New York Note: Ex-NYPD Sues City, City Legislation, State Overtime Costs, International Affairs Commissioner

July 21, 2025

Ex-NYPD Official Sues Mayor

Former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Tom Donlon has filed a federal lawsuit against Mayor Eric Adams, senior NYPD leaders, and City Hall. Donlon briefly served as Interim NYPD Commissioner for two months in 2024, before working in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety until this past May. In the suit , Donlon claims that he tried to establish oversight into NYPD corruption, and City Hall retaliated against him. City officials have denied the allegations and called the suit unfounded.

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NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation

Last Monday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced legislation. The Council passed a legislative package related to third-party delivery workers, requiring that they are paid at the same rate as restaurant delivery workers, paid within seven days of the pay period ending, and paid for logging onto the app regardless of activity. A bill was also passed requiring NYC EDC to prepare community impact reports for economic development projects receiving $4M or more in city subsidies. The Council also introduced legislation prohibiting the wrongful deactivation of app-based delivery workers, and requiring DCLA to establish a citywide campaign promoting arts and cultural institutions in each borough. You can find all of the bills that were passed and introduced here.

State Overtime Costs Rose 10% in 2024

According to a report by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli New York State spent over $1.3 billion on employee overtime in 2024, marking a 10.3% increase from the previous year. The number of overtime hours increased by 7.8%, or 1.8 million hours from 2023. The Department of Corrections, the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and the Office of Mental Health accounted for the largest share of overtime hours. The report noted persistent staffing shortages and emphasized the need for better workforce planning. In 2024, total state payroll costs were $21B.

Adams Appoints Aissata M.B. Camara as Commissioner of International Affairs

Last Thursday, Mayor Adams appointed Aissata M.B. Camara as the next Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs. Camara most recently served as Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff, and has worked in the Office for nearly a decade. She succeeds Edward Mermelstein, who Adams appointed in 2022.

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