By Jack Stern
New York City’s disgruntled Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry interviewed for the FBI’s Deputy Director position left vacant by Dan Bongino’s departure, according to multiple sources close to the situation. The news comes with Daughtry’s imminent departure looming as the Mamdani administration is set to take over City Hall in eight days.
Bongino’s tumultuous exit came after just nine months on the job, leaving the Trump administration to seek a long term replacement. Daughtry, who has cozied up to many political bigwigs (including President Trump himself), gained attention for his perceived technological saviness and platform on social media.
In the last four years, he’s been promoted four times – including his most recent bump up from a civilian role in the NYPD to a newly created citywide post – by Mayor Eric Adams back in March. However, despite a fast rise through the ranks into a top level position, Daughtry’s track record and work history comes with numerous red flags when it comes to making a federal appointment.
An internal departmental investigation in 2021 found Daughtry guilty of making misleading and inaccurate statements. In a separate case, he was charged with two counts of abuse of force for wrongfully drawing his firearm. Daughtry’s mentor, former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, was also forced to resign a year ago amidst corruption and sexual assault allegations leaving question about the pairs association.
An even bigger red flag lies in the fact that Daughtry is on the Brady List – reserved for officers with a history of misconduct – which can be used to discredit claims in the court of law. Such a provision for employment, would detract from his credibility during not only legal proceedings, but also when delivering public statements regarding the state of an active investigation.
Given the administration’s need for a credible, stabilizing force in the role, even considering someone with a troubled past is the wrong decision. Just think about the negative publicity and pushback they’d receive should an investigation go south. Hiring someone with Daughtry’s troubled past wouldn’t just be resume negligence – it’d be a recklessly irresponsible decision that undermined Americans’ safety.
As Daughtry plans his next move following an unceremonious dismissal, it’s clear that he’s looking for the next chance to fail upward.