Transcription
[00:00:00.20] – Curt Menefee
Well, this morning, pressure is mounting on Governor Kathy Hochul to use her executive power to remove Mayor Adams from office. Four of the mayor’s top aides resigned on yesterday from their positions. This is federal prosecutors’ move to drop the corruption charges against the mayor.
[00:00:14.28] – Rosanna Scotto
Well, despite the calls for him to resign, the mayor says he’s not going anywhere. Joining us with a little bit more on the embattled mayor and what may be ahead is former Democratic New York governor, David Patterson. Nice to have you back on Good Day, New York. Thank you.
[00:00:29.29] – Governor Paterson
Thank It’s nice to be here.
[00:00:31.07] – Rosanna Scotto
So today, Governor Hochul is convening a group of people from Reverend Al Sharpton to congressman Hakeem Jeffrey and everybody in between. What do you think is going to happen today?
[00:00:46.23] – Governor Paterson
Well, I think it’s actually a stroke of brilliance from the governor because you have to understand, even when you’re the governor, that one person can’t solve all the world’s problems, but maybe 10 people can. And I think she’ll get a lot of insight about Mayor Adams and how things are going for him, and then it will enlighten her to the decision she may make or whether she wants to make it at all.
[00:01:09.27] – Rosanna Scotto
She’s got to worry about her own political future. And congressman Hakeem Jeffrey has been pretty vocal about that in the past. There’s word that he’s supporting the mayor at this point. What are you hearing?
[00:01:24.05] – Governor Paterson
Well, I’m not exactly sure where he is at this particular point. I know But I feel for the mayor because I was in a situation once, but every day I had to hear I was going to resign and this, that, and the other thing happened. I stuck it out and was able to inevitably All the charges against me were removed. But when you’re in that situation, there’s one thing you really have to know, which is the more you plan, the less you have to react. What we saw yesterday was a mayor When you’re going to ask me, you have to know what you think people are going to ask you before you come in the room. I haven’t thought about what you were going to ask me, but I thought that was about the Mets.
[00:02:09.14] – Curt Menefee
We’ll do that later. Let me ask you then this question. You’ve been a longtime supporter of Mayor Adams. You endorsed him going back to his original run. Where do you stand right now? Do you think he should stay in office? Do you think he should resign?
[00:02:23.22] – Governor Paterson
I really can’t tell him what I think he should do because I don’t have all of the information that he has to make that actual decision. But what I think he has got to do is to reassume the position of mayor and not getting down into the mud and slinging it as he did yesterday.
[00:02:45.14] – Curt Menefee
How do these resignations affect him? Because it’s not just having four deputy mayors. This is on top of the six people who resigned back in September, October, when all that was going on. So a lot of turmoil among senior staff there at the city hall.
[00:03:00.25] – Governor Paterson
I know two of the four deputy mayors who resigned yesterday, and I don’t know what it was that they saw or heard, or in some respects, if they are protecting the mayor just by not saying whatever it was. I respect that they were uncomfortable in that situation. I don’t know how much it helps, though, when the staff starts leaving the elected official who gave them the opportunity in the first place.
[00:03:31.07] – Curt Menefee
How much it helps who?
[00:03:32.10] – Governor Paterson
I don’t know how much it helps the whole situation that they resign all of them at the same time. It’s sending a major message, but it’s also going to make other elected officials very leery of the people who work for them if they can create problems for them by all resigning at the same time.
[00:03:56.03] – Rosanna Scotto
They’re not going to do it tomorrow. They’re giving us a little, I feel like, lee a way where they could change their mind at some point. But you alluded to the press conference that the mayor had yesterday where he quoted writings by Hitler.
[00:04:10.14] – Governor Paterson
It was actually writings by Joseph Goebbels.
[00:04:12.27] – Rosanna Scotto
Right. Then he also went after our public advocate, Giovanni Williams, who would be the next in line if the mayor had to step aside.
[00:04:21.20] – Governor Paterson
Yeah, and that was a little unnecessary.
[00:04:23.13] – Rosanna Scotto
I think anybody- Because you talked about him getting up at 12: 00 noon and right- Well, whatever time he gets up, he’s always been a gentleman and he’s always treated people with respect, and I didn’t think he deserved that. We know that the city is under a time limit. The governor has basically until March 26 to really take action if she wants a special election in June, correct?
[00:04:49.00] – Governor Paterson
Yes.
[00:04:50.01] – Rosanna Scotto
What pressure is she feeling today?
[00:04:54.16] – Governor Paterson
Well, I don’t think she has to feel any pressure today. I think she’s gotten out in front of it. If she was sitting back and people saying, Where’s the governor? She hasn’t said anything. She’s hiding in Albany, that thing. They can’t say that now. She’s reached out to different types of leaders from all around the state who are going to help her make this decision, whichever way she goes. Remember, in 1951, Mayor William O’Dwire resigned because he was about to be thrown out at that particular time. In 1932, Mayor Jimmy Walker, he not When he left town, he went to live in London to get away from the fact that Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt was about to remove him. We’ve been down this road before.
[00:05:39.10] – Curt Menefee
Two names I want to mention. Rosanne mentioned one, Jamani Williams. There’s a lot of people that don’t want him to become the mayor. That was one of the points that the mayor, Mayor Adams, was pushing yesterday that, Hey, you can have him if you don’t have me. The other guy is Andrew Cuomo. There are a lot of people that don’t want him to get involved in the mayoral race. How much do you think the people that are supporting Mayor Adams are supporting him for alternative reasons rather than just supporting him point blank?
[00:06:05.15] – Governor Paterson
Well, certainly, Governor Andrew Cuomo- Telling us something? It’s a prediction. Governor Andrew Cuomo served in elected positions for 14 and a half years as attorney general, and then most of it as governor. He’s been down these roads. He’s one of these people that could step in right away, start making When things happen. He can raise enough money. He is a definite factor if Mayor Adams resigns or is removed. I think right now he’s not being particularly active, and I think that’s very smart. You don’t want to jump into a situation that’s so very controversial and make it any worse than it is.
[00:06:48.08] – Curt Menefee
Do you think he will?
[00:06:50.02] – Governor Paterson
I never know what Governor Cuomo is going to do, but it’s usually positive.
[00:06:56.08] – Rosanna Scotto
All right. Well, thank you so much for coming in and sharing your perspective with us this morning.
[00:07:01.10] – Curt Menefee
What’s your perspective on the Mets? You wanted to get that out.
[00:07:03.26] – Governor Paterson
Oh, I think now is the time. And the Mets did well last year. Yes. Almost to the World Series without Juan Soto, but it’s great to have him here.
[00:07:15.06] – Curt Menefee
All right. Great to have you here. Thank you so much for joining us this morning, Governor Patterson. Thank.
Click here for the original post.