Eric Adams appoints new first deputy mayor after Sheena Wright resigns
NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City Mayor Eric Adams has appointed a new first deputy mayor after Sheena Wright resigned from her position on Tuesday.
Maria Torres-Springer, the deputy mayor of housing, economic development and workforce, was appointed to the position.
A member of Adams' inner circle was also indicted on Tuesday. Mohamed Bahi, a trusted Muslim liaison to Adams, was charged in a two-count complaint accusing him of witness tampering and destruction of evidence.
Prosecutors accused Bahi of deleting encrypted messages to Adams as federal authorities raided Bahi's home in July. The messages allegedly pertain to the investigation into Adams' mayoral campaign, which led to the mayor's indictment.
Bahi is also accused of telling a businessman to lie to federal authorities about a straw donor scheme. He resigned and just before his indictment, Adams thanked him for his service.
"I would never instruct anyone to do anything illegal or improper," Adams said.
More than two-thirds of New Yorkers have had enough of Adams and believe he should resign, according to a recent Marist poll.
More than a dozen high-ranking members of the Adams administration have either been investigated, resigned or criminally charged as part of multiple ongoing federal investigations.
The mayor has insisted that none of those resignations are tied to his criminal probe.
The mayor's office is looking to fill more than 50 open positions, with some jobs earning as much as $239,000 a year.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.