He is among Adams’ most loyal aides but rarely appears alongside the mayor in public settings.
He is paid by the city’s semi-private economic development arm, but often focuses on public safety matters. Pearson - whose relationship with the mayor dates back decades to their simultaneous NYPD careers - occupies a singular and unusual role in the Adams administration: One of the most trusted aides to a mayor who does not trust easily, yet someone who operates nearly entirely in the shadows of City Hall.
