• Bernard Kerik, former NYPD commissioner during 9/11, died at 69 after a private battle with illness.
• He faced legal troubles post-9/11, including a conviction for tax fraud and a subsequent pardon from President Trump.
• Kerik was praised for his leadership during the 9/11 attacks but experienced a significant fall from grace afterwards.
• Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and current Mayor Eric Adams paid tribute to his contributions to New York City.

Bernard B. Kerik, who served as New York City's police commissioner during the September 11 attacks, died at the age of 69. His death was confirmed by FBI Director Kash Patel, who noted that Kerik passed after a "private battle with illness" on Thursday, May 29, 2025, according to The New York Times and HuffPost.

Kerik, appointed by Rudy Giuliani in 2000, was hailed for his crucial role in overseeing the NYPD's response to the 9/11 attacks. "He was at my side within 20 minutes of the attack and never left," Giuliani recalled, emphasizing their close relationship and his deep admiration for Kerik, according to NPR and Los Angeles Times.

After his tenure, Kerik's life took a significant turn when he was convicted for tax fraud in 2009 and served three years in prison, eventually receiving a pardon from President Trump in 2020. The fraudulent activities included receiving over $250,000 in apartment renovations from a construction company that wanted Kerik to facilitate the creation of a favorable impression about its ties to organized crime, as noted by Reuters and BBC.

Kerik's contributions during 9/11 are remembered alongside his controversial downfall. He later expressed in his 2015 memoir, "From Jailer to Jailed," a wish that the tragic events of 9/11 had never occurred, highlighting the immense pressure he felt during that time, according to CBS News and Los Angeles Times.