other things with his life and he doesn't want this to be a constant burden on the work that we're doing in the city," Adams said.
When asked if he pushed Banks to resign, Adams said otherwise.
"No, it was his. He reached out to me and stated, Eric, I'm looking to move on and this is a good time to do so. And actually a couple of months ago, he sat down with me around about six months ago and stated that, look, I'm looking to transition, Eric. And I said, listen, we've got a couple of things in the pipeline. Can you please hold on and get them done? And he was willing to do that. And I appreciate him for that," according to a transcript of the interview.
Many City Hall observers think that Governor Kathy Hochul has been asking Adams to clear house in order to remain in power. When asked whether Hochul was applying pressure on him, Adams said the word "pressure" was a "powerful term."
"No, the governor has always been a partner. That's the term that we've always used. And she has made it clear as we're dealing with everything from City of Yes agenda to coming up with what the agenda is going to be in Albany," Adams responded. "She's been a real partner and she will continue to do that. And I thank her for that."
Meanwhile, additional City Hall aides departed, various media outlets reported. Rana Abbasova, who has been on unpaid leave since federal agents raided her home last fall, has been fired, according to Politico New York. Abbasova worked as the mayor’s director of protocol for international affairs and served as his liaison to the Turkish community dating back to his time as Brooklyn borough president.
Winnie Greco, City Hall's Asian liaison and a campaign fundraiser, also resigned, Politico said.
Ahsan Chungtai, a senior advisor for South Asian and Muslim affairs, was fired last week, according to the New York Daily News.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright is expected to resign, the New York Post reported on Friday.
Wright's likely resignation is in line with her longtime partner and now husband David Banks, the city’s outgoing schools chancellor, who will resign now on Oct. 16, much earlier than his planned exit at the end of the year. David Banks is the brother of Phil Banks.
Wright and David Banks' home was raided by federal authorities less than a month ago and their phones were seized.
