Phil Banks, Mayor Adams’ top public safety deputy and longtime friend, resigned over the weekend, the latest senior City Hall official to step down after becoming embroiled in federal corruption investigations that are rocking the administration.
Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety, submitted a resignation letter to the mayor Sunday night, sources familiar with the matter told the Daily News. It was not clear Monday morning if the resignation was effective immediately.
In a string of TV appearances Monday morning, Adams confirmed Banks had submitted his resignation. He said Banks’ exit is at least in part related to his entanglement in the cloud of corruption investigations hanging over the mayor and his administration.
“He stated he wants to transition to other things with his life and he doesn’t want this to be a constant burden on the work that we’re doing in the city and I accepted his resignation,” Adams said on NY1. “I wish my good friend well.”
Adams, who’s fighting federal criminal charges alleging he solicited bribes from Turkish government operatives in exchange for political favors, also said Banks initially told him he wanted to resign six months ago, but that he had convinced him to stay on to work on some initiatives that needed to be completed. The mayor did not identify those initiatives.
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