The city’s top attorney Sylvia Hinds-Radix officially stepped down from her post on Friday after serving two and a half years in Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, City Hall confirmed.
Hinds-Radix’s resignation as the city’s corporation counsel, who has led the city’s Law Department since early 2022, comes a little over a month after several news outlets reported that Adams was looking to replace her with controversial lawyer Randy Mastro — as a growing number of legal troubles weigh down his mayoralty.
While Adams has not yet formally nominated Mastro to the position, the City Council has voiced its opposition to the hard-nosed litigator. The council has the power to veto the mayor’s choice.
Mayoral spokesperson Liz Garcia confirmed to amNewYork Metro that May 31 is Hinds-Radix’s last day on the job, after it was first reported by the New York Post Thursday. Garcia said First Assistant Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant will take Hinds-Radix’s place on an interim basis until the council confirms her successor.
In a statement, the mayor praised Hinds-Radix for her work while she was part of the administration.
“Sylvia Hinds-Radix has played a critical role in furthering this administration’s vision to protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make our city more livable,” Adams said. “Whether it was holding social media companies accountable for the harmful influence they have on our children, taking on manufacturers and distributors that targeted children with illegal nicotine products, or coming to an agreement to best implement our right to shelter laws, she has been a fierce advocate on behalf of those who call this city home. We are grateful for her service to New Yorkers.”
In her farewell email to Law Department staff, Hinds-Radix thanked them for helping the agency “remain a beacon of public service.”
“Your excellent work extends beyond the courtroom and has touched the lives of individuals and communities,” she said. “It has been an honor to work with you serving the people of this great City.”
Although Adams has publicly praised Hinds-Radix, he reportedly had been taking steps to oust her after she privately expressed misgivings about the Law Department representing him in a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him. The mayor has denied he pushed Hinds-Radix out of the administration and insists there were no legal disagreements between them.
While City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has not yet publicly taken a position on Mastro, many Council members have said they would not support him if his name were to come up for a vote.
Their opposition stems from Mastro’s time working for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as both his chief of staff and as deputy mayor, and his history of litigating on behalf of clients who do not align with their principles. Among those clients are former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican whom Mastro represented in the Bridgegate scandal, and the oil company Chevron.
Mastro’s opponents include the council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC) and LGBTQAI+ Caucus, which collectively account for 36 of the 51 council members. However, that does not mean every council member in the two caucuses would vote against Mastro, as each caucus only needs a majority to vote in favor of opposing him as a group.
The mayor’s team has reportedly been working to set up one-on-one meetings between Mastro and individual council members to turn more votes in his favor. In one case, the tactic seems to have worked, as City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. (D-Bronx) told Politico New York earlier this month that he changed his mind after meeting with the veteran lawyer.
Meanwhile, Council Member Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn), who is frequently at odds with the mayor, took to social media Thursday afternoon to note that Adams now has 60 days to nominate a new corporation counsel.
