**Mayor Eric Adams Overhauls Top Staff Amidst Ongoing City Government Turmoil**

After enduring weeks of legal turmoil and unprecedented challenges within New York City's government, Mayor Eric Adams announced a significant overhaul of his administration. As part of the restructuring, Adams revealed on Tuesday that First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright will be stepping down, with current Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer being promoted to her role.

Torres-Springer, who has accumulated over two decades of experience in city government under previous administrations of Mike Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio, will now take on the responsibility of assisting Adams during this turbulent time. "Maria has been doing the work so long at a high level. She knows all the players involved," a source close to the mayor commented, noting that Torres-Springer will now have the explicit support of Adams to lead effectively.

In addition to this major personnel change, Torres-Springer will collaborate with Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack to conduct an immediate review of personnel, programs, and policies in City Hall. "Everything is being reevaluated," a senior City Hall staffer disclosed, describing the current organizational structure in blunt terms. Nevertheless, the staffer remains optimistic, calling Torres-Springer’s appointment "an opportunity to reinvent."

Mayor Adams addressed the criticism at a Tuesday press conference, asserting the administration's accomplishments in housing and crime reduction. He acknowledged the need for potential structural changes, emphasizing his commitment to growth and improvement. "You go back and say, what could you do better? What could you learn from? Isn't that part of growth?" Adams remarked. He also indicated plans for consultations with external stakeholders, including the business community.

The anticipated elevation of Torres-Springer to First Deputy Mayor had been reported by POLITICO on Monday evening. Simultaneously, it came to light that Wright’s departure was related to having her phone seized in a federal investigation last month. Recently, around a dozen aides to Adams have exited or announced their plans to leave, including his chief counsel, police commissioner, and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, who resigned on Sunday.

Despite the rising number of departures, Adams firmly denied any connection to his own indictment or other federal probes, stating, "Not one person that has decided to do something else with their life said 'Eric, it's because so much is going on.' Not one person." He added, "As long as you can deliver for the city of New York and hold to the high ethical standards that come with it, you could work for me. But people wanted to go on with their lives."

This ongoing story continues to develop as the Adams administration navigates through this period of significant change.