New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed new actions on Thursday, Feb. 22, to restore public trust in New York City government with what was described as a sweeping expansion of state oversight and new guardrails to ensure accountability and protect New Yorkers. State officials said these actions require legislative action and would take effect immediately upon passage.

 

The announcement followed days of protests by some New Yorkers after news that a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) memo dated Monday, Feb. 10, directed the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York to drop, for now, the bribery and corruption charges formally brought against New York City Mayor Eric Adams last year, which resulted from a 2023 investigation into his 2021 mayoral election campaign and related campaign financing. For more on this, click here and here.

 

“To move this city forward, I am undertaking the implementation of certain guardrails that I believe are a first start toward re-establishing trust for New York City residents,” Hochul said. “These proposed guardrails will help ensure that all decisions out of City Hall are in the clear interests of the people of New York City and not at the behest of the President.”

 

The governor announced three main actions on Thursday, the first being the creation of a new special inspector general within the Office of the New York State Inspector General for New York City affairs and protection of the city commissioner of investigation. She said the new special inspector general will receive updates and information directly from the New York City Department of Investigations (NYCDOI) about corruption investigations, and will also be able to direct NYCDOI to commence investigations across city government.

 

To ensure her continued independence, the governor said the New York City Charter will be revised to provide that the Mayor of New York City will not be able to terminate the New York City commissioner of investigation without approval by the state inspector general.

 

She said this new structure will ensure that state officials have access to information about any current or future investigations and will also allow the State to closely monitor or advance any such investigations into potential corruption within city government.

 

The second action entailed empowering citywide elected leaders to utilize federal litigation against the federal government. The governor said that under her latest plan, the city comptroller, city council and public advocate will be given explicit authority to bring litigation against the federal government using outside counsel if the city’s law department declines to do so promptly after a request. She said such litigation could be filed against any federal government agency or entity.

 

Hochul said this action will ensure that New Yorkers have multiple avenues to initiate legal action in cases where the rights or freedoms of New York City residents are under attack by the federal government.

 

The third action involved strengthening State oversight of New York City’s finances. Hochul said given the unprecedented breadth and number of executive orders and other policy documents and notices issued by the Trump administration, she is proposing additional funds for the Office of the State Comptroller of the City to support the State’s existing ability to continue to monitor the City and its finances in this complex environment.

 

The governor said the State will expand the Office of the Deputy State Comptroller for City Oversight and the new funding will be paid for using New York City tax receipts. She said these new resources would enable State officials to more closely monitor New York City’s fiscal operations, and to take any actions needed based on such review.

 

The following day, despite the announced measures, a fifth day of protest was organized outside the governor’s New York City office by New York Communities for Change “to deliver the message to [Hochul] directly” that New York City was in an “emergency.”

 

“Now, Governor Hochul just announced that she will only seek legal sanctions against the Mayor and add a layer of state “oversight”. But every New Yorker knows that the state already has far too much control over our city,” the group wrote. “The problem is not structural – the problem is Eric Adams.”

 

They added, “We demand [the governor] use the powers of her office to fight back against Trump and remove Eric Adams!”