NYC Mayor’s Chief Counsel Resigns

Lisa Zornberg, New York City Hall's chief counsel, speaks during a mayoral news conference at City Hall in New York on Nov. 14, 2023. Richard Drew/AP Photo

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ chief counsel resigned late Saturday.

Adams’ team announced Lisa Zornberg’s departure with no further explanation.

“It has been a great honor to serve the City. I am tendering my resignation, effective today, as I have concluded that I can no longer effectively serve in my position. I wish you nothing but the best,” Zornberg wrote in a brief letter to Adams.

Zornberg’s resignation follows a series of federal raids earlier this month that involved several of Adams’ top officials. Among those affected were NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned on Thursday, and Schools Chancellor David Banks.

Responding to the raids, Zornberg said earlier that, “Investigators have not indicated to us the mayor or his staff are targets of any investigation.”

In her brief statement, Zornberg said, “I am deeply grateful to Mayor Adams for giving me the opportunity to serve the city, and I strongly support the work he has done and continues to do for New Yorkers.”

Zornberg spent over a year providing legal guidance to the mayor and other senior policymakers at City Hall.

Adams also issued a statement later the same day, thanking Zornberg for her service and stating, “These are hard jobs, and we don’t expect anyone to stay in them forever.”

Adams added, “We wish Lisa all the best in her future endeavors. The other senior members of the counsel’s team will remain in their roles to ensure the office continues to fully operate without issue, and we expect to name an acting chief counsel in the coming days.”

Her departure follows the resignation of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban days earlier, who said that “news around recent developments has created a distraction for our department.” This came as media reported that federal agents had seized cell phones from Caban’s home. He has not been charged with any crimes or been told that he is the subject of an investigation.

Caban’s attorney asserted in a statement that the commissioner is not a target of any investigation and intends to cooperate fully with investigators.

Caban announced his resignation as NYPD Commissioner on Thursday. In response, Mayor Eric Adams took “immediate action“ by appointing Tom Donlon, a former FBI official, as interim police commissioner, stating that it was to ”ensure crime keeps going down in our city.”

“[T]he NYPD deserves someone who can solely focus on protecting and serving New York City, which is why—for the good of this city and this department—I have made the difficult decision to resign as Police Commissioner,” Caban said.

These raids are part of a broader FBI investigation that started earlier in 2023, the details of which have not been made public but have been reported on by the media who cited anonymous courses. Adams’ chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, and several other key aides have come under scrutiny as part of these inquiries.

Adams has denied any knowledge of wrongdoing.

As of now, no formal charges have been brought against any of those involved parties.

Zornberg said in response to the media reports in 2023, “The mayor and our team are continuing to work with investigators and cooperate. We hope that investigators will continue to cooperate with us and reprimand any federal officer who has improperly leaked details about this investigation, as such conduct could prejudice the public and undermines the integrity of our law enforcement process.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.