logo
Ex-NYPD commissioner accuses NYC mayor of 'character assassination' in $10 million defamation claim

Ex-NYPD commissioner accuses NYC mayor of 'character assassination' in $10 million defamation claim

Al Arabiya2 days ago
New York City's former interim police commissioner has filed a $10 million defamation claim against Mayor Eric Adams for reportedly suggesting he was mentally unfit for the job of top cop. The filing comes less than a week after the ex-commissioner, Thomas Donlon, sued Adams and his top deputies, accusing them of operating the department as a criminal racket that rewarded unqualified loyalists and punished whistleblowers. Donlon said he was sidelined for trying to clean up the corruption.
After that lawsuit was filed, Adams privately told members of a nonprofit business advocacy group at a meeting that he'd fired Donlon, 71, from his brief stint as commissioner last fall because he was rapidly deteriorating mentally, according to attendees. Donlon cited news reports about those comments in his legal claim. The department's former top spokesperson, Tarik Sheppard, who was also named in Donlon's lawsuit, told reporters that his former boss was 'going through some cognitive issues and believed there was this conspiracy against him.'
'Their comments amounted to a defamatory public character assassination intended to weaponize mental health to silence a whistleblower,' Donlon's attorney, John Scola, said Monday. Donlon, a former FBI official, was appointed by Adams in September to lead a department reeling from overlapping federal investigations and high-level resignations. He was replaced by the current commissioner, Jessica Tisch, in November. During his short tenure, federal authorities searched Donlon's home for decades-old documents that he said were unrelated to his work at the department. He has not been publicly accused of wrongdoing in connection with that search.
In his short time as commissioner, Donlon said he uncovered systemic corruption by members of the mayor's inner circle, including a scheme to reward unqualified loyalists with lucrative promotions in exchange for political favors. In his lawsuit, Donlon accused Sheppard of misappropriating the commissioner's rubber stamp signature to give himself a raise, then threatening to kill Donlon when confronted about it. Sheppard, who left the department in May, has denied that allegation.
Inquiries to City Hall about the defamation claim were not immediately returned. In a statement last week, a spokesperson for Adams, Kayla Mamelak Altus, described Donlon's claims as 'absurd.' 'These are baseless accusations from a disgruntled former employee who – when given the opportunity to lead the greatest police department in the world – proved himself to be ineffective,' she said. The defamation claim adds to a recent spate of litigation brought by police officials against Adams, focusing scrutiny on his leadership as he seeks re-election on a platform emphasizing managerial competence and public safety.
Earlier this month, four high-ranking former NYPD officials brought separate lawsuits accusing Adams and his deputies of allowing rampant corruption and cronyism within the police department. In response to those suits, a spokesperson for Adams said the administration holds all city employees – including leadership at the NYPD – to the highest standards.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump administration not in a rush to replace Powell: Treasury chief Bessent
Trump administration not in a rush to replace Powell: Treasury chief Bessent

Al Arabiya

time3 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

Trump administration not in a rush to replace Powell: Treasury chief Bessent

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that the Trump administration was not in a rush to nominate a new Federal Reserve Chair to replace Jerome Powell. 'We are getting the process underway. Obviously it's going to be President Trump's decision, and we're not in a rush,' Bessent told Bloomberg TV in an interview. Powell's term as chair ends in May 2026, although he is due to stay on as a Fed governor through January 2028. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for Powell to resign but has said he would not fire him. In a separate interview aired on Tuesday, Bessent said there was no need for Powell to resign right now. When asked if Fed Governor Michelle Bowman was under consideration, Bessent said: 'I'm not going to name names, but there are candidates, as I said, on the board, several female regional bank presidents and there are fantastic women outside the Fed.' Bessent said he continued to have regular meetings with Powell and that Powell had not told him whether he would leave his board seat before 2028. 'My belief is that he will. And I think that it would be very good for the institution for him to do it and I think it'd be very good for him personally to do it,' Bessent said.

Republican congressman Mike Lawler says he won't run for New York governor
Republican congressman Mike Lawler says he won't run for New York governor

Al Arabiya

time3 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

Republican congressman Mike Lawler says he won't run for New York governor

US Rep. Mike Lawler, a moderate Republican representing a suburban New York swing district, said Wednesday he won't run for governor next year. Lawler had been viewed as a potentially strong challenger to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. But another prominent House Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik, also has been eyeing a candidacy. She said in a statement Wednesday she'll decide after this November's election. Lawler, a second-term Congress member from the state's Hudson Valley north of New York City, told the Fox and Friends morning show that running for reelection to the House 'was the right thing to do for me and my family and my district.' 'Keeping the House majority is critical if we are going to continue to move this economy in the right direction,' he said. The announcement comes after Lawler held a series of sometimes raucous town halls in his district over the spring – at a time when Republicans were being advised to skip the forums that were drawing angry questions about President Donald Trump's agenda. Trump in May endorsed Lawler for reelection in the 17th Congressional District, calling him a 'Strong Champion and Highly Effective Representative' in a post on Truth Social. Hochul, a former lieutenant governor, assumed the top office in 2021 after predecessor Andrew Cuomo resigned. Hochul then was elected in 2022. She also faces a challenge from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, amid a feud between the two Democrats. Lawler arrived in the House after defeating former US Rep. Mondaire Jones, a Democrat who previously represented part of the district. During that campaign, The New York Times obtained a photo of Lawler wearing blackface in 2006 at a college Halloween party where he dressed as singer Michael Jackson. Lawler said the outfit was intended to be an homage to a childhood idol.

Trump aide Richard Grenell meets Imran Khan's sons, urges release of jailed former PM
Trump aide Richard Grenell meets Imran Khan's sons, urges release of jailed former PM

Arab News

time5 hours ago

  • Arab News

Trump aide Richard Grenell meets Imran Khan's sons, urges release of jailed former PM

ISLAMABAD: Richard Grenell, the US Envoy for Special Missions under President Donald Trump, met with the jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's sons in California on Wednesday and renewed calls for their father's release, describing his imprisonment as 'political prosecution.' A close aide to the US president, Grenell has been a vocal supporter of Khan in recent months. His endorsement is seen as symbolically significant by supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party who are seeking international attention on the issue. In a post on social media platform X, Grenell shared a photo with Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, saying: 'You must stay strong. There are millions of people around the world who are sick of political prosecutions. You are not alone. #FreeImranKhan.' Welcome to California, my friends. I loved hanging out with you today. Sulaiman and @Kasim_Khan_1999, you must stay strong. There are millions of people around the world who are sick of political prosecutions. You are not alone. #freeimrankhan — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) July 22, 2025 The meeting comes as PTI prepares to launch a protest campaign in Pakistan demanding Khan's release. The party has announced that Khan's sons, who have largely avoided political engagement, will also participate in the campaign. Khan, 71, has been jailed since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence on a number of charges. PTI says he faces more than 100 legal cases, all of which he calls politically motivated. PTI also remains under pressure, with several senior leaders behind bars and others in hiding or facing legal challenges. Rights groups have accused Pakistani authorities of cracking down on dissent and curbing space for political opposition. In a rare social media post last month, Khan's sons raised concerns about their father's prison conditions and called for his release, saying they feared for his health and well-being. The PTI has yet to finalize details of its planned protest campaign, expected to begin in early August to coincide with the second anniversary of Khan's arrest. The party has framed the movement as a democratic struggle for civil liberties and judicial independence.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store