Good Morning, New York! Kathy Hochul is considering removing Eric Adams from office in an unprecedented move, a fifth deputy mayor considers resigning, and Hochul may have appointed a rapist to run Marcy Correctional Facility. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Tuesday, February 18th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In NYC, meeting with key leaders to discuss the Adams situation.

WHERE’s ERIC: Speaking at the NYPD Guardians Association’s Black History Month Celebration.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Kathy Hochul is considering removing Mayor Eric Adams from office in an unprecedented move that would rock the NYC political landscape. She will meet with key leaders this morning to discuss the situation, which has seen four of eight deputy mayors announce their resignations. Hochul said “Overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly,” but said that recent events are “troubling and cannot be ignored.“ (AP)

— Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy is also considering resigning, which would bring the total to 5/8 if he makes the commitment official. City Hall does not yet have a statement on Levy, and said they would not comment on private conversations. (NY Daily News)

— Eric Adams likened calls for his resignation to a ‘modern-day Mein Kampf’ while speaking at Brooklyn’s Rehoboth Cathedral in support of his re-election campaign for mayor. Adams was speaking to a group of around 30 supporters. (NY Daily News)

— NYC paid out $206 million to settle misconduct suits last year, the highest since at least 2018, and likely longer. The payments were mostly made in cases of wrongful convictions, where practices from decades ago had resulted in the wrong people ending up behind bars. (NY Times)

Capitol Gains

— The new leader of Marcy Correctional Facility Bernie Thorpe, who was recently escalated by Kathy Hochul following the death of Robert Brooks, was accused of rape by 2 former inmates. The lawsuits were filed in 2023, before Hochul made the decision to promote him. It is unclear if she knew about the allegations. (NY Times)

— Pushback on Hochul’s $3 billion inflation ‘refund’ checks is growing, with lawmakers continuing to introduce legislation for their own affordability proposals that would see a more targeted use for the money. These range from electric buses to raising income limits for the child tax credit to paying down COVID debt. (State of Politics)

— Upper East Side Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright will now chair the Aging Committee. (amNY)

Trail Mix

— Democratic candidates are lining up to fill Mike Lawler’s seat if he decides to run for governor, and maybe even if he doesn’t. Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson has expressed interest in joining the race, which would make her the first serious Democratic candidate to jump in. The race was close in 2024, and a Democrat-favored midterm in 2026 could help her secure the win. This would be made easier if she were running against a lesser-known Republican, which is possible if Lawler decides to run against Hochul next year. (NY Times)

— Cuomo’s odds for the mayoral nomination are surging on betting sites as Eric Adams collapses, with his odds on Polymarket reaching 69%, PredictIt on 68%, and Kalshi also on 68%. These numbers put him far in the lead of Adams, who is in the single digits or low tens. (SILive)

— Protestors took to the streets yesterday to protest Donald Trump, beginning a march at Union Square down to Washington Square Park. They had a long list of grievances, ranging from gender-affirming care to DOGE to Trump’s handling of the migrant crisis. (amNY)