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Police Union Boss Calls Misconduct Charges "Laughable"
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 15, 2021
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 15, 2021
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The police union leader charged with misconduct for using bigoted insults against members of city government, and for publishing the arrest record of the mayor's daughter, claimed that he has done nothing wrong.
"Make no mistake, I stand by my words," Sergeant Ed Mullins, the head of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, wrote in a statement to his 13,000 members that was posted to Twitter on Monday. "Nothing has changed. And I offer no apology!"
Mullins added, "Be assured that this obvious attempt to silence me will be met with strong and swift legal action."
On Friday, the Civilian Complaint Review Board substantiated three misconduct charges against Mullins, two were for "offensive language," after Mullins called former Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot a "bitch" and former City Councilmember Ritchie Torres a "first-class whore." The third charge is for "abuse of authority," after Mullins tweeted the arrest record of Chiara de Blasio, who was one of thousands of New Yorkers detained during the George Floyd protests over the summer.
Mullins, who took home a taxpayer-funded salary of $133,195 in 2020, has a lengthy history of making offensive statements and promoting racist content. A year ago, the NYPD began investigating Mullins for declaring "war" against Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"Since I have been SBA President, I have been repeatedly investigated by the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau and threatened with discipline—including termination—simply because I have publicly advocated for you and your loved ones," Mullins wrote in the statement, which does not specifically address the charge for leaking Chiara de Blasio's arrest record.
Mullins did not respond to questions sent in a text message. The NYPD has not responded to a request for comment, nor has the CCRB.
The NYPD's new disciplinary matrix will apply to Mullins's case. According to the matrix, each of the three charges against him carry a punishment of up to 20 days of lost employment, though the NYPD Commissioner still retains the final authority over discipline and can deviate from the recommendations.
"The threat made to me of losing 60 days is laughable—they can have 100 days; in fact they can take them all," Mullins said in his statement. "The dirty little secrets of the NYPD and of elected officials deserve to be made public!"
Tagged
ritchie torres
ed mullins
sba
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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