NYPD brass went into damage control over the weekend, fighting a two-front battle: the apparent federal investigation into Police Commissioner Edward Caban and his twin brother and the escalating breakdown in communications with local reporters.
But to make their case, the ranking NYPD members turned to a national right-wing news network often accused of peddling misinformation.
According to published reports, the Police Commissioner’s brother, 56-year-old James Caban, is at the heart of the ongoing investigation for allegedly using his influence to help brush noise and underage drinking complaints under the rug for several NYC nightclubs. The news came one day after a police insider reported to amNewYork Metro that Edward Caban gave his cell phone up to Southern District of New York investigators, who are also probing several of Mayor Eric Adams’ aides.
Meanwhile, tensions between the NYPD and local press have reached a boiling point. Police sources and local outlets confirmed that on Thursday, officials escorted reporters for the New York Post and New York Times out of their offices at One Police Plaza. The NYPD charged that both reporters violated policy by allegedly bypassing the department’s press office to contact ranking members via police unions.
While cops in the know say this was a breach of an agreement with reporters, some press members believe it was retaliation for what the department considers to be unfavorable reporting.
“It’s disrespectful and it is retaliation,” said one reporter, who did not want to be identified for this story.
With negative headlines piling up, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell and Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry turned to Newsmax on Friday to push back against the ongoing investigation — going as far as to call some of the ongoing reporting misinformation.
Newsmax, for its part, has often been criticized for promoting misinformation, particularly about the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. In April 2021, it issued an on-air retraction over its reporting on Dominion Voting Systems and false allegations that they were manipulated.
During Friday’s appearance on Newsmax, Chief Chell insisted that the department has fully cooperated with federal investigators and will continue to do so.
“We are aware of the investigation by Southern District of members of our department and we’re going to cooperate fully and let the process play out,” Chief Chell said. “We keep hearing raids but there were no raids by any members of our department. “They requested cellphones, and they were given over.”
One retired NYPD member, who also requested not to be identified for this story, told amNewYork Metro that the souring between press and police first came when several high-ranking officials began using their platform to become vocal and criticize reporters online. The retired cop said that it became a “joke” and made the department “look bad.”
Other sources, however, say they were simply following orders from others.
