Phil Banks, Mayor Adams’ top public safety deputy and longtime friend, resigned over the weekend, the latest top City Hall official to step down after becoming embroiled in federal corruption investigations that are rocking the administration, the Daily News has learned.
Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety, submitted a resignation letter to the mayor Sunday night, sources familiar with the matter said. It was not clear Monday morning if the resignation was effective immediately.
In an appearance on NY1 Monday morning, Adams confirmed Banks has submitted his resignation.
“He reached out to me and stated, ‘Eric, I’m looking to move on and this is a good time to do so,’” said Adams.
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.
“I said, ‘Listen, we got a couple things in the pipeline. Can you please hold on and get them done?’ And he was willing to do that and I appreciate him for that,” Adams said.
Banks, who served with Adams in the NYPD and has been a key political confidant to him for decades, did not immediately return a request for comment.
The deputy mayor’s departure comes after he and four other top Adams advisers had their homes raided and electronics seized on Sept. 4 as part of multiple federal corruption investigations scrutinizing whether city officials were engaged in schemes involving influence peddling, kickbacks on city contracts and NYPD nightlife enforcement misuse, among other matters.
Prior to Monday, three of those officials — Schools Chancellor David Banks, senior Adams adviser Tim Pearson and NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban — had already announced their resignations.
Now that Phil Banks, the chancellor’s younger brother, is also headed for the door, only one other official who was hit by the feds Sept. 4 remains part of the Adams administration: Sheena Wright, the first deputy mayor.
Sources have said, though, that Wright, Chancellor Banks’ wife, is also about to resign. She was initially expected to do so this past Friday.
With Evan Simko-Bednarski
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