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Timothy Pearson, Combative Eric Adams Aide, Resigns

VaselineOctober 1, 2024

0 4 minutes read

Timothy Pearson, Combative Eric Adams Aide, Resigns

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ embattled long-time advisor and confidant Tim Pearson resigned Monday, his attorney confirmed to THE CITY.

His departure comes amid a corruption probe and a spiraling crisis for City Hall following Adams’ federal grand jury indictment last week, and as Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove a mayor, has reportedly told Adams that he needs to clean house.

Pearson’s relationship with Adams dates back to when they both served in the NYPD. . He was among several top Adams administration officials whose devices were seized or their homes searched earlier this month, in a stunning series of raids that rattled city staffers and raised questions about Adams’ ability to continue to govern.

Pearson’s lawyer, Hugh Mo, told THE CITY Pearson sent the “straightforward” one-page letter from his office on Broadway late Monday, with his last day set for Friday, Oct. 4.

“He just tendered his resignation with the mayor,” said Mo, who is representing Pearson on the federal investigation by the Manhattan US Attorney’s office.

“I am proud of the work your administration has done for public safety and migrant services,” Pearson wrote in his letter, ending it with, “Thank you, and may our passion, love, and dedication to New Yorkers always be remembered and appreciated .”

Mo confirmed Pearson’s phone and “certain documents were seized” by the FBI earlier this month but noted that Pearson “denies all wrongdoing.”

“All the allegations of misconduct, at the end of the day, we believe the facts will not support any of those allegations of misconduct, whether it’s civil misconduct or criminal misconduct,” Mo added.

Pearson didn’t immediately respond to a voice message seeking comment.

The New York Times first reported Pearson’s resignation. In a statement, Mayor Adams said: “Tim has had a long career in both the public and private sectors, where he has spent over 30 years keeping New Yorkers safe. We appreciate Tim’s decades of service to this city and wish him well.”

‘Security & Tourism’

Pearson, a retired NYPD inspector, was tasked by Adams with leading the Municipal Services Agency, a shadowy new agency tasked with finding cost-savings that played an influential role in contracting related to the asylum-seeker crisis.

Beyond the federal probes that could touch on Pearson’s conduct, Adams is facing federal charges for allegedly accepting gifts in exchange for favors and illegal campaign donations from Turkish nationals.

Pearson has at times crossed paths with key figures in that case. He was part of an entourage that traveled to Turkey with then Borough President Adams in 2015 for a trip largely paid for by the Turkish government. As THE CITY previously reported, a city ethics officer who approved the travel repeatedly questioned Pearson’s role on the trip, which was described as dealing with “security & tourism.”

Pearson also attended a dinner that year at the Istanbul restaurant in Brooklyn that Adams and advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin and borough hall leaders had with top officials in the Turkish consulate. The event was organized by Rana Abbasova, the community liaison now cooperating with federal prosecutors in the Adams case, which centers on alleged gifts from Turkish business people and officials.

The following year, Pearson once again accompanied Adams on an international trip — this time to Israel, funded by the Jewish Community Relations Council.

Thinking Outside the Box

Adams repeatedly defended Pearson, and reportedly ignored the advice of his former chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, to fire him ahead of his sudden resignation.

“Tim brought something to the dynamic that I knew we had to think outside the box to resolve the issues,” Adams said, at a Sept. 17 press briefing. “We saved hundreds of millions of dollars because of his analysis and partnership with the other people that it involved.”

But Pearson’s leadership of the new office Adams created for him was rocked by warfare with his own staff. Multiple current and former NYPD officers on the team filed lawsuits against Pearson earlier this year, alleging he harassed female subordinates and punished male supervisors who tried to protect them.

One of the plaintiffs alleged in a court filing that he has bragged about seeking kickbacks from migrant contracts, referring to them as “crumbs.”

“Do you know how these contracts work? People are doing very well on these contracts. I have to get mine. Where are my crumbs?” He allegedly told NYPD Lieutenant George Huang and others in the agency.

THE CITY reported earlier this month that Pearson blocked a major migrant casework contract for months, hampering efforts to help shelter residents get authorization to work in the US And POLITICO reported on Pearson’s push to get a contract for an artificial intelligence company that sought to replace fire safety guards with new technology — while he reportedly had a personal relationship with a consultant for the firm.

Federal investigators are also reportedly looking at whether members of the NYPD paid bribes for promotions, according to the New York Post. According to multiple sources, the two officials in the Adams administration who have had the biggest say over police promotions are Pearson and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks.

In the Spotlight

Pearson and Adams have known each for more than three decades, and he is one of a tight circle of influential advisors who’ve been in Adams’ orbit for years.

When Adams tapped Pearson to join his administration in 2022, his conduct drew scrutiny early on. The New York Times reported Pearson continued to collect a $250,000-plus salary from Resorts World Casino, where he worked vice president of public safety, while also working full-time at City Hall.

Pearson later left Resorts World, but Adams decided to place him on the New York City Economic Development Corporation payroll enabled Pearson to collect both his salary of $257,000 and an NYPD pension simultaneously, netting him more than $381,000 annually.

Pearson returned to the spotlight in 2023, when THE CITY reported he had attacked a security guard at a Midtown migrant shelter when she asked for his identification as he tried to enter the facility. Pearson had two guards arrested, despite a dozen eyewitness statements identifying Person as the aggressor.

The city’s Department of Investigation opened a probe into his conduct, and the two guards, who say they are preparing to sue the city, later described Pearson threatening them to keep quiet about the situation at the precinct after their arrests, the New York Times reported .

Other reported federal probes that have not yet resulted in charges include one involving former NYPD commissioner Eddie Caban and his brother, reported to have sold “consulting” services to nightclubs that were having issues with the NYPD, and one involving his Asian community liaison and campaign fundraiser Winnie Greco.

VaselineOctober 1, 2024

0 4 minutes read

Vaseline

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