Taxpayers on Hook for $300K So Far in Adams Aide Misconduct Suits
Taxpayers are now facing a bill topping $300,000 for private lawyers hired to handle four lawsuits accusing Timothy Pearson, a former top aide to Mayor Eric Adams, of sexually harassing a female employee and then retaliating against other staff who complained about his behavior.
The law firm hired by the city Corporation Counsel to handle these cases, Wilson Elser, has submitted invoices to the city Law Department seeking $336,000 for services rendered through last week. Of that, $86,000 has been paid while the rest is "under review," a spokesperson for the Law Department told THE CITY.
The bills come as a result of what is reported to have been Adams’ personal decision to have the city foot Pearson’s legal bills in the four lawsuits, overruling the city’s former corporation counsel, who promptly resigned.
Attorneys for Witnesses
Pearson is the defendant at the heart of four lawsuits, all of which allege that in his role as a powerful mayoral aide, he harassed NYPD Sgt. Roxanne Ludemann, an aide in the Municipal Services Assessment, an ad hoc agency Pearson ran that monitored city contracts for waste and fraud.
The defendants Wilson Elser represents include Pearson, five current or former top brass in the NYPD, the city Economic Development Corporation, which employed Pearson, and the City of New York.
The city is also paying the law firm to represent potential witnesses in the case, including former counsel Brendan McGuire and the former director of the Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance, Marjorie Landa. Ludemann alleges in her lawsuit that she reported her disturbing interactions with Pearson to Landa, who told her subsequently she’d informed McGuire about her situation. Ludemann says she then received no further response from either of them.
Misconduct Suits
Lawyer Lisa Zornberg attends a City Hall press conference announcing her role as chief counsel to Mayor Eric Adams, July 26, 2023. Credit: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
The city-hired lawyers are not representing Pearson in the lawsuit filed by the two security guards DOI found Pearson assaulted. During the visit, DOI found, Pearson refused to provide ID requested by the guards, shoved both of them, and then falsely claimed they’d accosted him to get them arrested.
Councilor Lincoln Restler
Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) has repeatedly assailed the decision to have the city pay, arguing that paying for Pearson’s lawyers in the sex harassment cases goes against the rule barring the city from representing city workers if the conduct they’re accused of violates the rules and regulations all city workers must adhere to.
"We all know that Tim Pearson received a taxpayer-funded attorney because of his close friendship with Eric Adams," Restler told THE CITY. "The Law Department should revisit this decision immediately because Tim Pearson should never have received a taxpayer-funded attorney in the first place. He has egregiously violated city rules and conducted himself in indefensible ways. He deserves no taxpayer-funded representation."
Conclusion
In conclusion, the city’s decision to foot the bill for Pearson’s legal defense in the four lawsuits has raised concerns about the use of taxpayer funds to defend an employee accused of misconduct. The situation has also sparked questions about the mayor’s role in the matter and the potential conflicts of interest involved.
FAQs
Q: Why did the city decide to pay for Pearson’s legal defense?
A: The city’s former corporation counsel, who promptly resigned, initially opposed the decision, but Mayor Adams overruled them.
Q: Is the city’s decision to pay for Pearson’s defense legal?
A: The decision has come under fire from critics who argue that it violates the city’s rules and regulations.
Q: What is the current status of the investigations into Pearson’s conduct?
A: The FBI and DOI are still investigating Pearson in connection with the altercations at the migrant shelter and the alleged procurement corruption.
