Andrew Cuomo stayed with the mayor of New York and is now running as an independent
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that he will run for mayor of New York City as an independent candidate.
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The nation’s largest police department is, at the direction of New York Mayor Eric Adams, “the criminal at its core” and “function as an assault company,” a former interim police commissioner claims in a federal civil lawsuit.
In a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York on July 16, Thomas Donlon alleges that “senior leaders have abandoned legal governance, used the NYPD to consolidate political power, obstruct justice and punished the opposition.”
The 251-page lawsuit is named among 10 defendants, Adams of New York City, Vice Mayor of Public Safety Kazu Daughtry and John Chell of the New York Police Department.
USA Today contacted the Adams office for comment, but as of 12:45am ET, it had not received a response.
The lawsuit further alleges that the defendant has hampered Donlon’s oversight efforts, including cancelling his meetings, changing schedules, spying on his communications and excluding them from operational decisions. The defendant also alleges that he used the police chief stamp in Donlon to forge documents and promoted politically connected officers.
“This lawsuit is not a personal complaint. It is a statement against a corrupt system that betrays the public, silences the truth and punishes integrity,” Donlon said. According to WABC, Donlon was appointed by Adams after Edward A. Kaban resigned in 2024 after the federal attack.
The Associated Press reported that four high-ranking former New York City police officers filed another lawsuit, alleging that Adams had promoted sponsorship in the NYPD and fired the culture of chronism. Donlon was appointed commissioner by Adams in 2024.
USA Today also reached out to NYPD for comment.
Litigation: “Corruption caused a massive, illegal transfer of public wealth.”
The lawsuit in part points to a case in which former New York Police Department spokesman and defendant in the lawsuit, Tarik Shepherd, threatened to kill Donlon after he was faced with stamps to promote himself.
“This corruption has led to a massive, illegal transfer of public wealth: increased salary earned millions of dollars, eligibility for overtime, strengthened pensions, and increased profits after retirement,” the lawsuit alleges.
Shepherd denied that the incident occurred, stating that no such stamp existed and that the move to Chief of Staff was a lateral movement as a three-star chief in an interview with USA Today.
“Committee Donlon was still active in the NYPD and when he realized there were no stamps that existed in his office or the office I had, he already apologized to me,” Shepherd said. “The only group of people who can probably put his name on anything is our HR or HR office.”
According to the New York Times, Shepherd was appointed public information deputy committee member by Bag in 2023.
The lawsuit also alleges “systematic negligence” in handling evidence, claiming that the police department does not have a functional tracking system and places the evidence in cardboard boxes and paper barrels without proper labeling.
Donlon requested “immediate action” on the issue and a report on the December 2023 evidence warehouse fire in Brooklyn, but neither occurred, according to the lawsuit.
“This silence and inaction is evidence of ongoing incompetence, indifference and a deep leadership crisis within the NYPD,” the lawsuit reads.
“He can sue everything he wants. This is nothing new.”
In a statement to ABC News, Adam’s spokesperson Kayla Mamerak Altas called the Donlon allegations “an attempt to seek compensation at taxpayer’s expense.”
“These were unfounded accusations from disgruntled former employees, and when given the opportunity to lead the world’s greatest police department, I proved myself ineffective,” Altus said.
Shepherd reflected Altus’ statement in a later interview Wednesday.
“He can sue everything he wants, and this is nothing new,” Shepherd said. “Many employees who were dissatisfied with the NYPD turned around and sue them.”
The lawsuit seeks a court order that imposes an independent federal monitor that prevents unspecified financial damages, as well as “ensure compliance with federal and state laws and prevent further retaliation, obstruction or abuse.”
