Edward Caban: New York City police chief resigns as investigation rocks mayor's inner circle

CNN
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New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban has resigned, he said in a statement on Thursday. This is the first high-profile resignation from Mayor Eric Adams' administration since the start of four independent federal investigations into his office and the NYPD.

Adams appointed a former FBI official as interim commissioner.

Caban's departure came days after it was first reported that investigators from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York had seized his electronic devices and phones.

The investigation involves Caban's brother and police at nightclubs in New York City, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN. Details of the investigation are still unclear.

Several other of the mayor's employees are currently being investigated by U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.

In a statement Thursday, Caban said, “News of recent developments has distracted our department and I am unwilling to focus my attention on anything other than our important work or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD.”

“I have tremendous respect and gratitude for the brave officers who serve this department, and the NYPD deserves someone who can focus solely on protecting and serving New York City. That is why – for the good of this city and this department – I have made the difficult decision to resign as Chief of Police.”

Caban's lawyers said in a statement Thursday that they had been told he was not under investigation.

“Commissioner Caban is an accomplished public servant who has dedicated his life to the safety of the people of this great city and has an unwavering respect for the women and men of the New York Police Department. We have been informed by the government that he is not the subject of any investigation by the Southern District of New York and that he intends to cooperate fully with the government,” Russell Capone and Rebekah Donaleski wrote in a statement.

Caban's expected departure marks a profound restructuring in the highest ranks of the Adams administration.

Caban, the son of Puerto Rican parents, served as police chief for 13 months and made history as the NYPD's first Latino officer. He has been with the NYPD for 32 years.

Caban is not the only police commissioner to serve a brief term under Adams: Keechant Sewell resigned after 18 months amid a power struggle for her control of the department and City Hall.

Adams appointed Tom Donlon, a former FBI official, as interim chief of the NYPD after noting Caban's resignation.

“I recently accepted the resignation of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban,” Adams said at a press conference on Thursday, adding that it was “the best decision at this time.”

“I respect his decision and wish him all the best,” Adams said.

Donlon is a former intelligence official who served as director of the New York Department of Homeland Security, headed the FBI's National Threat Center, and headed the FBI-New York Police Department's joint terrorism task force.

“I am honored and humbled to be appointed interim commissioner of the New York City Police Department, the largest law enforcement agency in the world,” Donlon said in a statement Thursday.

“My goals are clear: to continue the historic progress in reducing crime and eliminating illegal guns from our communities, to uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency, and to support our dedicated officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe,” Donlon said.

Federal investigators also seized electronic devices last week from the homes of several high-ranking government officials, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks III, Schools Chancellor David Banks and Tim Pearson, a former police inspector who serves as a special adviser to the mayor. Subpoenas were also issued for the phones of three lower-ranking police officials, sources familiar with the investigation say.

Earlier this year, the FBI also raided the homes of Winnie Greco, a key associate of Adams, as part of a separate investigation by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI declined to comment.

Two days before Caban's resignation, Adams refrained from publicly supporting his controversial commissioner and repeatedly stressed that he was confident that the NYPD was capable of doing its job despite the federal investigation.

Adams repeatedly evaded the question when asked whether he wanted Caban to resign or whether he had asked him to do so.

The NYPD has stated that it is aware of the investigation and is cooperating with federal authorities.

Neither Adams nor his associates have been accused of wrongdoing. Adams has repeatedly said he is cooperating with the federal government's investigation.

This story has been updated with additional information.