Local politicians on Friday called for the removal of Police Commissioner Edward Caban. Federal authorities raided his home earlier this week.
But Mayor Eric Adams is sticking with his handpicked top cop, at least for now, and has hired a celebrity lawyer to represent the administration, including Caban, against any potential legal troubles, The Post has learned.
Alex Spiro, an attorney at the Los Angeles-based Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan law firm, once Referenced by The New Yorker He is a man who “puts the rich and famous above the law” and who has an illustrious client list, including Elon Musk, Jay-Z, Megan Thee Stallion, and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
It's still unclear what charges Spiro will fight — despite federal raids on the homes of Cabán and other top Adams administration officials, no one has yet been charged or indicted for a crime.
But some Democratic politicians who have called for punishment of those responsible — including Cabán — have insisted that the investigation, which sources said centers around widespread corruption and influence peddling, is a bad thing for New York City.
“Even the slightest hint of inappropriate behavior casts a dark shadow over the integrity of our police department,” City Councilman Bob Holden, a Queens Democrat, told The Post on Friday.
“The magnitude of this issue is too great, too distracting, and for the good of both the department and the city, the police commissioner should resign.”
Councilman Lincoln Restler agreed, saying in a post on X that Caban “has to go.”
“I’m not in the habit of writing that — but the New York Post editorial board got it right,” the Brooklyn Democrat wrote. Referring to The Post's Thursday editorial He appealed to the Mayor to ask this person, who has been working in the police for a long time, to resign.
He added: “Police Commissioner Edward Caban must go.”
“The New York Police Department works closely with the FBI all day long to keep New Yorkers safe, and they can't do their job if their leader is a target of the FBI.”
Democratic activist and Source Communications CEO Ken Friedman reiterated those comments Friday.
“He should fall on his sword,” Friedman said of Cabán.
“It's not just a distraction. The yellow bow tie is a distraction. It's a paralyzing thing. It poisons the whole workforce.”
“It all trickles down,” he added. “I'm sure a lot of people are updating their resumes today … We knew something was going on, but we didn't know the extent of it.”
Federal authorities earlier this week raided Caban and other members of the nation's largest police force, as well as several people close to Adams, in a raid that has thrown the Big Apple's political world into turmoil.
In addition to Caban, federal officers also knocked on the door of the townhouse shared by Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks and Schools Chancellor David Banks and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, law enforcement sources said.
Authorities seized his electronic devices, the sources said — just as the phone of another top Adams aide, retired NYPD Inspector Timothy Pierson, was subpoenaed.
Caban's twin brother, former NYPD Sergeant James Caban, was also issued a search warrant and subpoena, sources said.
And NYPD Chief of Staff Raul Pintos and two precinct commanders in Manhattan and Queens have been asked to hand over their phones, with sources saying the investigation has expanded to include cops on the street.
The connection between the raid, the subpoena and the law enforcement operation remained unclear Friday. Federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York — who are also looking into Adams’ 2021 campaign in an unrelated investigation — are leading the charge, sources said.
But saving the administration will not be as easy as cutting off a rotting limb, a source close to the commissioner said.
“He can't leave – he's trapped,” the source said. “If he leaves, he damages Adams beyond imagination. If he leaves, it would be an admission of guilt.”
Others say it doesn’t matter — one Democratic activist said the raids were entirely “tectonic.”
“Caban has to go,” the operative said. “He spends hours every week coordinating with the FBI, it’s not a chore anymore.
“I can't imagine he'll be able to last.”
City Hall and the NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
