Overview
- FBI Director Kash Patel announced Kerik’s death on X, and local reports cited cardiac disease as a possible cause after a private battle with illness.
- Appointed by Mayor Rudy Giuliani, he served as New York City’s 40th police commissioner during the September 11 attacks, coordinating the NYPD’s rescue and recovery efforts.
- In 2009, Kerik pleaded guilty to eight federal felonies, including tax fraud and false statements, and spent nearly three years in prison before his release in 2013.
- President Donald Trump granted him a full pardon in 2020, restoring his civil rights after the convictions.
- Across a four-decade career, he also led the city’s Department of Corrections, helped train Iraqi police after the 2003 invasion and drew tributes from figures such as Giuliani and Mayor Eric Adams.