Democratic strategist James Carville blasted Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) for not moving swiftly to remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) following criminal accusations of bribery, corruption and fraud.
“I’m sorry, the governor of New York is a dolt. Why she doesn’t get that guy out of there pronto, I have no idea,” Carville said Monday in an appearance on MSNBC.
“She’s leaving that guy… who, from all appearances, is a major criminal,” he added in remarks highlighted by Mediaite.
His comments come after a slew of Justice Department employees assigned to the case and staffers in Adams’s office — including deputy mayors Maria Torres-Springer, Anne Williams-Isom, Meera Joshi and Chauncey Parker — announced their resignation after months of public controversy.
“We’ve had four deputy mayors resign. We’ve had four people — many of them dedicated conservatives — resign from the Southern District of New York,” Carville said earlier.
Prosecutors accused Adams of accepting and soliciting illegal contributions from wealthy foreign businesspeople during his 2021 mayoral bid. The mayor has denied allegations of wrongdoing and vowed not to resign.
Last week, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered the prosecutors to drop the charges, which has sparked backlash.
Hochul acknowledged the outrage in a statement on Monday, where she said she plans to meet with “key leaders” on Tuesday to discuss the “path forward, with the goal of ensuring stability for the City of New York.”
“I recognize the immense responsibility I hold as governor and the constitutional powers granted to this office,” she wrote. “In the 235 years of New York State history, these powers have never been utilized to remove a duly-elected mayor; overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly.”
“That said, the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored,” the governor added.
New York’s city charter gives Hochul the authority to remove Adams upon a notification of specified “charges.” The mayor would then be given an opportunity to defend himself.
