Federal authorities searched the homes of New York City’s newly named interim police commissioner and seized materials unrelated to his police work, he said.
The unexplained and unexpected search comes as the administration of Mayor Eric Adams reels from other federal law enforcement investigations.
Thomas Donlon, who became the interim commissioner just one week ago after the resignation of his predecessor, issued a statement late Saturday through the police department.
“On Friday, September 20, federal authorities executed search warrants at my residences. They took materials that came into my possession approximately 20 years ago and are unrelated to my work with the New York City Police Department,” the statement said.
“This is not a department matter, and the department will not be commenting,” he added.
Federal prosecutors have issued another subpoena to a high-ranking member of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration. The subpoena was sent by federal investigators to a manager in the mayor’s office who has a window into the city’s vast world of lucrative migrant contracts. NBC New York’s Melissa Russo reports.
The statement did not address what the investigation was about, which federal authorities were involved or what materials had been seized.
Fabien Levy, the city’s deputy mayor for communications, said: “As we have repeatedly said, we expect all team members to fully comply with any law enforcement inquiry.”
Just a week ago, the previous police commissioner, Edward Caban, resigned after federal authorities seized his electronic devices as part of an investigation that also involved his brother, a former police officer.
Federal agents also have seized phones in recent weeks from the head of the city’s public schools, a top deputy mayor, Adams’ top public safety adviser and others. Previously, investigators searched homes connected to Adams’ top campaign fundraiser and the Democrat’s Asian affairs director.
Last autumn, federal agents also seized Adams’ phone as he left an event.
Charges have not been brought in connection with any of those searches, and it was unclear whether there was any connection to the search involving Donlon, who wasn’t part of the Adams administration until a few days ago.
A Brooklyn bar owner tells the News 4 I-Team he was told his problems with NYPD over noise complaints could go away if he paid a fee to former Police Commissioner Edward Caban’s brother. News 4’s Jonathan Dienst reports.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment. An email seeking comment from a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney in Manhattan was not immediately returned. A text sent to Adams’ top spokesperson late Saturday night also wasn’t immediately returned.
Donlon spent decades with the FBI, where he worked on terrorism cases including the investigation into the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and a 2000 attack on a U.S. Navy destroyer.
Roughly 20 years ago he was a top counterterrorism official for the FBI in New York.
From 2009 to 2010, Donlon led New York state’s Office of Homeland Security before going into the private sector security industry.
Adams appointed Donlon as his commissioner last week and he assumed the post on Sept. 13, one week ago Friday.
The choice of an outsider with a long career in federal law enforcement — but no history of working with the NYPD — appeared at the time to be a potentially stabilizing move for the police department after Caban’s resignation.
Caban and his brother, James Caban, who runs a nightlife security business, had both denied any wrongdoing through their lawyers.
Through it all, Adams, who is in his first term, has said he won’t be distracted by the investigations and will continue to serve the city.
