Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Kids Of The Rich & Connected Land City Hall Internships
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2010
Modified Jul 20, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
NYC Mayor's Office
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2010
Modified Jul 20, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NY Times used the Freedom of Information Act to find out exactly who is landing coveted City Hall internships. And, SURPRISE, many of the interns are the children of the rich, famous and/or connected: "They are the children and relatives of boldface names, like Lloyd C. Blankfein, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs; Peter G. Peterson, co-founder of the Blackstone Group; and Laurence A. Tisch, who was a hotel mogul and chief executive of CBS... The roster has also included grandchildren and stepchildren of people with ties to Mr. Bloomberg and his friends, including the grandson of Robert A. Caro, chronicler of Robert Moses, and the stepson of Neil Simon, the playwright, who endorsed Mr. Bloomberg last fall."
The Times makes sure to explain that the mayor's office was "not eager to share information about who gets the internships and took three months to furnish the list, after the Freedom of Information Act request and repeated follow-up messages." Eventually mayoral spokesman Stu Loeser "said a vast majority of the students were recruited through job fairs, online applications or school programs...Still, one in five of those selected are recommended from someone employed by the administration."
Most interns are college or graduate students, but a few high schoolers and middle schoolers land them with extra close connections (former deputy mayor Daniel Doctoroff's son Jacob was an eighth grader when he worked with "a bunch of 35- to 45-year-olds" in the office of management information systems). One two-time City Hall intern, Hayley Kucich, told the Times, "You’d get a lot of interns who said that their aunt was on the board of something, or that their relatives worked for city government."
Tagged
City hall
connections
intern
internship
mayor bloomberg
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Several arrested in wake of ICE protest where Manhattan man was shot in the neck
Oscar Belgal was in his car with his 5-year-old when ICE agents fired seven shots into the vehicle.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 9, 2026 at 7:24 a.m. ET
Bronx homeowners facing foreclosure are in the market for assistance
Some are looking for information and legal guidance, but also help clearing worrisome balances.
By
Willow Higgins
News
Bronx homeowners facing foreclosure are in the market for assistance
Some are looking for information and legal guidance, but also help clearing worrisome balances.
By
Willow Higgins
Cornell students warned of fraternity 'rape culture' years before Jane Doe case
By
Walter Wuthmann
ICE agent fires 7 rounds, shoots man in neck in NYC's Marble Hill, NYPD says
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Arya Sundaram
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
By
Liam Quigley
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .