July 10, 2025
The swimsuit alleges NYPD heavyweights conspired with Adams for his or her profession demise.
Forward of a re-election bid, New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams is being accused of displaying favoritism towards former New York Police Division (NYPD) associates in a brand new lawsuit alleging corruption, New York Each day Information experiences.
The bombshell lawsuit comes from 4 former high-ranking NYPD chiefs — James Essig, Matthew Pontillo, Joseph Veneziano, and Christopher McCormack — who declare they have been pressured to retire after complaining that Adams was inserting his “unqualified” associates in prestigious positions, allegedly utilizing bribes to safe the seats. A number of former and present NYPD heavyweights have been listed as defendants within the swimsuit, together with former Police Commissioner Edward Caban, former NYPD Chief of Division Jeffrey Maddrey, former Deputy Mayor for Public Security Phil Banks, and NYPD Chief of Division John Chell.
The swimsuit alleges that the 4 males conspired with Adams to result in their profession demise; nonetheless, legal professional Sarena Townsend says the claims from Essig, Pontillo, Veneziano, and McCormack are an overreach. “The overarching theme is whistleblower retaliation,” Townsend, who’s representing all 4 2023 retired officers, stated. “These are individuals who have been within the division for 30 to 40 years who knew what was proper and fallacious. What Adams and his group needed to do was reduce corners, do issues towards coverage, do issues that have been unconstitutional.”
Essig, the highest-ranking member of the group, alleges the corruption began in early 2023. He remembers that Maddrey, a longtime good friend of Adams, was making an attempt to get associates positioned into senior models within the division’s Legal Job Drive Division. When Essig went to Caban, who resigned in 2024 amid corruption allegations additionally tied to Adams, to complain, Caban allegedly pushed again towards the grievance, saying, “Do you might have an issue with this?!”
He additionally claims Caban was engaged since he was allegedly “promoting promotions” to cops for about $15,000 and talked about him being underneath federal investigation within the swimsuit.
In line with Politico, the alleged retaliation towards Pontillo was private. The swimsuit alleges the mayor, Caban, Chell, and Maddrey pressured retirement after the previous chief voiced considerations with the rising variety of police chases underneath Chell’s management and the improper utilization of body-worn cameras.
After every member left the drive, Metropolis Corridor gave NYPD managerial employees a pay enhance that the 4 former chiefs missed out on.
Each Caban and Banks denied the allegations towards them, with Banks saying an inventory of particular names needs to be requested; nonetheless, it “doesn’t exist.” A spokesperson for the mayor’s workplace, Kayla Mamelak Altus, defended the NYPD’s integrity, noting that Adams as soon as served on the drive, and stated the lawsuits could be reviewed. “The Adams administration holds all metropolis workers — together with management on the NYPD — to the best requirements, and our work on the division speaks for itself: crime continues to topple month after month each above and beneath floor, with our metropolis seeing the bottom variety of shootings in recorded historical past,” Altus stated in a press release.
“That’s no coincidence — it’s because of the Adams administration’s laser give attention to public security.”
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