Former NYPD Chief Jeffrey Madeley is suing the city after being abruptly denied taxpayer-funded legal support for four lawsuits he faces.
His legal team filed a suit on Tuesday, claiming the Justice Department’s choice to stop covering his legal costs is a “politically motivated absurdity,” effectively calling it a harmful budget cut.
The city asserts that “newly obtained evidence” indicates Madeley is not entitled to these funds, yet his lawyer mentioned that he hasn’t yet seen any of this evidence.
When asked about the nature of this new evidence, Madrid City Attorney Lambros Y. Lambro responded in an email filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court, saying the city’s claims were lacking factual basis.
“We believe your initial decision was made in bad faith, and you continue to act in bad faith by ignoring our factual requests,” Lambreau expressed in a letter to lawyers from the Justice Department. “We anticipate that the court will review this politically charged decision.”
Previously, under Mayor Eric Adams, the city had agreed to cover Madeley’s legal expenses in connection with four civil lawsuits initiated against him in 2024.
The law firm Wilson Elser had initially been appointed to represent him. The lawsuits allege that Madeley engaged in actions like retaliation, workplace discrimination, and mishandling sexual harassment claims related to former police officer Timothy Pearson, a confidant of Adams.
Madeley’s complaint states that after paying for his legal fees for two years, the city, citing its “multi-billion dollar budget deficit,” changed its stance and declared him ineligible for free legal assistance.
In a March court filing, Stephen Banks, the new corporate legal director under Mayor Zoran Mamdani, indicated that investigators found “evidence” suggesting Madeley breached NYPD protocols and was dishonest during an inquiry concerning his eligibility for taxpayer-funded legal aid.
According to New York’s General Municipal Law, cities have the right to cease defending employees if they are found to have violated agency rules or failed to cooperate.
However, Madeley contends that he acted transparently and is seeking a court ruling to compel the city to disclose the evidence publicly, per the complaint.
A spokesperson for the Justice Ministry commented that “the Corporate Counsel stands by this decision and we will address the application as necessary.”
