A former New York Police Department officer is suing the city and police officials claiming he was fired for his political beliefs and affiliation with Trump ally Roger Stone.
Salvatore Greco, a 14-year veteran of the NYPD, filed a federal lawsuit last week saying that the city violated his First Amendment rights and that he should be reinstated.
An investigation into his activities began in January 2021, with the department using subpoena powers to review his phone records, bank records and surveillance video at the Willard InterContinental hotel to prove he was in the area during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“Mr. Greco was in D.C. but not at the pro-Trump rally. He did not participate nor [is] charged with engaging in any violence,” said Eric Sanders, the lawyer representing Mr. Greco. “The abuse of the subpoena process is a persistent problem within the NYPD.”
The Justice Department’s website shows no arrest records for Mr. Greco related to the Jan. 6 riot following a pro-Trump rally where the former president contested the 2020 election results.
According to Mr. Greco’s 20-page lawsuit, he was terminated in August, with officials saying his continued service “would be corrosive to the mission and values of this Department.”
A spokesperson for the NYPD said the agency declines to comment on pending litigation.
The probe into Mr. Greco’s political activities began when the department’s internal command center received an anonymous letter, reading: “To whom it may concern — I am writing to the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau about the D.C. take-over. PO Salvatore Greco CTTF, and […], attended the riot at Capitol hill. These officers want to have a civil war in America.”
The NYPD’s internal investigation resulted in records and photos of Mr. Greco being uncovered, showing he has affiliations with former Trump adviser Roger Stone, the far-right extremist group Proud Boys and Kristin M. Davis, formerly known as the “Manhattan Madam.”
“The action taken against me has cost me my reputation, my job, and my life savings,” said Mr. Greco, according to CBS affiliate WKBN.
The lawsuit was filed Aug. 28 in the Eastern District of New York. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Frederic Block, a Clinton appointee.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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