Mayor Eric Adams faced reporters by himself on Tuesday — without his usual dais of aides, lawyers and deputies or theme song — to answer a barrage of questions in his first official press conference since pleading not guilty to federal corruption charges last week.

“I have a city to run and I have an amazing team to do,” he said standing in City Hall’s rotunda, a change from the usual Blue Room used for his weekly press briefings. “My deputy mayors, my chief advisor, my commissioners, my legal team — they need to be focused on running the city.”

Alone at the podium, he repeated a defiant message that’s grown more insistent over the past week, even after the mayor was hit with a five-count indictment that includes charges of conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud. 

“Every day, New Yorkers are hit with bad news, every day. And the message is that when you reach an obstacle, just throw up your hands and give up?” he said. 

“That’s not who I am. And if that’s who I am, then I should have never, have put myself in this position to be mayor. I can’t be any clearer: obstacles don’t stop me, they strengthen me. And that has been my life story.”

Amid the upheaval that has followed resignations of top officials, including his religious and civil-rights leaders outside Gracie Mansion and visited churches, including one Monday night in Corona, Queens.

“You cannot worry about the road if God is at the steering wheel,” he said Tuesday, leaning heavily on his faith. “That’s who’s driving me. And I’m going to be here for this city.” 

‘Great Service’

Adams has also tried to fill his daily schedule with business-as-usual appearances, and on Tuesday he announced he planned to nominate Muriel Goode-Trufant, his current interim corporation counsel, for the role  permanently. 

That top city lawyer job had been vacant for months after Sylvia Hinds-Radix stepped down, and his previous nominee, Randy Mastro, withdrew following a bruising hearing in the City Council.

On Tuesday he also announced he has appointed Allison Stoddart as chief counsel, replacing Lisa Zornberg, who resigned weeks ago, reportedly over the mayor’s refusal to terminate some key advisers who are under law enforcement investigation.

Soon after he announced Stoddart, cheers could be heard from offices upstairs. Two sources confirmed she was given a standing ovation as she walked in. 

Adams answered questions on the resignation of key advisor Tim Pearson, who submitted his resignation letter Monday announcing his departure at the end of this week — noting that he didn’t push Pearson out. 

“Tim made the decision that he wanted to focus on another aspect of his life and deal with those items he had to deal with,” the mayor said about Pearson’s departure. “And he made the determination that it was time for him to go on with that. And I respect that. He served his city as a police officer and in private and public life. And he’s moving on to the next level.”

But Adams dodged questions on whether the city would still pay for Pearson’s legal fees as he fights four lawsuits from former colleagues alleging sexual harassment and retaliation, or who — if anyone — might replace him as head of the shadowy Office of Municipal Service Assessment that Adams created as Pearson’s domain. 

A spokesperson for the city Law Department, Nicholas Paolucci, said the city is still looking at whether taxpayers would cover the cost of Pearson’s attorneys. 

“Every determination of representation by the Law Department is subject to review as new facts and circumstances are discovered,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to evaluate Tim Pearson’s legal representation as we would in any case involving current or former employees.”

Separately on Tuesday, Adams’ private attorney, Alex Spiro, filed a motion asking a judge to impose sanctions against the office of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, charging federal prosecutors with illegally leaking protected grand jury material to the New York Times and other media outlets.

“The government has shown an appalling disregard for Mayor Adams’ rights and the grand jury secrecy provisions” of the law, the filing stated, arguing that the leaks have “eroded public for the Mayor long before he was ever charged with a crime and able to defend himself in court.”

At his press conference, the mayor evaded questions about whether Spiro can continue to represent him both in his civil sexual assault case and his federal corruption case, saying instead that reporters should ask the corporation counsel.

Adams also didn’t answer questions on his understanding of the city’s campaign finance rules, or whether he believes he’s being targeted by federal authorities, and for what. And he wouldn’t comment on what he thought the Turkish government might be looking for in return when the national airline offered him complimentary travel upgrades — a key element of the corruption case against him. 

He issued a warning to other elected officials who may feel compelled to help various constituencies, given his current investigations. 

“I did nothing wrong, and every elected official in this city that [makes] calls on behalf of a constituent should be concerned about what is laid out there,” he said.

His final answer of the press conference was more lighthearted: How was the service on Turkish Airlines, one reporter asked? 

“I love that question,” he said. “Great service, great service.”

Additional reporting Greg. B Smith and Gwynne Hogan