NYC mayor finally revealed to be paying his buddy $242,000 to be ‘senior advisor’

A retired police inspector who is a close confidant of New York City Mayor Eric Adams is paid more than $242,000 by the city, making him one of its highest paid employees.

Timothy Pearson was placed on the payroll of the city’s economic development company by Adams on May 31, while retaining his previous job as chief of security at the city’s only casino.

In addition to holding the concurrent positions, he is also competing for one of three newly available full casino licenses, which would allow it to expand from electronic games to a full-service casino.

Adams has previously refused to disclose Pearson’s city salary – which is typically public information – but figures obtained by the New York Times revealed that he only earns a few hundred dollars under the CEO of the company.

The economic development company’s president and chief executive officer Andrew Kimball, who previously declined to answer questions about Pearson’s salary, earns $243,170 while Pearson earns $242,600.

The organization’s chief operating officer, Melissa Burch, who has nearly 20 years of experience, earns $212,000, according to the data.

Adams earns about $258,000 a year as a mayor, while deputy mayors earn $252,000 in his administration.

Adams (center) has previously refused to disclose the city salary of Pearson (second from left of Adams), which is typically public information

Pearson (second from left) retired from the New York Police Department in 2011 and was a close confidant of Adams when they worked together there

In August, it was revealed that Pearson, who had retired from the New York Police Department in 2011, simultaneously worked for the city, a private casino company, and was collecting his police pension.

It is illegal under state law for city officials to receive a city salary and a city pension at the same time.

However, Pearson was able to collect both his salary and his $124,000 annual police pension because he is on the payroll of the Development Company, a nonprofit organization controlled by the mayor.

A spokesman for the mayor, Fabien Levy, told the New York Times that Pearson’s decades of public safety experience “make him uniquely qualified” for his city job.

City officials say his title is “senior advisor to the mayor on public safety and Covid recovery,” and his responsibilities include working with law enforcement, advising the mayor on Covid recovery, liaising with industry and working on a plan to keep city schools open.

Adams’s hiring practices have come under fire from government watchdog groups, with John Kaehny, the executive director of Reinvent Albany, a good governance group saying his behavior is a “mockery.”

“What the mayor is doing is making fun of hiring staff based on professional qualifications and expertise,” he said.

“This is patronage and favoritism, and it undermines the professionalism of the city government.”

Adams’ hiring practices have come under fire from government watchdog groups, some calling it a ‘mockery’

In August, it was revealed that Pearson had been working for the city at the same time, collecting a private casino company and his police pension.

The now former employer of Resorts World Casino is competing for one of three newly available full casino licenses

Pearson served in the police force with the mayor and is one of Adams’ closest confidants.

One of the records obtained by the New York Times was a handwritten request from Pearson to get a second job. The request was dated June 1, the day after he started his city job.

The Economic Development Corporation approved Pearson’s request on July 28 on the condition that he would not use the city’s time or resources on his casino job or disclose confidential information.

In the request to keep the casino job, Pearson estimated that he was making $100 an hour and said he would work there mostly nights and weekends.

He did not specify whether he received an annual salary or an hourly basis.