What you should know
- First vice mayor Sheena Wright is stepping down, two sources tell our sister network NBC New York, which would make her the latest political figure to resign in amid the investigations surrounding Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.
- According to sources, the resignation of Wright, who is the right-hand man of Adams, could happen as soon as Friday night.
- Wright, who has been in office since January 2023, was one of several senior New York City officials, including the mayor himself, whose phone was seized as part of the investigations. corruption that was going on.
- Wright shares that home with New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks. Banks recently announced retirement plans that would see him leave at the end of the year, but Adams later said Adams would speed up the timeline. Now it will be out at the end of this month.
NEW YORK – First vice mayor Sheena Wright is stepping down, two sources tell our sister network NBC New York, making her the latest political figure to resign. among the investigations into Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.
According to sources, the possible resignation of Wright, who is Adams’ right-hand man, happened as soon as Friday night, a few days after New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that there would be more changes, after another senior to suddenly resign. advisor, Tim Pearson. Former New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban also resigned. The City Council’s chief attorney was the first to leave the office.
The governor is pushing the mayor to stabilize his administration. Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer, Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessie Tisch or Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack could replace Wright.
Wright, who has been in office since January 2023, was one of several senior New York City officials, including the mayor himself, whose phone was seized as part of the investigations. corruption that was going on. His home in Harlem was searched early last month and tools were seized while a warrant was being executed there.
Wright shares that home with New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks. Banks recently announced retirement plans that would see him leave at the end of the year, but Adams later said Adams would speed up the timeline. Now it will be out at the end of this month.
Banks married Wright over the weekend in a private ceremony in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. He told the Fox 5 television station on Wednesday that neither he nor Wright were “targets” of any investigation. He denied they were married so he could invoke spousal privilege, a legal concept that protects communications between married couples and protects them from testifying about anything that happens. during their marriage.
“I think anyone who criticizes me has probably never been in love,” Banks told the station. “The truth is, Sheena and I have been together for a long time.” We’ve been planning our wedding for a while.” Banks said he and Wright were motivated to get married because of their parents’ age and health issues, “and to suggest otherwise is just silly on its face.”
Adams has vowed to stay in office after pleading not guilty last week to charges of accepting about $100,000 in international flights, hotel stays , free or deeply discounted food and entertainment, and soliciting illegal campaign contributions from foreign interests.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Assistant US Attorney Hagan Scotten said prosecutors are conducting “several related investigations” and that more defendants are “likely” to be charged and that more charges are “possible “.
The Justice Department defines the “target” of an investigation as a person against whom prosecutors or a grand jury have collected substantial evidence linking the person to a crime, as opposed to a “subject,” someone whose vertical behavior is within the scope of the study. . research. These definitions are fluid and may change as new information becomes available.
2024-10-04 23:55:54
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