A little more than a week after four high-ranking former NYPD officials filed lawsuits accusing Mayor Eric Adams and his top deputies of corruption and cronyism comes another complaint, this one filed Wednesday by former interim NYPD commissioner Tom Donlon. Politico reports he's suing the NYPD, Adams, and a number of current and former police execs whom he alleges carried out a "coordinated criminal conspiracy" and ran the NYPD like a "criminal enterprise."
Donlon, who led the NYPD for two months after Edward Caban's resignation in September, claims top department leaders—such as former Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, successor John Chell, and Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry—manipulated internal investigations to shield executives from scrutiny and promoted unqualified officers. The suit—which the New York Post reports clocks in at 251 pages—accuses the NYPD of engaging in wire fraud, mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and retaliation against whistleblowers. Per the New York Times, Donlon alleges that he brought his grievances to the mayor, only to find that Adams "condoned the misconduct" and allowed it to persist.
Donlon further alleges that officials retaliated against him for speaking out, including orchestrating the false arrest and invasive search of his wife. His suit states the alleged corruption resulted in a "massive, unlawful transfer of public wealth" via unearned salary increases, overtime payments, pension enhancement, and more, per the AP.
story continues below
"Taken together, Donlon alleged the acts amounted to racketeering," per Politico. He's calling for a federal takeover of the department, along with the appointment of a special monitor to oversee NYPD disciplinary and promotion processes. City Hall responded by dismissing Donlon's claims as the actions of a "disgruntled" ex-employee, with spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus characterizing the suit as an attempt to seek financial compensation after what she described as Donlon's "ineffective" tenure.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
