Mayor Adams is expected to nominate Muriel Goode-Trufant, a 30-year veteran of the city Law Department, as his administration’s next corporation counsel following the collapse of his push to hire controversial litigator Randy Mastro for the top city government lawyer job, the Daily News has learned.
Goode-Trufant, who has served in the role in an acting capacity since this summer’s resignation of ex-Adams corporation counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix, could be nominated to take on the job on a permanent basis as early as Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Spokespeople for the mayor did not immediately return requests for comment.
The plan to tap Goode-Trufant for the role comes after Adams unsuccessfully tried to hire Mastro, a former federal prosecutor who served as a top official in Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s administration, as corporation counsel.
The City Council, which must by law confirm corporation counsel picks, fought Mastro’s nomination tooth-and-nail, with Democratic members of the chamber telling the mayor they weren’t willing to greenlight him due to concerns about his lengthy record of championing conservative causes in court.
Nonetheless, Adams moved forward with Mastro’s nomination. Just two days before the Council was expected to vote to reject his nomination, Mastro withdrew from consideration.
The corporation counsel oversees the Law Department and is responsible for representing the mayor and other city government employees in a variety of legal matters.
Goode-Trufant has worked at the Law Department for over 30 years and is well-respected by the Council, according to sources in the chamber.
Adams’ plan to tap her for the role comes as his administration is in turmoil. The mayor was indicted last week on federal criminal charges alleging he solicited and accepted bribes from Turkish nationals in exchange for political favors for the Turkish government. A number of his top aides have resigned in recent weeks after coming under scrutiny in separate corruption investigations.
A Council member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Goode-Trufant is all but certain to win confirmation from the Council and argued it’s “the most sensible” pick for the mayor’s team at the moment.
“It gives them the best chance of getting a nominee confirmed,” the member told The News. “With so much turmoil in the administration right now they need some low hanging victories.”
