Reports and accusations of controversy, misconduct, and abuse of power continue to follow current and past members of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.
On Thursday, February 20, 2025, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber issued a report following an investigation of Timothy Pearson, a former New York Police Department (NYPD) investigator previously tasked with leading the Mayor’s Office of Municipal Services Assessment. Strauber and the DOI investigated Pearson’s visit to the Touro College “Respite Center” in 2023. Ultimately, they determined he “refused to show identification to security staff at the facility’s entrance and then became physically aggressive with two security staff members.”
“It should go without saying that Senior City officials, like all City employees, must follow City rules, conduct themselves professionally, and treat others with courtesy and respect,” Strauber said. “As relevant here, City rules require that all visitors to migrant shelters show identification to be granted entry, a common-sense measure intended to keep residents and staff safe. But Timothy Pearson, the Mayor’s former Senior Advisor for Public Safety, became verbally abusive and physically aggressive when asked to provide his identification at the entrance to the Touro shelter, and used physical force against staff who tried to prevent him from entering without it. His conduct, as evidenced by witness statements and Body Worn Camera footage that DOI reviewed, fell far below our most basic expectations for public servants.”
Diane Struzzi, a spokesperson for the DOI, told THE CITY that the department plans to send the report to District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office. If Bragg’s office elects to take further action, Struzzi says the DOI will assist with those efforts.
The DOI’s report is a significant development in a story that has unfolded over the last 16 months. On October 17, 2023, Pearson attempted to enter the Touro College “Respite Center” in Manhattan. Upon entering, Pearson reportedly claimed he identified himself as a government official and had his shield displayed on his belt. In contrast, the Office of Emergency Management gathered statements from witnesses who say a “stranger” attempted to enter the building without identifying himself and telling staff to get “the f—k out of the way.”
Conflicting accounts of what took place mirrored conflicting reports within mass media. At the time of Pearson’s clash with security guards at the migrant shelter, initial reports indicated Pearson was the victim of the security guard’s aggression, and the security guards were arrested. In fact, City Hall and law enforcement sources told the New York Post that Pearson was “accosted.” A “police source” told the New York Daily News, “This is what happens when someone like this guard decides to exceed their authority and want to act like thugs instead of people who want to work for the city.” However, further reporting from THE CITY found that eyewitnesses had a different account of what took place.
“As [a security guard] cr[ied] out, ‘get your hands off of me.’ He continue[d] to assault her. He started to push everyone standing near him,” a security guard recalled.
“The man push[ed] [her], and she started to push back at him, resulting in a struggle against each other,” an operations manager added.
This is not the first time that Pearson has found himself in hot water. In March, he was sued for allegedly sexually harassing and sabotaging the career of former NYPD sergeant Roxanne Ludemann. In September, Pearson resigned as federal prosecutors charged Mayor Eric Adams with bribery, campaign finance, and conspiracy offenses.
