NEW YORK — Four high-ranking former New York City police officials are accusing Mayor Eric Adams and his top deputies of doling out promotions to unqualified allies as part of a scheme that also involved alleged cash bribes paid to the ex-police commissioner.
In separate lawsuits filed Monday, the former officials – including the NYPD’s one-time chief of detectives – described a culture of rampant corruption and cronyism atop the nation’s largest police department, which was rocked by overlapping federal investigations late last year.
Each of the plaintiffs says that, with Adams’ tacit approval, they were either demoted or forced into retirement after raising concerns about the practices, according to their lawsuits.
A spokesperson for Adams, who is currently running for reelection, said he would review the lawsuits, adding that all of the police department’s leaders are held to the “highest standards.”
Beginning in 2023, the suits allege that Chief