New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ chief counsel resigns amid federal probes

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ chief counsel resigned late on Saturday night as the federal government’s multiple criminal probes into his administration continue.

The departure of Lisa Zornberg comes just two days after New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban stepped down, after officials raided his home and seized his phone.

“I am tendering my resignation, effective today, as I have concluded that I can no longer effectively serve in my position,” Ms Zornberg said in a statement shared by the mayor’s office.

Adams thanked Ms Zornberg for her work but gave no reason for his top counsel’s departure.

“These are hard jobs and we don’t expect anyone to stay in them forever,” the mayor said in a statement.

Adams said the administration would name a replacement “in the coming days”.

The chief counsel’s resignation comes after several top New York officials appointed by the mayor – who has faced a corruption probe that appears to be unrelated to this case – also saw their homes raided last week.

Mr Caban and his twin brother, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III and Chancellor of New York City Public Schools David C Banks have all had their phones seized as part of the probes.

A former Manhattan prosecutor, Ms Zornberg consulted with the mayor on legal and strategic advice for city hall.

Sitting alongside Adams at weekly news conference, she responded to questions from the media about the federal government’s multiple probes into the administration.

In her resignation statement, Ms Zornberg did not offer an explanation for her departure, instead saying she was “deeply grateful to Mayor Adams for giving me the opportunity to serve the city, and I strongly support the work he has done and continues to do for New Yorkers”.

Since being sworn in on the first day of 2022, Adams and his colleagues have faced increasing scrutiny from the federal government.

The FBI raided the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, and other members of his campaign last year as part of a probe believed to be focused on whether he received illegal campaign contributions from the Turkish government and other foreign sources.

A source familiar with the matter told the BBC last week’s searches did not seem to be connected to the Turkey investigation.