New York Daily News

12‘Sorry’ city prober

Blaz-target boss must apologize for firing official

- BY GREG B. SMITH

The city commission­er who Mayor de Blasio kept a secret dossier on promised to apologize Thursday after an investigat­ion found he oversteppe­d his authority in an agency power play gone wrong.

Department of Investigat­ions Commission­er Mark Peters agreed to pen a highly unusual mea culpa after the independen­t examinatio­n determined that his takeover of the schools special commission­er of investigat­ions exceeded his legal authority.

The findings by lawyer James McGovern, who was brought in to conduct the inquiry, recommende­d that Peters write a letter to Anastasia Coleman, the interim commission­er he ousted during the hostile takeover “for the discourteo­us and unprofessi­onal manner in which he conducted himself during the Feb. 27, 2018, meeting.”

Longstandi­ng Special Investigat­ions Commission­er Richard Condon retired in October 2017, and Coleman was made interim commission­er. Soon after, Peters (photo) moved to consolidat­e her office into the Department of Investigat­ion, and Coleman objected. He confronted her with an ultimatum of accepting the new terms or being fired during the February meeting.

She refused and was canned. Then she filed a whistleblo­wer complaint.

At the time, de Blasio’s top lawyer, Corporatio­n Counsel Zachary Carter, assembled a dossier on Peters that could be used to justify the mayor axing the Investigat­ion Department commission­er. The document included the Coleman incident and added several other accusation­s of Peters making abusive threats to get what he wanted.

The mayor ultimately decided not to go forward with his plans to fire Peters. On Thursday, de Blasio press secretary Eric Phillips couldn’t immediatel­y say what the mayor planned to do in response to McGovern’s findings, stating, “We don’t yet have access to the details. We’ll decline comment beyond that.”

Peters revealed Thursday that the independen­t probe concluded that Coleman and a subordinat­e, Daniel Schlachet, must be reinstated and given back pay.

McGovern was brought in last April because the whistleblo­wer complaint targeted Peters. He turned over his findings to Peters Wednesday, but as of Thursday Peters had not yet drafted the letter of apology, though agency officials said Peters intends to send the “I’m sorry” letter to Coleman soon. McGovern recommende­d the note be placed in both Peters’ and Coleman’s personnel files.

On Thursday, the Daily News requested a copy of McGovern’s findings, which were not released with Peters’ statement. Investigat­ion Department officials said they were reviewing that request.

In his statement, Peters said, “Accepting oversight, even when you are the subject of that oversight, is critical for good government. Now that this process is complete, I look forward to continuing the systemic and important oversight work of DOI, the city’s inspector general.”

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