The Weekly Watchdog

Welcome to week two of the Weekly Watchdog. In case you missed it, Citizens Union is back in your mailbox every weekend to keep you up to date on the most important news impacting New York and good government policy.

Some people have said, wow, you chose the worst time to start a weekly update on city politics. We disagree! So let’s dive right in.

News Worth Clicking

One eye on the Gov… Hochul to Seek New Oversight, but Won’t Remove Adams for Now New York Times By Benjamin Oreskes, Nicholas Fandos, and Emma Fitzsimmons	Calls for Governor Kathy Hochul to remove Mayor Adams from office grew last week, including one from your very own Citizens Union. But after many meetings and deliberations, Hochul decided against doing so. Instead, she is proposing creating a new state deputy inspector general devoted to NYC, empowering select city officials to sue the federal government, and giving Comptroller DiNapoli’s office more money to examine our city’s finances. Lastly, Hochul is trying to make sure the Mayor cannot terminate the DOI Commissioner without first getting the permission of the state’s inspector general. It remains unclear how lawmakers in Albany and the City are reacting to the proposal. Guess we’ll find out this week.
And another eye on the Judge Federal Judge Appoints Attorney Not Obviously in Cahoots With Trump’s DOJ to Review Mayor Adams’s Dismissal Hell Gate By Christopher Robbins	Meanwhile, Judge Dale Ho convened lawyers from both the Justice Department and Mayor Adams’ legal team in court on Wednesday to have the DOJ explain their reasoning for dropping the case. There, Acting US Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, argued the department can drop any legal case against a public official if said official is assisting the President’s policy goals. Finally, on Friday, Judge Ho declined to rule on the Justice Department’s request to drop the case, instead inviting an outside lawyer to craft independent arguments on the directive and asking for additional briefs from both the DOJ and Mayor Adams’ legal team. Lots more to come we assume.
ICYMI Four Adams Deputy Mayors Quit Following Trump Deal The CITY By Katie Honan	And in case you missed what spurred these calls, besides federal indictments and quid pro quo offerings, four of Mayor Eric Adams’ deputy mayors, including First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, informed the Mayor they were resigning in a Sunday night Zoom meeting after Mayor Adams’ tumultuous week in the days prior. Adams apparently tried to persuade the four to stay on, but none were convinced, citing their faithfulness to the oaths they swore to New Yorkers.
Do we have congestion pricing or not? Can Trump legally kill congestion pricing in NYC? We’re about to find out. Gothamist By Stephen Nessen	If Wednesday wasn’t busy enough, President Trump’s administration tried to kill congestion pricing too by rescinding federal approval for the program. The MTA filed a lawsuit to defend the program shortly after the announcement, and President Trump declared the toll dead, likening himself to a king on social media. So where does that leave us? Well, first off, we don’t have a king, and second, if you drive into Manhattan right now, you will be tolled. Congestion pricing is not dead, at least not yet, and a lot has to play out in courts before we know the final result.
We have ethics, yes we do! We have ethics, how ’bout you?! At least there’s still a state ethics watchdog City & State By Rebecca Lewis	Our good news for the week. New York’s Court of Appeals overturned two lower court decisions on Tuesday, determining that the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (more fondly known as COELIG) is in fact constitutional in a tight 4-3 ruling. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo originally challenged the commission’s standing after the body ordered he pay the state $5 million for his pandemic book deal. Good government groups that filed amicus briefs in the case, including your very own CU, celebrated the decision, saying it is, a bright spot amidst national and local ethics turmoil, particularly given the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent actions to erode the Southern District’s independence.”
he City Council also exists… New York City Council 2025 primary races to watch City & State By Sahalie Donaldson, Annie McDonough, and Holly Pretsky	Did you think we forgot that we’re in a city campaign cycle this year with all that’s going on? Of course we didn’t! And you shouldn’t forget either, especially about the City Council! Don’t worry, City & State has got you covered with their latest guide on the hottest upcoming primaries this spring. We’re only 121 days away from the election and there are at least 10 races all over the city that deserve your attention, so dive right in!
What we’re watching this week NYC Mayor Adams to debate 2025 mayoral challengers for first time next week Daily News By Chris Sommerfeldt	After what seems like 450 mayoral candidate forums without the Mayor, Eric Adams is going head-to-head with his challengers this week at a debate sponsored by the municipal workers union DC 37. The event is open to DC 37 members and press only, so while we cannot watch nor attend, our eyes will be glued to Bluesky and X to follow the action. Separately, the Council’s Charter Revision Commission meets for the first time on Monday, while Mayor Adams’ Charter Revision Commission meets again that evening to discuss government reform! We’ll be there to testify, but here’s the recap of the commission’s first meeting on housing by the CITY’s Samantha Maldonado.