Eric Adams planted a political landmine on his way out of City Hall that threatens to derail progressive Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s agenda before it even gets started—and unlike typical executive orders, this trap can’t simply be revoked.

Adams’ Lame-Duck Political Sabotage

Former Mayor Eric Adams created a 15-member Charter Revision Commission in late December 2025, just weeks before leaving office, under the cloud of a federal corruption indictment later dropped. The commission’s mandate focuses on studying nonpartisan elections—open primaries followed by top-two general elections—a system designed to favor moderate candidates over progressives like Mamdani.

This calculated move exploits New York’s Municipal Home Rule Law, which grants charter commissions semi-autonomous status and requires them to conduct broad charter reviews before proposing ballot measures. Unlike the nine executive orders Mamdani swiftly revoked upon taking office in January 2026, this commission operates independently of direct mayoral control.

Limited Legal Options for Neutralization

Mamdani’s corporation counsel nominee, Steven Banks, began exploring neutralization strategies in early January 2026, but the legal pathways are severely constrained. New York law expert Louis Cholden-Brown, who served on the 2019 charter commission, advised that the Law Department could “make their lives a living hell” through funding cuts or by forcing the commission to conduct a full charter review rather than focusing narrowly on electoral changes.

However, these tactics amount to obstruction rather than elimination. The commission cannot be dissolved simply as standard mayoral initiatives are, creating what Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec condemned as “yet another ploy to circumvent New Yorkers’ voice.” This represents an unprecedented use of charter revision machinery as a weapon against an incoming administration.

Blocking Progressive Governance and Council Initiatives

The commission’s existence actively hampers Mamdani’s ability to govern and prevents City Council Speaker Julie Menin from advancing her own charter-related measures. Under state law, only one charter revision process can proceed at a time, effectively freezing any mayoral or council-driven reforms until Adams’ commission completes its work or is neutralized.

If the commission advances ballot measures for the 2026 election, it could reshape New York City’s electoral system to disadvantage progressive candidates in future races, including Mamdani’s own reelection bid. This creates a dangerous precedent where lame-duck mayors can handcuff their successors through legally protected commissions, undermining the democratic mandate voters delivered when they elected Mamdani to replace the scandal-plagued Adams administration.

Broader Context of Adams’ Final Actions

The charter commission represents just one component of Adams’ scorched-earth departure strategy. On December 5, 2025, Adams issued multiple pro-Israel executive orders, including measures banning city contracts with entities supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

Mamdani revoked these orders in his first hours as mayor, triggering immediate backlash from pro-Israel organizations, including the UJA-Federation, American Jewish Committee, and Anti-Defamation League. The revocations highlighted deep ideological divides over Israel policy and raised concerns among Jewish community leaders about antisemitism protections. While Mamdani maintained the city’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, critics like Council Member Inna Vernikov warned the moves would embolden anti-Israel activists, creating additional political obstacles for the new progressive administration.

Zohran Mamdani's Going to Have a Hard Time Escaping the Trap Eric Adams Set on His Way Out https://t.co/OsBKRYwgSw

— Marlon East Of The Pecos (@Darksideleader2) January 27, 2026

Setting Dangerous Precedents for Future Administrations

Adams’ charter commission gambit establishes a troubling template for outgoing mayors to sabotage their successors regardless of voter preferences. New mayors traditionally extend predecessors’ executive orders temporarily as a courtesy; Mamdani broke that pattern by immediately revoking Adams’ post-indictment orders, but discovered the charter commission immune to such direct action. The situation raises novel legal questions about competing commissions and whether state lawmakers could intervene to protect mayoral authority. If Adams’ commission succeeds in placing nonpartisan election measures on the ballot, it could fundamentally alter New York City’s political landscape for decades, all stemming from the actions of a mayor voters rejected. This attack on democratic governance and mayoral authority deserves scrutiny from anyone concerned about preserving elected officials’ ability to implement the agendas voters chose at the ballot box.

Sources:

The booby trap Eric Adams set for Zohran Mamdani

Mamdani’s first act: Revoking Eric Adams executive orders, including on Israel, antisemitism and BDS

Pro-Israel groups slam incoming NYC mayor for revoking Adams’ orders on antisemitism, Israel

Mamdani plans to delete all Adams tweets