Early in his administration as New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams liked to flash a smile and rhetorically ask, “When does the hard part start?”
This month, the mayor might have found the answer to his question.
On Sept. 12, Edward Caban, the commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD), announced his resignation after federal agents seized his electronic devices as part of an ongoing federal corruption probe. Days later, City Hall Chief Council Lisa Zornberg resigned on Sept. 15. Then, Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, deputy commissioner of public private partnerships and economic development, resigned on Sept. 18. On Sept. 20, federal authorities searched the home of Caban’s replacement, interim police commissioner Thomas Donlon, and served Director of Asylum Seeker Operations Molly Schaeffer with a subpoena.
Several federal probes have influenced some New Yorkers’ lack of trust in Adams. Michael Magazine, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’27, had choice words for his fellow Brooklynite.
“I think the city and the machinery of the state are designed in a way that makes individual personalities unable to make changes.” Sam Glasberg, Fordham Law School ’28
“The slew of federal investigations represent the fundamental corruption inherent to everything Eric Adams touches,” Magazine wrote in an email.
Sam Glasberg, Fordham Law School ’28, said that he does not believe Adams’ administration is particularly corrupt so much as New York politics are structured to facilitate corruption.
“I think the city and the machinery of the state are designed in a way that makes individual personalities unable to make changes,” Glasberg said. “We have corrupt or inefficient systems in place almost intentionally.”
Caban’s devices were seized in connection to an investigation involving his twin brother James Caban, an ex-NYPD officer and prominent figure in New York City’s nightlife industry.
Caban said he didn’t want his legal battle with the NYPD to become a distraction.
“I am unwilling to let my attention be on anything other than our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD,” Caban wrote in his resignation.
Adams denied any wrongdoing at a press conference on Sept. 10.
The wave of resignations are only the most recent to rock Adams’ campaign and administration.
“I was surprised as you are to learn of these inquiries, and I take them extremely seriously,” Adams said.
The wave of resignations are only the most recent to rock Adams’ campaign and administration. In November of 2023, FBI agents raided the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, in connection to an investigation on alleged campaign fundraising violations. Adams announced that Suggs was no longer his chief fundraiser on Nov. 28.
The FBI seized Adams’ devices in connection to a probe investigating alleged illegal donations made to his campaign by officials in the Turkish government that month.
Subpoenas served by federal prosecutors in July requested information from Adams, his campaign committee and City Hall about alleged ties with the governments of Turkey, Israel, Qatar, South Korea, China and Uzbekistan.
Jack Warner, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’25, said the repeated implication of Adams’ allies in federal probes has become expected.
“Honestly, I cannot say I’m surprised by this, and that is extremely frustrating to say about the man who was chosen to lead the city I live in,” Warner said.
Several progressive New York City and state lawmakers have called on Adams to resign. It remains to be seen if Adams himself will be charged with a crime.
Tuesday Sept. 24 marked the latest addition to the resignations. New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks announced that he will resign his position on New Year’s Eve after federal authorities seized his devices earlier in September.
