Federal agents seized materials from the home of new NYPD interim commissioner Tom Donlon on Friday, less than two weeks after New York City’s previous police commissioner resigned.
Donlon confirmed Saturday night that the FBI searched his Upper East Side home a day earlier. Two sources familiar with the investigation told NBC New York that materials had been seized as part of the search.
News 4 was told that the search appeared to be in relation to Donlon’s past work in national security, pre-dating his recent appointment atop the NYPD. One source said federal investigators were looking into whether he improperly stored any classified documents or sensitive materials at his home from when he served with the FBI and the state office of Homeland Security.
The search was not related to the other federal investigations into City Hall, past fundraising by Mayor Eric Adams, and the NYPD, sources said. No charges have been filed in connection to the search, and Donlon has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
In a statement, Donlon said that as part of Friday’s search warrants executed where he lives, the federal agents “took materials that came into my possession approximately 20 years ago and are unrelated to my work with the New York City Police Department.”
Donlon added that the search was “not a department matter, and the department will not be commenting.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Adams said that “As we have repeatedly said, we expect all team members to fully comply with any law enforcement inquiry.”
Spokespersons for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI and NYPD all declined to provide comments to NBC New York.
Donlon took over as police commissioner after the city’s previous top cop, Edward Caban, resigned on Sept. 12 after federal agents seized his cellphone in the midst of an ongoing federal investigation. Caban has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
This is a developing story.
