Recently, a series of lawsuits have been filed by four ex-officials of the New York Police Department (NYPD) expressing allegations of retaliation against them by Mayor Eric Adams along with others he is said to closely associate with within the department. The complaints argue that a concerted effort was made by these individuals to force them into resignation. James Essig, Matthew Pontillo, Christopher McCormack, and Joseph Veneziano, all former high-ranking employees of the NYPD, have come forward with these allegations. The time these individuals dedicated to their posts within the NYPD ranges from three to four decades.
These lawsuits were each filed separately in the Manhattan state Supreme Courton a recent Monday. The charges listed are not only against the NYPD and the City of New York, but also involve Mayor Adams personally, along with former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and ex-NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey. Pontillo’s lawsuit further implicates current NYPD Chief of Department John Chell, while McCormack’s suit also names Philip Banks III, who previously held the role of deputy mayor for public safety.
In the heart of the allegations, it’s claimed that all four of the ex-officers experienced pressure to resign their posts at the NYPD from Adams and his close social circle. This effort, they claim, was in service of Adams and his allies’ desire to choose their preferred candidates for promotions, disregarding the usual merit-based selection process, as per the allegations detailed in the court documents.
Veneziano was formerly a commanding officer of NYPD’s 120th Precinct as well as the head of the borough’s detective bureau. According to his lawsuit, he was unjustly moved from his high stature, a move he claims was in retaliation due to his part in investigating Maddrey. This investigation spotlighted Maddrey and people within his circle who were close to both Adams and Caban.
Until July of 2023, Veneziano assumed his role within the Internal Affairs Bureau of the NYPD, where he was tasked with overseeing probes into allegations of corruption and misconduct within the department. Despite his duties involving the investigations of fellow NYPD personnel, Veneziano was covered by civil service protections, due to previously passing the related examination, making it unlawful for him to be dismissed without due process.
Nevertheless, despite his protection, Veneziano alleges that Maddrey responded to his investigations with a punitive transfer. He claims that he was moved to the Transit Bureau, deemed less prestigious by Veneziano. This sudden shift was imposed without notice, leaving him with a role in which he essentially had nothing to do. Additionally, according to court papers, this placement offered him no potential for career progression.
Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges, he was denied the office space appropriate to his rank and deliberately left out of high-echelon meetings he should have been included in based on his seniority. Veneziano, an official with 30 years of service, was left demoralised, described as feeling akin to being fired. His lawsuit recounts the scene of him sitting alone in an empty office, isolated from his high-ranking NYPD colleagues, unoccupied and without any possibility of future promotion.
In November of 2023, four months following the fallout over his transfer, Veneziano decided to leave his role at NYPD. Court documents further allege that Mayor Adams intentionally delayed an order intended to provide pay raises for NYPD officers in managerial roles. It’s claimed that the delay was designed to ensure that Adams had time to remove those criticising his administration and replace them with allies. Veneziano alleges that this move would have benefited him had it not been for his ‘forced resignation’.
Similar allegations can be found in the other lawsuits, where it’s claimed that these long-serving officers were coaxed into resigning or had the rank, and thus pay, noticeably decreased. The lawsuit involving Essig, for example, reveals his suspicion of a remarkable increase in unusual transfers of investigators within the Criminal Task Force Division of the NYPD after Maddrey’s promotion.
Essig, who was part of those supervising these transfers, alleges that he felt the standard transfer policy within the department wasn’t being respected and raised concerns directly to Caban. However, Caban allegedly brushed Essig’s worries aside and proceeded to promote friends, despite disregarding the usual procedures. Further harsh allegations from Essig are present in the court documents, implying that Caban offered promotions in exchange for payments amounting to as much as $15,000.
Despite being protected from dismissal without due process, Essig alleges that Caban and Maddrey managed to scheme a plan to oust him from his position. As per the lawsuit, in August of 2023, Essig was faced with an ultimatum from Caban, forcing him to choose between a major demotion to the rank of captain, resulting in a pay cut of between $40,000-$50,000 per annum, or quitting his post.
Choosing resignation over demotion, like Veneziano, Essig also left his position within the NYPD. Each of the four filings requests a trial by jury, and on the basis of alleged violation of New York Civil Service Law, seeks compensatory damages totalling $5 million.
The claims presented in the filings represent serious allegations against some of the highest figures within the administration. If any of the complaints results in a successful lawsuit, these cases can potentially carry significant implications for the police department and its administrative practices.
The post Former NYPD Officials File Lawsuits Alleging Forced Resignations appeared first on Real News Now.
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