When Mayor Eric Adams was asked directly if he still has full confidence in his NYPD commissioner after he was served with an FBI search warrant, the mayor gave an indirect response

"I have the utmost confidence in the New York City Police Department," Adams said.

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Eric Adams declined to say he has confidence in NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban

  • Caban and other NYPD officials were subjected to FBI search warrants

  • Top aides in the Adams administration were also hit with federal search warrants

Adams' remarks were made during his typical weekly question-and-answer session with reporters.

This week, it was held virtually because the mayor tested positive for COVID.

He rebutted reporting that City Hall officials are pressuring Police Comissioner Edward Caban to resign

"I am City Hall," Adams said. "Any orders from City Hall to make a personnel shift [are] going to come with my blessing."  

Reporters largely tried to get the mayor and City Hall officials to divulge as many details as possible concerning the FBI search warrants served on his deputies — First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and her partner, Schools Chancellor David Banks, his brother and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, and senior aid Tim Pearson.

Outside of Adams’ administration, the police commissioner’s brother James Caban and a third Banks brother, Terence Banks, received FBI search warrants.

There have been no public allegations of wrongdoing, arrests or charges made related to these federal probes.

"The aspects of the question that are asking about law enforcement outreaches and who had outreaches and what was taken or not taken, those are all aspects of pending investigations that it would be improper for us to share," Lisa Zornberg, chief counsel to the mayor, said. "We are in a posture of not wanting to impede any investigation."

Only one official who got a search warrant, Wright, was present at the virtual event Tuesday.

"I am cooperating fully with any investigation," she said. "I'm confident that I have done nothing wrong and I just remain committed to doing the work that we have to do."

While Adams has been known to prize loyalty, he said, loyalty has its limits.

"My loyalty does not go to the point if you are found to have done something wrong," Adams said.