As New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio gets set to hit the presidential trail, we offer this evolving collection of stories that might be of interest to voters in the five boroughs – and far beyond.
MAYOR DE BLASIO VIOLATED ETHICS RULES IN SEEKING DONATIONS DESPITE WARNINGS, PROBE FINDS
In April, we obtained NYC Department of Investigation report that found the mayor violated conflict of interest rules after being warned repeatedly not to solicit donations from individuals actively seeking favors from his administration. Read all about it – and see the heavily redacted report – here.
MAYOR DE BLASIO’S DEFUNCT FUNDRAISING GROUP FACES ONGOING STATE ETHICS PROBE
The revelation of the DOI report led us to learn de Blasio was the subject of a separate ongoing investigation by the New York state’s ethics watchdog. Read that article here.
PAC-MAN DE BLASIO GOBBLES UP DONATIONS FROM PEOPLE WITH CITY BUSINESS
While doing those stories, we wondered whether de Blasio was asking people who do business with the city for donations to his presidential-aspirations Fairness PAC. Turns out, he was.
CITY ETHICS WATCHDOG URGED TO CONSIDER PENALTIES IN MAYOR’S FUNDRAISING FLAP
Following up on the tough questions from THE CITY, at least two government watchdog groups started asking some of their own, calling for more transparency — and action.
De Blasio-Style Fundraising Tactics Now Subject to Fines
The DOI report about de Blasio’s fundraising for his Campaign for One New York drew the interest of the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board, which decided in early May to take action.
The Board made that kind of conflict-ridden fundraising subject to a $25,000 fine — per violation.
CHIRLANE MCCRAY’S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM STRUGGLES TO RETAIN KEY STAFF
The mayor isn’t the only one in the de Blasio household making headlines. First lady Chirlane McRay’s mental health initiative, ThriveNYC, has seen scores of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers leave its largest program before their commitment is up, according to figures obtained by THE CITY.
DE BLASIO SLAMMED FOR LEAVING SENIOR HOUSING FUNDS OUT OF BUDGET
A year after de Blasio stood on the steps of City Hall and promised half a billion dollars to build senior citizen housing on public lots, his administration quietly conceded the money was not put in his budget, THE CITY learned.
MAYOR FLUNKING ON PLEDGE TO PUT A/C IN EVERY CLASSROOM
Two years after Mayor de Blasio vowed to put air-conditioning in every public school classroom, THE CITY learned that the project was technically even more behind schedule than when it started — thanks to some fuzzy math.