Council pol probed over email politics
Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. is facing a probe by the Council’s ethics panel over allegations he used his official email to send political missives.
Diaz said he’s been informed he is the target of the investigation opened Monday in a closed-door session of the Standards and Ethics Committee, after someone filed a complaint about an email he sent last week.
The Bronx Democrat, who joined the Council this year, is an ordained minister known for his socially conservative views, signature cowboy hat, colorful language – and for the “What You Should Know” messages he regularly sends out, musing on issues and political intrigue.
It was one of those missives, sent from his official Council account and titled “The Christian Community Should be Upset With Cuomo, Not the Gay Community,” that set off the current probe.
City rules prohibit using a government email account to send political messages, but Diaz said he does not see the note as political.
“I have been writing this column for so many years,” he said. “I’m not asking for money for my campaign. I’m not using it to promote my campaign. I’m using it to inform people.”
Last week’s message argued that it is odd that members of the LGBT community would support Cynthia Nixon’s primary campaign, rather than backing Gov. Cuomo for reelection, because of Cuomo’s pivotal role in legalizing gay marriage in New York.
“It is important for you to know that Cynthia Nixon and many other members of the LGBTQ community in New York State are married to another member of the same sex thanks to Governor Cuomo and Senator Thomas ‘Tom’ Duane,” wrote Diaz, who was a leading opponent of gay marriage