Six days after Brooklyn City Councilman Chaim Deutsch pleaded guilty to tax fraud and refused to resign, the City Council has determined he violated his oath of office and will have to vacate his seat. His exit is effective immediately, council sources told NY1. 

In a statement Tuesday evening, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said, "Based on our review of the charging document and Mr. Chaim Deutsch’s plea agreement, the Council has concluded that the office of the 48th Council District has been vacated under the operation of law. Mr. Deutsch confessed to a crime and violated his oath of office. He is no longer a member of the City Council."

Last week, Deutsch pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return with the Internal Revenue Service. He did not accurately disclose the amount of income he made from a private real estate management business, Chasa Management Inc. Deutsch failed to report that income between 2013 and 2015, effectively evading more than $82,000 in taxes. He has agreed to pay that back, but still faces a year in prison. He will be sentenced in July. 

After making a surprise appearance in Manhattan federal court last week, Deutsch’s attorney said he would continue to serve the remainder of his term, which ends at the end of this year. At the time, council officials said he did not have to leave his seat because the charge was not a felony and it was not directly related to his job as a councilman. 

Upon further review and consultation with the city’s Law Department, council officials have changed course, and now say Deutsch has to leave immediately. 

A source in the mayor’s office said Mayor Bill de Blasio is not expected to call a special election to fill the vacancy because it is too late in the year. The seat will remain vacant until a new elected official assumes the role in January 2022.

In response to the decision, Henry E. Mazurek, an attorney representing Deutsch, issued a statement in which he said Deutsch "is evaluating all of his legal rights and options."