![]() He was told the salaries for NYPD officers would be covered, but that all other costs associated with their travel would not, the board said.ĭuring interviews with investigators, de Blasio said he did “not have a 100% clear understanding” of the guidance, and “suggested that it was an issue for others to resolve,” according to Kevin Casey, an administrative law judge that recommended the fine imposed by the Conflicts of Interest Board.Ĭasey accused de Blasio of showing a “deliberate indifference” to the city’s ethics board, then blaming his own employees for the error. De Blasio was advised of this rule prior to his campaign, but “disregarded the Board’s advice,” Williams wrote in his ruling.ĭe Blasio did consult with the Conflicts of Interest Board about the costs of his security prior to announcing his presidential campaign in May 2019. The order was handed down by the Conflicts of Interest Board Chair, Milton Williams, who found that de Blasio “plainly violated” the city’s prohibition on using public resources to advance a political campaign. He will also have to pay a fine of $5,000 for each of the security detail’s 31 out-of-state trips, amounting to $155,000. Under the ruling, which he has vowed to appeal, de Blasio, a Democrat, will be forced to reimburse the city for $320,000 spent on the officers’ flights, hotels, meals and rental cars during the four-month campaign. The hefty fine is the largest ever handed out by New York’s Conflicts of Interest Board, capping off a yearslong investigation into the two-term mayor’s use of taxpayer dollars to cover the travel costs of NYPD officers who accompanied him on cross-country campaign stops. NEW YORK (AP) - Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was ordered Thursday to pay $475,000 by a city ethics board that found he misused public funds on a police security detail during his failed presidential bid.
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