Former interim New York Police Department Commissioner Thomas Donlon on Monday announced his intent to file a lawsuit against New York City Mayor Eric Adams for defamation after the mayor questioned Donlon's mental health, the New York Post reports.
Donlon, who served as interim NYPD commissioner under Adams for just three months in 2024, filed a notice of claim after Adams said during a meeting last Thursday with a nonprofit business advocacy group that Donlon was "rapidly deteriorating mentally" prior to his dismissal last year.
The lawsuit also names former NYPD spokesperson Tarik Sheppard, who told reporters that Donlon was "going through some cognitive issues" and thought that "there was this conspiracy against him."
Donlon's attorney, John Scola, called these remarks "public character assassination."
He added, "This wasn't spin. It was a deliberate and defamatory attack — weaponizing mental health to silence a whistleblower and deflect from the criminal misconduct Donlon exposed."
Donlon claims that during his time as interim commissioner, he uncovered "systemic corruption" by close aides to the mayor and earlier this month filed a lawsuit accusing the NYPD of being "criminal at its core." Adams and Sheppard made their comments after Donlon filed the initial lawsuit.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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