Four New York City deputy mayors announced their resignations Monday as the controversy continued to grow over the allegation that Mayor Eric Adams agreed to a quid pro quo to get his criminal case dropped.

A former Watergate prosecutor has urged the federal judge presiding over the prosecution of New York City Mayor Eric Adams to assign a special counsel to help decide how to handle the Justice Department's request to drop charges.

Adams, a former police captain, pleaded not guilty last September to charges that he accepted more than $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions.