Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez axes staffer who blew whistle on misconduct:suit

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A former special counsel to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez was axed because he blew “the whistle on blatant unconstitutional misconduct” by prosecutors in the office, he claims in a new lawsuit against his former boss.

Kamephis (Kam) Perez, who began his tenure with the Brooklyn DA in 2019 by advising Gonzalez on immigration issues, claims the DA fired him after he raised concerns that the office withheld exculpatory evidence from two defendants who wound up in prison.

One was convicted on charges of burglary as a sexually-motivated felony and attempted rape. The other was found guilty of menacing and attempted murder.

“When I ran across evidence within the Kings County DA that suggested there could be two innocent men sitting in prison, I reported it to my superiors because it was my moral and ethical obligation to do so. I was devastated to learn that action would cost me my job,” Perez told The Post.

Perez, 40, who immigrated to the US from the Dominican Republic as a child, previously worked as a lawyer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is a professional actor who has appeared in TV series The Blacklist (2013), By Any Means (2017), and Ramy (2019).

The lawsuit against Gonzalez, embattled top aide Maritza Ming, and other DA staffers was filed last week in Brooklyn federal court. It claims Perez was “blindsided” by the reason Ming gave for his dismissal: “inconsistencies in his time cards.” Perez was suspended and escorted from the building on May 24, 2022, and terminated on July 6. He denies any wrongdoing.

DA officials refused to specify any problems with Perez’s timesheets before firing him, but Ming and a colleague told Perez that the DA’s office “cannot retain an attorney who is billing the city for work they are not doing,” according to court papers.

Ming is also quoted in the suit as telling Perez that “falsifying business records with an intent to defraud is a Class-E felony — a crime that can lead to up to four years of imprisonment.”

One source with knowledge of the situation confirmed that Ming scrutinized Perez’s timekeeping records, but recalled no evidence of anything that should have raised concerns. Perez’s timesheets were always approved by his supervisor, he said.

“A multitude of factors contributed to the employee’s termination for cause. His allegations are without merit and will be addressed in court,” said Brooklyn DA spokeswoman Helen Peterson.

The Post reported last month that Ming herself neglected for years to submit her timesheets, thereby failing to account for her time off. This means she could have been getting paid for work while on vacation, and accruing time off. A DA spokesman has said her timesheets were reviewed and “any deficiencies will be corrected.”

Ming has submitted missing timesheets “in bulk,” sources said.

Peterson would not comment on “pending personnel matters.”

Whenever Ming wanted a pretext to fire someone, she ordered detective investigators to pull their entry card swipes, and then searched for any discrepancies in their monthly timesheets, DA insiders told The Post.

Perez’s lawsuit comes after former Brooklyn Assistant DA Joshua Zuckerman won an $85,000 settlement from the city. He alleged he was fired by Gonzalez in retaliation for criticizing the office’s COVID response team, led by Ming. His termination became a resignation.

“I’m troubled – but, unfortunately, not surprised – to hear that others within the office were also mistreated and retaliated against by the same executives,” Perez said. “Filing a lawsuit is always a last resort, but I hope this case will shed light on the desperate need for reform within the Brooklyn DA’s office.”

Ming — who the office says has been on an “approved leave,” although she continues to be paid — was warned repeatedly by the DA’s Human Resources division that her actions could get the agency sued, insiders told The Post.

“Oh, well, let them sue me,” she is quoted as replying, one said.