Hochul goes soft on Adams

Feb 11, 2025

Presented by Solving Hunger

Governor Kathy Hochul behind a lectern.

Gov. Kathy Hochul gave a muted response to the order that Mayor Eric Adams' corruption charges be dropped. | Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

CHARGES SCRUBBED, AND THE GOV? SHE SHRUGS.: Gov. Kathy Hochul is playing Mrs. Nice Guy as Democrats around the city erupt in rage over the order from President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice to drop Mayor Eric Adams’ corruption charges.

From her midtown Manhattan office, the governor spent 18 minutes answering questions from reporters, where she largely shied away from criticizing the indicted mayor and said she will continue to “establish a relationship of working together” with the federal government.

She also kept the door shut on removing the mayor from office — a power she once hinted at using under the rules of the City Charter — signaling the bombshell move from Trump’s DOJ will have little to no impact on her public relationship with Adams.

With the governor’s posture on display from midtown, Adams’ allies in Albany rushed to defend him.

“We hope to move on from what seemed to have been a politically motivated case and allow the mayor to keep delivering for the people of New York,” said Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the Brooklyn Democratic Party chair.

“I'm very happy for the mayor, especially as a friend and a colleague, that he's been cleared from this,” Brooklyn state Sen. Kevin Parker told Playbook.

Even former Mayor Bill de Blasio emerged to defend his successor: “I actually think the charges were not strong enough; they were affecting the democratic process in New York City,” he told MSNBC.

But the mayor faces skepticism from one key ally. Rev. Al Sharpton, who remains influential among the mayor’s base of Black voters who has generally avoided criticizing Adams, said the new DOJ order indicates “we have clearly crossed a rubicon.”

“It certainly sounds like President Trump is holding the Mayor hostage,” he wrote in a statement. “That is simply not fair to the City of New York. I have spoken to several elected officials and clergy, whom I convened early in the Mayor's term, to meet between now and the weekend to decide where we will go.”

Adams issued a video streamed statement from City Hall today where he recycled much of what he has already said about the now-pending case — and set the stage for the next four months where he will run for reelection in the Democratic primary.

“I thank the Justice Department for its honesty,” Adams said, free from the presence of reporters who normally pepper him with questions during regularly scheduled Tuesday briefings. “Now we can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city. … I also understand that many New Yorkers still question my character, and I know that I must continue to regain your trust.”

The governor was unwilling to focus on the developments in the mayor’s case.

“I've got a job to do,” Hochul said when asked about the revelation. “I've got to worry about people catching bird flu, okay? I'm more anxious about steel and aluminum tariffs cutting down factories in the state of New York and 1000 jobs.”

“My objective is not who's sitting in that office and what's going on there,” she added. “It's about what's happening on the streets. Are people being served? And that is always going to be my primary motivation.” — Jason Beeferman

A message from Solving Hunger:

Governor Hochul, thank you for your courageous leadership in proposing Universal School Meals in New York's FY2026 Budget! This plan will provide free breakfast and lunch to every student in New York, regardless of income. It will give students the nourishment they need to learn and grow, while also saving their families an estimated $165 per child per month on food costs. Paid for by Solving Hunger, a project of Tusk Philanthropies.

FROM THE TOLL ZONE

E-ZPass readers and license plate-scanning cameras are seen on Columbus Circle near Trump International Hotel.

E-ZPass readers and license plate-scanning cameras on Columbus Circle near Trump International Hotel as congestion pricing took effect in New York City on Jan. 5, 2024. | Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

A BUSINESS, MAN: New York City’s private-sector boosters want to persuade its most famous businessperson to keep the congestion pricing toll program, POLITICO reports.

President Donald Trump wants to kill the $9 toll for entering Manhattan below 60th Street, but has been negotiating with Gov. Kathy Hochul over the program’s future. Business leaders like Partnership for New York City CEO Kathy Wylde are trying to mount an influence campaign to either box him in or encourage him to strike a deal.

“I’m glad some folks in the business community who have a different relationship to Donald Trump than I do are reaching out to say, ‘You like a deal, this is a great deal. Don’t fuck it up,’” said Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller and left-leaning Democratic candidate for mayor.

The argument could be a powerful counterweight to arguments that the tolls have hurt working-class people. And business leaders can provide an alternative form of validation and appeal to his business sense better than the left-flank mass transit leaders and politicians who support the tolls. — Ry Rivard and Nick Reisman

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FROM THE CAPITOL

New Yorkers participate in early voting at a polling site in Brooklyn.

Gov. Kathy Hochul downplayed her role in pausing a bill that would enable the delay of an upstate special election. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A VERY SPECIAL ELECTION: Hochul distanced herself from a bill that would have enabled her to schedule special elections in November and blamed Republicans for “hyperbolic” opposition.

State lawmakers initially planned to pass the measure on Monday at the urging of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, ahead of an expected special election to fill Rep. Elise Stefanik’s seat. If approved, Stefanik’s deep red district would remain vacant for most of the year if she’s approved as Trump’s United Nations ambassador. That would likely deny Republicans a House vote in the closely divided chamber.

The Democratic governor gave little clarity for why she asked legislators to not pass the bill on Monday. She also took an extraordinarily narrow view of her own institutional power.

“I don’t introduce bills,” Hochul told reporters during an unrelated Manhattan news conference. “That’s not the role of the governor.”

(The governor can, and does, introduce program bills with a legislative sponsor.)

The bill was vehemently opposed by GOP officials who called for a federal racketeering investigation of the Democrats. Hochul insisted she tuned out the criticism, but indicated the barbs registered.

“A lot of this is generated by the Republicans,” she said. “They have a press conference every time I sneeze.”

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters in Albany the bill wasn’t dead, but simply on hold. The talks over the bill began with Hochul, she added.

“If she’s interested in holding it, that’s fine,” Stewart-Cousins said. — Nick Reisman

ABOUT THOSE SPECIAL ELECTIONS …: Hochul says she wishes the special election that launched her career into politics never happened — and instead occurred in the general election.

“That was an awfully short time frame to have to run an election in seven counties,” she told reporters today. “More time is very helpful for voters to get to know someone. I was known in one county out of seven.”

In 2011, Hochul, then the Erie County Clerk, snagged a surprise victory in a special election to fill a Buffalo area congressional seat. A year and a half later she lost reelection in a general election, after her district was redrawn. She went on to serve as Lieutenant Governor and now governor. — Jason Beeferman

A message from Solving Hunger:

HOCHUL SLAMS CON ED: Continuing her affordability crusade, Gov. Kathy Hochul is pulling out a time-honored political playbook: bash the utility.

Hochul called Con Ed’s proposed rate increase “unconscionable” on Tuesday and urged the state’s top utility regulator to reject it. The utility proposed an increase of more than 10 percent for gas and electric customers last month.

“This is a real hit on families. They didn’t budget for this. They weren’t planning for this and these bills are going up, upwards of $500 a year,” Hochul said at a press conference Tuesday. “This is intolerable to me.”

The governor signed a letter to Department of Public Service CEO and Public Service Commission Chair Rory Christian urging the rejection of the rate hike proposal at an event in New York City. Christian, who was appearing in front of lawmakers in Albany at the time, shrugged when asked whether he’d gotten a heads up about the letter.

“Our rate case processes are based on long-established best practices. Regulation evolves over time and we’ve been reviewing opportunities for adding additional levels of scrutiny,” Christian said. “Given the significance of this rate case, we will apply the due diligence that we always do and ensure we’re using the most up-to-date information and analysis to arrive at a just and reasonable result.”

Con Ed spokesperson Jamie McShane said the utility is “acutely aware” of affordability concerns and pointed to existing energy efficiency and assistance programs funded by ratepayers.

The utility has “a responsibility to continue to safely and efficiently deliver the nation’s most reliable power while complying with state laws and regulations,” he said in a statement. “That means fortifying the grid in the face of increasingly severe extreme weather, bringing renewable energy sources online to help meet the state’s clean power goals, and supporting the workforce we need to conduct ongoing maintenance and swiftly respond to customer service calls.” — Marie J. French

A message from Solving Hunger:

In a state with this much wealth, no kid should ever go hungry.

Two years ago, Albany lawmakers made substantial progress in providing free school meals for NY kids, but did not close the gap completely. Today, more than 320,000 students in New York still lack access to free school meals.

That's why Governor Hochul has proposed an additional $160 million in school meals funding. With just 0.06% of the total FY2026, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature can ensure that no child in New York goes hungry.

Now, we need to make sure Universal School Meals remain part of the state's final budget. Let's keep the pressure up. State legislators, please support your constituents and pass this crucial funding.

Paid for by Solving Hunger, a project of Tusk Philanthropies.

IN OTHER NEWS

— SPOTTED: NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch visited the Capitol to lobby for changes to discovery laws today — following Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s Monday appearance. It’s her first visit to Albany while leading the police force.

— HOCHUL WANTS CDPAP PROBE: The governor’s administration wants to investigate the nonprofits who have spent $10 million on negative ads attacking her changes to the homecare industry. (Gothamist)

— NY’S FED WORKERS REACT: The state’s 53,000 civilian federal employees are confused, frustrated and potentially furloughed under a new Trump administration. (Spectrum News)

— NEW RENT REG BILL: State Democrats introduced a bill that would allow more upstate communities to opt into the city’s rent stabilization program. (Times Union)

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