First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright expected to resign amid Eric Adams’ indictment: sources
NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright is expected to resign from her position, sources told PIX11 News on Friday.
Wright notified people she would be resigning because she was unhappy with how her now husband, Schools Chancellor David Banks, was pushed aside, according to sources.
City Hall has not yet announced who would replace Wright.
Wright joins a growing list of members of Mayor Eric Adams’ inner circle who have resigned. Banks will step down from his position on Oct. 16.
Wright and Banks’ home was raided by federal authorities in September, sources told PIX11 News. The home of Banks’ brother, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, was also raided by federal authorities, according to sources.
The raids are not believed to be connected to the criminal indictment against Adams related to his 2023 mayoral campaign.
Wright has served in the Adams administration since 2022, according to her biography on the NYCHA website. She became the first deputy mayor in 2023.
Wright previously was the CEO of the nonprofit United Way of New York City.
Adams was charged in a federal indictment accusing him of taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from the Turkish government and businessmen. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Adams could be facing more charges and others around him could be indicted, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Last week, Adams quietly issued a new executive order changing the line of succession for first deputy mayor. In the order issued, Adams outlined that in the event the first deputy mayor is unable to fulfill the functions of the mayor, the deputy mayor for health and human services would be next in line.
This order only applies if the mayor is temporarily suspended or cannot serve for other reasons. If the mayor resigns or is removed by the governor, the public advocate would be next in line to take over the position, followed by the comptroller.
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.