Bernard Kerik, who served as New York City’s police commissioner during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, died Thursday, May 29, at age 69 following what FBI Director Kash Patel described as a private battle with illness.
The New York Police Department confirmed Kerik’s death on social media Thursday evening. Mayor Eric Adams indicated he visited Kerik at the hospital on the day of his passing, stating that Kerik was with his loved ones and describing him as a great New Yorker and American.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who appointed Kerik as police commissioner in 2000, became emotional while reflecting on their long relationship during his show Thursday. Giuliani characterized Kerik as being like a brother to him and expressed that he was a better and braver man for having known him. The two had been close since Kerik served as Giuliani’s bodyguard during his 1993 mayoral campaign.
Kerik held the position of police commissioner for 16 months and was on the ground at the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks, helping facilitate the building’s evacuation. His leadership during the crisis earned him widespread praise and numerous honors, establishing him as one of the day’s heroes. Patel noted that Kerik received more than 100 honors in recognition of his bravery, valor, and dedicated service.
Following his service during 9/11, Kerik was tapped by President George W. Bush in 2003 to help organize Iraq’s police force. In 2004, Bush nominated him to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. However, Kerik abruptly withdrew his nomination one week later, citing his employment of an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper and nanny, along with his failure to pay payroll taxes.
Kerik’s withdrawal from the nomination triggered investigations that revealed additional improprieties. Authorities discovered he had received over $250,000 in apartment renovations from a construction firm that allegedly had ties to organized crime and was counting on Kerik to convince New York officials it had no such connections. The investigations also revealed that Kerik had conducted an extramarital affair in an apartment meant for rescue workers at the World Trade Center site.
In 2009, Kerik admitted to committing eight felony offenses, including tax evasion and providing false information to federal authorities. The charges stemmed partially from the apartment renovations and other financial improprieties. During his sentencing, the judge noted that he committed some of the crimes while serving as the chief law enforcement officer for the nation’s biggest and grandest city.
Kerik was sentenced to four years in federal prison and served three years before his release in 2013. His fall from grace was so complete that a city jail previously named after him was renamed. In 2015, he published a memoir titled “From Jailer to Jailed,” reflecting on his experiences.
President Donald Trump granted Kerik a full pardon in February 2020 during a clemency initiative. Following his pardon, Kerik became a staunch Trump supporter and worked alongside Giuliani in efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election. He provided thousands of pages of documents to federal investigators examining the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Kerik’s law enforcement career began in the late 1980s when he joined the NYPD. Prior to that, he had grown up in Paterson, New Jersey, where he dropped out of Eastside High School. He subsequently joined the Army and served as a military policeman stationed in South Korea. After his military service, he worked in private security in Saudi Arabia before returning to the United States to supervise a jail in New Jersey.
During the 1990s, Kerik was selected to run New York’s troubled jail system, including the notorious Rikers Island complex. In 2005, he founded the Kerik Group, a crisis and risk management consulting firm.
Patel highlighted that Kerik’s legacy is defined not just by the honors and awards he received but by the lives he saved, the city he helped rebuild, and the nation he served with distinction. He is survived by his wife, a son, and two daughters.