With the City Hall scandals now seriously threatening Eric Adams’ mayoralty, his best hope is to clean house — fire those causing the most trouble for him — and start fresh.
If not, he risks finding himself prematurely out of office, his legacy in shatters.
The latest blow came Saturday when the mayor’s chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, quit suddenly.
That’s right: his chief counsel — even as his team is up to its scuppers in scandal.
That came just days after NYPD boss Edward Caban stepped down amid reports about his brother James Caban’s alleged influence-peddling and after several raids by federal agents targeted police officials and top Adams aides.
“The timing [of Zornberg’s resignation] couldn’t look, or be, worse,” political operative Ken Frydman told The Post. “She left her client, Eric Adams, without a chief counsel just when he and City Hall need one most.”
Sources suggest Zornberg fled because Adams ignored her advice to fire two aides, Tim Pearson and Winnie Grecco, who are both under investigation and allegedly lied on their financial disclosure forms.
Her resignation is “emblematic of the turmoil we are seeing at the heights of city government,” observes City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens).
Yet the mayor’s been digging in.
Caban’s ouster was an obvious first step: Whether or not he’s a target of the probes, Caban had an insurmountable conflict — having to work with federal agents while they probe his sibling (and maybe him).
Yet it took a full week after the raids before Adams forced him out.
And he still hasn’t cut loose Deputy Mayor Phil Banks or Pearson, both being eyed by the feds for possibly steering city contracts and taking kickbacks, per Post law-enforcement sources.
Other city officials may also be under investigation, creating an aura of corruption that unavoidably reflects on Adams.
Hizzoner standing by them suggests he puts friendship and loyalty over the city’s best interests.
OK, we get it: Even beyond loyalty, Adams might be reluctant to fire aides who haven’t even been charged.
Yet surely he must realize they could drag him down with them.
And open the door to the army of left-wing loons just waiting to take the mayor’s job.
The damage they’d do — pushing through anti-cop “reforms” that fuel more crime, hiking taxes that hurt businesses and send more New Yorkers fleeing — would destroy the gains he’s made and his “moderate” agenda.
And hurt the city he loves.
Gotham needs Adams to survive politically, to maintain his sensible anti-crime, pro-business agenda and hold the line against the radicals already storming the gate.
Sticking with the tainted crew around him puts all that in jeopardy.
