Mayor Eric Adams announced a new report showing some of the successes of city agencies on Monday.

“This administration was voted into office with a clear message and a single message of delivering for New Yorkers,” Adams said. 

However, the announcement was quickly overshadowed by the ongoing controversies swirling around the administration. That includes Adams' top lawyer Lisa Zornberg resigning suddenly late Saturday night. 

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Eric Adams attempted to push past recent controversies and ongoing federal probes facing his administration on Monday

  • On Saturday, Adams’ chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, resigned. Her resignation came only days after the police commissioner resigned on Thursday

  • The mayor and his top officials are facing four different federal probes involving corruption and illegal campaign donations

  • Adams looked to show New Yorkers the handwork his administration is doing for the city, but was overshadowed by the controversies

Adams refused to talk about the details of Zornberg’s departure, but had kind words to say.

“I like Lisa [Zornberg] a lot, and she’s made it clear that ‘Eric, I’m here. Even though I’m not with the administration, feel free to reach out to me, to communicate with me.’” 

Zornberg’s resignation came after she advised Adams to fire Tim Pearson, senior advisor of public safety, among other officials, according to reports. When the advice wasn’t followed, Zornberg reportedly resigned. 

At the same time, an internal review is ongoing of Ray Martin, a staffer who was fired on Thursday. Martin served in the city’s Community Affairs unit until a WNBC report found he was involved in extorting a Brooklyn bar owner. 

Adams sidestepped questions on Martin. 

“DOI handles that and I don’t interfere,” he said. “If you were to speak to the DOI commissioner, she would tell you, ‘Eric, do not interfere with any type of review.’ That’s a big belief that I have so people can have faith in the process.” 

On top of the many federal probes facing Adams and his top officials, he is now also facing calls to resign. 

City Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán called on the mayor to step down on Monday, joining State Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher. 

“We need leadership that’s truly serious about public safety and that’s serious and focused on delivering for everyday New Yorkers,” Cabán said. “And that doesn’t seem possible at this point, no matter the outcome of these investigations are.” 

But Adams seems unphased by the criticism. 

“Let’s be clear. I don’t think any of those members put me in office. The 700,000 or whatever the number they voted me in,” he said. 

“This is not business as usual. This is not normal circumstances as much as someone might want you to believe that. These are exceptional, extraordinary circumstances and nobody should have to be okay with them,” Cabán said. 

Even in the face of growing scrutiny, Adams unveiled his management report, which shows the work city agencies accomplish year-over-year. According to City Hall, some of the successes included increased use of child care vouchers from 8,000 last year to 41,000 in 2024.

Adams had a message for New Yorkers doubting his leadership abilities.

“When things happen in an administration, the real question is do you have the ability to stay focused and provide the services that the city is expecting and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.