A top prosecutor in Manhattan last week alleged the New York City mayor had asked the Trump administration to drop a corruption case against him in exchange for his cooperation on immigration enforcement. Four of Adams' top deputies, including the first deputy mayor, resigned last Monday after the Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the criminal case against Adams. The "alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored", Hochul said in a statement.

"In the 235 years of New York State history, these powers have never been utilized to remove a duly-elected mayor; overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly," Hochul said. Adams was indicted last year for allegedly accepting gifts totaling more than USD 100,000 (£75,000) from Turkish citizens in exchange for favours. He denies the charges. The trial is scheduled for April. But his administration has been plagued by staff departures and scandals since the charges against him were first announced. A number of members of his orbit have also been charged as a part of the investigation. The governor's meeting with "key leaders" on Tuesday follows the resignations of four of Adams' top deputies - First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer; Deputy mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom; the deputy mayor for operations, Meera Joshi; and the deputy mayor for public safety, Chauncey Parker. "I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future," Adams said in a statement after accepting the resignations last Monday. In a joint statement, Torres-Springer, Joshi and Williams-Isom said they were resigning because of the latest scandal.

"Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles," they said. Last week, the former US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon, resigned over pressure from the Justice Department to drop the Adams case. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove argued that the case against Adams had "restricted" the mayor's ability to address "illegal immigration and violent crime" - two of President Donald Trump's key priorities. Ms Sassoon said dropping the case would set a "breathtaking and dangerous precedent". Seven other Justice Department officials left before prosecutors eventually filed a motion to drop the case. New York Judge Dale Ho still needs to sign off on the request. During an interview alongside Trump's border czar Tom Homan last week, Adams denied he had proposed the Justice Department drop the case in exchange for immigration measures, a move Ms Sassoon said amounted to a "quid pro quo". Adams said the allegations were "silly". Hochul faced calls to remove Adams after the indictment against him was first unsealed last September, but she did not move to do so then.