After drastically scaling back his official duties last week because he wasn’t feeing well, Mayor Eric Adams Wednesday resumed holding his weekly press conference with reporters. But his attempts to clarify the situation surrounding his health only muddied it further. 

“I reached out to the team said Fabien, I’m going to go under for a couple of days, I'm going to still be in communication but I was going to be under anesthesia but I wanted to make sure the team knew and the team did what they were supposed to," Adams said on Wednesday for the first time, disclosing some details about an illness. 

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday he was under anesthesia while away last week, but City Hall officials later said that he went under on Jan. 3 during a colonoscopy, not the week he was away 

  • The clarifications have led to more questions and concerns about the mayor's transparency over his health and abilities to govern 

  • Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who is next in the line of succession if the mayor is unable to perform his duties, said he was never notified of the procedure or of the mayor's health

City Hall officials later said that Adams was away for a week for a series of tests including an MRI, CAT SCAN and a test that looks at possible stomach issues. 

According to City Hall, the week away followed Adams having a colonoscopy on Jan. 3, which was previously publicly undisclosed, that led to further tests. All of which came back negative.

City Hall said the mayor was unconscious for about 45 minutes for the colonoscopy that started with Adams feeling pain on his side. 

“One of the scariest things is when you go to the doctor and he goes hmmm…not many things scare me, but I was concerned. The doctor said to Eric I need you to take a series of tests and I decided to do that," he said. 

Adams said his team was in constant communication about the procedure the entire time.

“We did everything we were required to do under the period of anesthesia," he said.  “I spoke to the first deputy mayor, I spoke to the chief of staff. I spoke to those who need me to…the executive order, my executive order makes clear that if I can’t perform my duties, the FDM will perform the duties."

Executive Order 45, issued by the mayor in September, states, “The First Deputy Mayor hereby is delegated the authority to perform all functions, powers or duties of the Mayor which the Mayor is authorized to delegate in the event that the Mayor is unable to perform such functions, powers or duties for a reason specified."

But not everyone agrees with how the mayor handled things.

“This is not about handing off the duties of the mayor for two hours. This is about communicating properly with governing bodies, particularly those who the charter says must be included in these kinds of conversations,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said. 

Under the city’s governing document, known as the charter, the public advocate is next in the line of succession if the mayor is unable to fulfill his duties due to “sickness.”

“The instance that we think the violation was ordered happened when the mayor was absent for some time and had some procedures where he could not fulfill his duties, not the executive orders that we put in place," he said.