Mayor Adams' top City Hall lawyer resigns as federal investigation intensifies

Mayor Eric Adams' chief adviser resigned on Saturday without notice, according to a City Hall spokesman.

Lisa Zornberg left the post after just over a year while senior officials in the administration are under multiple federal investigations. Fabien Levy, deputy mayor for communications, said her resignation was effective immediately.

The mayor's office presented Zornberg's resignation letter, which provided little explanation for her resignation.

“I am tendering my resignation effective immediately as I have concluded that I can no longer effectively perform my position,” the letter said.

The abrupt departure leaves a significant gap in the administration – and draws attention to legal problems surrounding the mayor and his inner circle.

As chief counsel, Zornberg was responsible for defending the mayor during a federal corruption investigation into his 2021 campaign. She also served as an adviser on key policy issues, including his response to the refugee crisis.

Her resignation comes two days after NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban resigned and a week after his phones were seized as part of a separate federal investigation. Other senior Adams aides also had their phones seized, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Chancellor of her partner schools David Banks and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks.

Before joining City Hall, Zornberg spent years as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which is currently investigating several city officials. She also worked in private practice as a defense attorney for white-collar criminals before joining as chief counsel, according to a biography announcing her appointment.

Adams said in a statement that he appreciated Zornberg's work.

“These are tough jobs and we don’t expect anyone to stay in them forever,” he said.

He added that other senior members of Zornberg's team “will remain in their roles to ensure that the office can continue to operate without issues. We expect to appoint an acting chief counsel in the next few days.”

Adams tested positive for COVID on Monday and has not appeared in person at any public event since then. On Thursday, he gave a speech virtually announcing Caban's resignation.