One of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' most trusted advisers is set to resign this week from the beleaguered administration that has already seen multiple high-level officials bail amid a myriad of investigations — and now criminal charges.
Tim Pearson, who among his wide-ranging responsibilities at City Hall had a significant role in approving contracts for the city’s migrant shelters, is set to step down, Adams said in a statement Monday evening. Pearson's resignation is effective Friday, Oct. 4.
"Tim has had a long career in both the public and private sectors, where he has spent over 30 years keeping New Yorkers safe. We appreciate Tim’s decades of service to this city and wish him well," a statement from Adams read.
Pearson's attorney, Hugh Mo, submitted the letter of resignation to the mayor's office around 6 p.m. Monday. The resignation was first reported by The New York Times.
An influential figure with little public presence, Pearson was one of the mayor’s most influential advisers. Even as he faced several lawsuits accusing him of sexual harassment and a city investigation over his role in a brawl at a migrant shelter, Pearson has retained the backing of the mayor, who he served with decades ago in the police department.
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Even before the federal scrutiny, Pearson had faced multiple scandals. While serving as an adviser to the mayor, he was also collecting a paycheck as an executive at a casino seeking a state contract — an arrangement that ended after it was revealed by The New York Times two years ago.
His role in the brawl at migrant shelter in Fall 2023, where he was accused of physically attacking security guards, is currently being probed by the city’s Department of Investigation.
Pearson was subject of a search on Sept. 4 where his phone and some papers were seized by investigators, his lawyer confirmed. It was not clear what aspect of his work might be under scrutiny by the subpoenas. Pearson has not spoken publicly since the searches.
Mo said that he is representing Pearson in the ongoing criminal investigation.
“None of these allegations are supported by facts," said Mo. "We are confident at the end of the day there are no merits to these allegations. Mr. Pearson denies all allegations of misconduct."
He has not been publicly accused of wrongdoing by prosecutors or charged with a crime.
On Sept. 20, the city director of Asylum Seeker Operations, Molly Schaeffer, who worked closely with Pearson, received a subpoena to testify in front of a grand jury. Unlike other aides, her devices were not seized by federal agents.
Jennifer Beidel, a former assistant U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, said a subpoena to testify typically means an investigation has progressed to the point where prosecutors are providing the grand jury with evidence they would need to decide whether to indict someone.
When asked last week whether the absence of another top administration official, chief adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin, from City Hall was a result of a disagreement over the mayor's loyalty to Pearson, Mayor Adams denied it, saying Lewis-Martin was on a "long deserved vacation."
When Lewis-Martin returned from that trip and landed at JFK Airport on Friday, she was approached by investigators from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office who presented her with a warrant and seized her phones, sources told NBC New York.
After exiting the airport, sources said Lewis-Martin was stopped a second time, this time by investigators from the Southern District of New York, who handed her a federal subpoena. Investigators had also searched Lewis-Martin's home on Friday. Sources said her family members were present during the search.
On top of the case against Adams, federal prosecutors are believed to be leading separate ongoing investigations into several top city officials with deep ties to the mayor. The drumbeat of searches and subpoenas in recent weeks has prompted the resignation of the city’s police commissioner and schools chancellor, along with some calls for the mayor to resign.
Jake Offenhartz of the Associated Press contributed to this report.
