Statement: Comptroller Lander Responds to Governor Hochul’s Proposed Guardrails on Mayor Adams

New York, NY—New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released the following statement: 

“New York City is facing an unprecedented leadership crisis. The resignation of four deputy mayors calls into question the core continuity of government services. And the corrupt bargain between the U.S. Justice Department and Mayor Eric Adams calls into question whether the Mayor works for New Yorkers or for Donald Trump. 

“Mayor Adams failed to stand up for New Yorkers when Elon Musk stole $80 million from New York City’s bank account last week. He failed to stand up when Donald Trump declared he was a king with the monarchical power to reverse New York’s congestion pricing program yesterday. What will he fail to stand up for next? 

“While the best solution to restore public trust would be for Mayor Adams to resign and to keep the four deputy mayors in place instead, Governor Hochul’s new guardrails are useful to keep New York City moving forward in these precarious times. 

“Governor Hochul’s proposal expands the authority of the New York City Comptroller—along with other City officials—to pursue legal action against the federal government if the Mayor is unwilling to do so. If the Adams administration fails to defend New York from federal overreach, my Office will immediately and aggressively use this authority to sue President Trump and DOGE to recoup the $80 million stolen from the City’s bank account– and to block any similar actions in the future. 

“Going forward, New Yorkers eagerly await Judge Ho’s ruling. I hope he will heed the courageous voices of Danielle Sassoon and Hagan Scotten and reject the corrupt Justice Department motion. If he is going to dismiss the case, it should be with prejudice, so that it cannot be used as leverage to control the Mayor. 

“New Yorkers also deserve a contingency plan from Mayor Adams: to know how he plans to run City agencies in the wake of the resignation of his four deputy mayors and ensure that the services they rely on – from sanitation to fire response to NYCHA repairs – will not be negatively affected.  

“Let me be clear: I fully intend to use this new authority from the Governor – and my existing responsibilities under the City Charter – to fight like hell every day for the eight million people who call New York City home.”

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