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De Blasio Misused Public Resources During Failed Presidential Run, Report Finds
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Oct 7, 2021
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Charlie Neibergall/AP/Shutterstock
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Oct 7, 2021
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Mayor Bill de Blasio regularly misused public resources in both his failed presidential campaign and his children’s personal lives, according to a new report issued by the Department of Investigation.
The 47-page report found that city taxpayers spent roughly $320,000 on the mayor’s security expenses during his White House bid in 2019, despite clear rules that would block the use of resources on political activity. De Blasio has so far declined to reimburse the city, a potential ethics violation that could blight his rumored gubernatorial run.
The two-year investigation also uncovered a range of ethics breaches related to the mayor’s security detail. In one instance, a police van and multiple NYPD officers were used to help de Blasio’s daughter, Chiara, move from her Sunset Park apartment to Gracie Mansion. Investigators described the incident as a “misuse of NYPD resources for personal benefit.”
Members of the security detail were also found to have driven Dante de Blasio, the mayor’s son, back and forth to his job in Brooklyn and to college in New Haven. While the mayor’s children are entitled to security, the investigation found little evidence that the trips were connected to his protection.
“In practice, it’s not security it’s essentially a concierge service, primarily for Dante,” DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said at a press conference. “Either it’s not good security, or it’s not good government, or both.”
The security team was also dispatched to check in on the mayor’s personal properties in Brooklyn — the equivalent of former President Trump sending the secret service to surveil his hotels, according to Garnett.
READ MORE: Trump & De Blasio Have Something In Common: Taxpayers Fund Their Campaign Security Costs
The report could also carry criminal consequences for the mayor’s head of security, NYPD Inspector Howard Redmond, who allegedly “obstructed and sought to thwart this investigation” by destroying his phone and refusing to turn over records.
His conduct has been referred to the Manhattan District Attorney Office, Garnett said. A spokesperson for the NYPD did not say if Redmond is still employed.
In a statement, de Blasio’s press secretary, Danielle Filson, described the investigation as an “inaccurate report, based on illegitimate assumptions and a naïve view of the complex security challenges facing elected officials today.”
“Intelligence and security experts should decide how to keep the mayor and his family safe, not civilian investigators,” she added.
It’s not the first time that a New York City leader has come under scrutiny for their use of taxpayer-funded drivers. Earlier this year, former governor Andrew Cuomo was previously criticized for using state troopers to prioritize COVID tests for his family.
While the report allows that the rules surrounding security for the mayor’s kids may be ill-defined, it notes that the Conflicts of Interest Board has offered a clear ban on using city resources for political activities.
It will be up to that board to determine whether de Blasio is forced to reimburse the city for the $319,794.20 spent on travel costs for his security detail during the presidential primary.
According to de Blasio’s press secretary, the city is currently appealing the board’s previous determination on campaign-related expenses, and no final decision has been made.
Inquiries to the board were not returned.
Tagged
department of investigation
dante de blasio
doi
mayor bill de blasio
mayor de blasio
chiara de blasio
Conflict of Interest Board
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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