Mayor Eric Adams’ counsel and chief legal counsel, Lisa Zornberg, abruptly resigned Saturday — a major departure from the administration at a time when the mayor and his inner circle face an onslaught of federal investigations.
The office includes a former senior Manhattan federal prosecutor, Ms. Zornberg, who is currently conducting three separate corruption probes into the mayor and some of his senior aides, has spent the past 10 months with Mr. Adams has been a staunch defender. He encouraged New Yorkers not to rush to judgment after the first investigation — the mayor’s campaign fundraiser — came to light.
“It has been a great honor to serve the city,” he wrote in a brief letter to the mayor on Saturday. “Having come to the conclusion that I can no longer serve effectively in my position, I submit my resignation effective today. I wish you nothing but the best. “
Mrs. Jörnberg’s resignation was shocking, not only for his position and the highly emotional moment at which it came, but also for its suddenness and the fact that it took effect immediately, leaving no time to transition to new counsel.
At the request of City Hall, Police Commissioner Edward A. He left two days after Kapan resigned. The US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, where Ms. Zornberg worked, is conducting three investigations, two of which on Sept. 4 led to the seizure of phones from several high-ranking officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn conducts the fourth.
Mr. Investigations into Adams and his inner circle rocked his administration and prompted two state lawmakers to resign. The mayor, who has not been charged with wrongdoing, has said the investigations show he did nothing wrong and that he is focused on serving New Yorkers.
Mr. Adams said in a statement Saturday: “We appreciate all the work Lisa has done for our administration and, most importantly, for the city over the last 13 months. These are tough jobs, and we don’t expect anyone to be in this forever. We wish Lisa the best in her future endeavors.”
When Mr Adams was asked on Sunday why Ms Zornberg had left, he said he would not discuss a private conversation with him about the matter. The mayor told reporters at the African American Day parade in Manhattan that Ms. Zornberg wanted to “move on to the next level of her career” and that New Yorkers were telling her: “New York is a tough place — hang in there, you fight for New York.
Ms. Zornberg declined to comment. A person familiar with the matter said Ms. Zornberg resigned largely because the mayor did not follow her advice on some personal matter.
Another person familiar with the Southern District of New York criminal investigation centered on the mayor said his departure was “not because of an SDNY investigation related to the mayor, and not because of any new information related to it. Mayor.”
Fabian Levy, the mayor’s spokesman, declined to answer when asked whether Ms. Zörnberg had quit because she didn’t take his advice, instead referring a reporter to three sentences from Ms. Zörnberg and the mayor’s comments. “Also, I’ll point out that he’s a City Hall lawyer, and he’s not a part of the conversations, so I can’t speak,” he added.
The city’s chief counsel advises the mayor on major policy and legal issues and oversees nearly a dozen agencies, including the offices of labor relations and procurement.
Hired in part for her reputation for integrity, Ms. Zornberg joined City Hall in July 2023 after serving as chief of the Southern District Criminal Division from 2016 to 2018, where he oversaw investigations and prosecutions by about 170 prosecutors. In January 2022 Mr. Brendan R., who has been chief counsel since Adams took office. He succeeded McGuire and represented the mayor in an investigation into his campaign fundraising.
At City Hall Mr. Ms. Zornberg was one of a handful of top officials who sat next to Adams at his weekly news conferences, fielding questions about federal investigations and using her expertise as a lawyer to defend the mayor.
Mr. Adams must find a replacement at a time when he is already struggling to hire a new corporation counsel — another top city official who leads the legal department and represents the city, its agencies and the mayor in civil cases.
The mayor’s choice for corporation counsel is Mayor Rudolph W. Randy Mastro, a former aide to Giuliani, withdrew his candidacy last week to avoid public condemnation from the City Council, where many members opposed his appointment.
Mr. Adams said in a statement on Saturday that Ms. Senior members of Zornberg’s team will “remain in their roles to ensure the office continues to be fully operational” and he “expects to name an acting chief counsel in the coming days.” “
The mayor’s press office released a statement from Ms. Zornberg, who said, “I am 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.”
About various investigations Mr. When Adams asked at a news conference last week, Ms. Zornberg interrupted that city officials could not discuss details.
“All aspects of the pending investigations, it would be inappropriate for us to share as we are in a posture of not wanting to disturb any investigation,” he said.
Dana Rubinstein Contributed report.
