Jeffrey Maddrey denies accusations of harassment, approving excessive overtime
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Former NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey had a brief, consensual relationship with a "self-professed swinger" lieutenant who is now under internal investigation for her whopping overtime, according to Maddrey's attorney.
The former chief appeared at a press conference Friday afternoon with his attorney Lambros Lambrou, but did not speak himself.
Lt. Quathisha Epps accused Maddrey of sexually harassing her in exchange for the $200,000 in overtime, but Maddrey's attorney denied there was any quid pro quo.
The public legal battle started with a discrimination complaint lodged by Epps last Friday claiming Maddrey coerced her into "performing unwanted sexual favors in exchange for overtime opportunities."
When she rejected his advances, the complaint states he "retaliated against her to falsely portray her as an abuser of overtime."
"Lieutenant Epps got caught with her hand in the cookie jar and is trying to deflect her wrongdoing by making these allegations," Lambrou said.
Maddrey "never approves, assigns or gives overtime," his attorney said, explaining the process for putting in for overtime.
An internal investigation into Epps' exorbitant $200,000 in overtime last year resulted in her suspension from the NYPD.
Maddrey's lawyer says the claim that he could even have granted overtime is fundamentally false and displayed overtime paperwork to prove his point.
"That slip has to be signed by a supervisor. That supervisor is never a Chief," Lambrou said.
The attorney noted that last year, more than 415 NYPD employees made more than $100,000 in overtime.
"Lots of people in the chief of department's office made overtime because they legitimately worked it," Lambrou said. "If there is an issue with how that is billed or approved, that is not Jeff's responsibility."
Lambrou said Epps "is trying to deflect her wrongdoing by making these allegations against Maddrey in the hopes that she'll get away with part or all of her scheme."
He called Epps a "self-professed swinger" who flooded Maddrey with "text messages, photographs, videos, phone records and x-rated and racy videos and photographs... we have all this evidence because she sent it to Chief Maddrey in her attempts to have him begin a relationship with her."
Lambrou said Maddrey is now a practicing attorney after completing his law degree while in the NYPD.
"He's going to take the gloves off and fight for his good name going forward," he said.
The attorney denied a newspaper report Friday that Maddrey fled to a relative's home in Georgia -- noting the former chief was standing next to him in Lower Manhattan.
Meanwhile, an attorney for Epps responded to Maddrey's presser on Friday, by calling him a "clown," and saying they have a "treasure trove of digital data that will hopefully bring" Maddrey "to justice."
Federal and state prosecutors have various ongoing investigations into the NYPD and Maddrey, respectively, and the New York City's Department of Investigation is looking into the overtime disbursement.
Maddrey's attorney said the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has not contacted his office.
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