Eric Adams's aide Tim Pearson hit with third lawsuit claiming he ‘bragged’ about power to 'punish NYPD’
NEW YORK CITY: A top aide to Mayor Eric Adams has been hit with a third lawsuit, this time alleging that he “liked to brag about his power and his ability to punish NYPD officers.”
The lawsuit, filed by NYPD Lt George Huang on Thursday at the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, claims that aide Tim Pearson would boast to staffers about how he “took care of” cops who crossed him.
“Each of defendant Pearson’s stories were meant to intimidate the staff and communicate how powerful he was,” the court filing states, accusing the city of allowing retaliation and creating a hostile work environment against Huang.
The lawsuit also names NYPD’s Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey and Deputy Inspector at Internal Affairs Bureau Joseph Profeta as defendants.
Third lawsuit against Tim Pearson alleges intimidation and retaliation
Huang is the third officer to file a case against Pearson alleging misconduct while working as the mayor's aide. In April, former cop Roxanne Ludemann filed a stomach-churning sexual harassment case against Pearson, claiming he made advances toward her at a December 2022 office party and sabotaged her career when she rebuffed him.
A month later, retired Sgt Michael Ferrari sued Pearson, alleging that after he supported Ludemann’s claims, Pearson engineered his transfer to a dead-end job in Queens, which forced him to retire.
In the latest case, Huang claims he was sidelined after corroborating accusations of sexual harassment against Pearson.
The lawsuit alleges that Huang was moved to a midnight shift and “denied types of overtime” while he and his wife grieved the loss of their seven-year-old daughter.
“[Huang confided] in his Commanding Officer that he and his wife had lost their daughter in 2022 and that he was concerned that his wife may harm herself if left alone overnights,” the suit states.
Despite this, Huang remained on the midnight tour due to “his complaints of and objections to sexual harassment,” the suit added, per New York Post.
Allegations and investigations surrounding Eric Adam's aide Tim Pearson
The court filing also reveals that Huang was allegedly yelled at by Profeta, who “aggressively pounded on a desk with his fist” to intimidate him into changing his testimony about the alleged sexual harassment. The documents further claim that the FBI has been conducting interviews about Pearson.
The FBI allegedly visited Huang’s home in February with an NYPD minder, asking if he’d worked with Pearson. Huang confirmed he had but declined to provide further details for fear of retaliation, the suit claims.
The accusations stem from when Huang, Ferrari, and Ludemann worked at the Municipal Services Assessment Unit (MSA) — a unit designed to improve local agency efficiency. Initially overseen by Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, the MSA came under Pearson's leadership in October 2022.
“All three lawsuits have been filed by the same attorney and provided to the same reporter ahead of even filing. We will review the lawsuit,” a spokesperson stated. The NYPD added they would “review the lawsuit if and when we are served.”
