Tim Pearson, aide to Mayor Eric Adams, resigns
NEW YORK (PIX11) – Tim Pearson, one of Mayor Eric Adams’ closest aides, has resigned.
Pearson’s resignation is effective Oct. 4. He submitted his resignation Monday evening, weeks after federal agents seized cellphones, documents and cash from his Long Island home, said his attorney, Hugh H. Mo.
“A lot of allegations have been swirling in the media for months,” Mo said. “There are no merits to these allegations."
Pearson has not been publicly accused of wrongdoing by prosecutors or charged with a crime.
Pearson, a retired police inspector who served in the department alongside Adams, had a broad role that included overseeing contracts and security at migrant shelters while also maintaining significant influence over the police department.
“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,” Adams said in a statement.
Pearson has previously 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 a brawl at migrant shelter last fall, where he was accused of physically attacking security guards, is currently being probed by the city’s Department of Investigation. And he faces multiple lawsuits accusing him of sexually harassing female subordinates while leading a new unit created by Adams to monitor other city agencies.
Pearson's resignation is the latest within the Adams administration in the past month that includes the mayor's chief legal counsel, the NYPD commissioner, the health commissioner, and the chancellor of New York City’s public schools.
Pearson's resignation comes just days after Adams was indicted on federal criminal charges for allegedly accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources stemming from his 2021 mayoral campaign.
Adams pleaded not guilty to the charges in court on Friday. The mayor said he is innocent and does not plan to resign.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.