Overview

• On July 21, Donlon filed a notice of intent to sue Mayor Eric Adams and former NYPD spokesman Tarik Sheppard for $10 million in damages, alleging they defamed him by questioning his mental fitness.
• Donlon says Adams privately told business leaders that he was “rapidly deteriorating mentally” and that Sheppard told reporters he was experiencing cognitive issues.
• The notice accuses them of making false, malicious statements to retaliate against Donlon after he filed a 251-page RICO lawsuit on July 16 charging the NYPD leadership with running a criminal enterprise.
• It argues there is no medical record or request for evaluation to support the mental fitness claims and notes that Donlon was appointed senior advisor for public safety immediately after his removal as commissioner.
• City Hall dismissed the defamation claim as frivolous and signaled it will defend the suit in court.