NYC Department of Investigation reeling from staff shortage amid Mayor Eric Adams administration corruption probes

NEW YORK — The New York City Department of Investigation’s staffing levels are so low that employees can’t go on vacation without “significant disruptions” to the agency’s work — a problem that’s becoming especially dire amid various corruption probes into Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, according to a letter obtained by the New York Daily News.

The letter, sent Sept. 30 by Manhattan Councilwoman Gale Brewer to city budget chief Jacques Jiha, notes the DOI had 370 employees in the 2021 fiscal year, the last cycle under ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration.

In the current 2025 fiscal year, the agency, which functions as the city government’s internal corruption watchdog, only had a headcount of 283 — a 24% staff reduction, wrote Brewer, a Democrat who chairs the Council’s Oversight Committee.

“DOI informed me on June 3, 2024: ‘We simply do not have enough people to cover the amount of work that is necessary to support our ongoing investigations and criminal cases,'” Brewer wrote to Jiha. “The need is so acute that DOI experiences significant disruptions when staff go on vacation.”

Despite that reality, Brewer said Adams’ office rejected a request from DOI as part of this year’s budget process to hire six new investigative support staffers and two new IT technicians. As of this week, Jiha hadn’t responded to Brewer’s letter, according to a Council aide.

Adams’ office didn’t immediately return a request for comment Monday, and neither did a DOI spokeswoman.

“DOI is spread even thinner by so many investigations into the administration and working with federal prosecutors,” Brewer told The News on Monday.

The DOI staff shortages come as the agency’s playing a major role in multiple corruption investigations into Adams and his top advisers.

Among the probes DOI has worked on is the investigation led by the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office that resulted in Adams’ indictment last month on criminal charges alleging he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish government operatives in exchange for political favors.

As in several other investigations into Adams’ administration, the DOI has assisted the FBI and federal prosecutors with various matters over the course of the Turkey probe.