HOCHUL MANAGES: As Mayor Eric Adams fights a five-count federal indictment on fraud and bribery charges, it’s been left to Gov. Kathy Hochul to manage the delicate moment. Hochul has publicly and privately telegraphed to Adams that he should sever ties to people in his administration who are under legal scrutiny. This week Tim Pearson, a top Adams lieutenant, resigned. Schools Chancellor David Banks, whose phone was seized in an FBI raid in September, is leaving his job earlier than expected. Adams told reporters this morning that Banks’ new departure date was, in part, to put incoming Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos on solid footing. But he also acknowledged those discussions came after speaking with fellow leaders. “One of the things my team stated and in my conversation with other leaders is that this is a time of real stability and to have Melissa and David there at the same time didn’t bring the stability that we wanted,” he said. Hochul has had a strong public relationship with Adams over the last three years. Both the governor and mayor have cultivated the perception they work well together as a stark contrast to the infamous feuds that enveloped their predecessors — like Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio, George Pataki and Rudy Giuliani, and Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch. But Hochul, who holds the power to remove Adams from office, has not been afraid to leverage her influence amid the broader concerns over city governance. Hochul told reporters Wednesday she’s been working with Adams to ensure key jobs are filled by “responsible” people. “We expect changes. That's not a secret,” she said. “And changes are beginning.” Hochul, the first western New York native in a century to hold the governor’s office, has become more steeped in New York’s political world since becoming a statewide official in 2015, according to those who know her. “She’s very focused on the whole state at this point,” said Jack O’Donnell, a political consultant and lobbyist. “New York City was a huge focus of her housing plan. She’s learned how to navigate the politics but also the governance issues of the city.” Some good-government advocates wish she would go further. “She’s not cleaning house, she’s saying you should sweep your stoop every now and then,” said Reinvent Albany Executive Director John Kaehny. “This is not very aggressive.” — Nick Reisman
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