Mayor hit with ethics complaint
An ethics complaint was filed against Mayor de Blasio after his presidential campaign used a city photo in an ad, The Daily News has learned.
The complaint was with the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board after de Blasio 2020’s Instagram account used a 2017 photo of Hizzoner snapped by the Mayoral Photography Office, according to a copy obtained by The News (inset).
The picture shows de Blasio standing in front of a large crowd at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park that September — seemingly suggesting that he drew hordes of supporters at a campaign stop.
“The Mayor is using a city paid for photo… In Paid for Sponsored ads on Instagram to fundraise for his Presidential campaign,” reads the complaint filed Thursday.
The City Charter forbids public servants to use “city letterhead, personnel, equipment, resources or supplies for any noncity purpose.” City personnel, equipment, resources or supplies can be used for a noncity purpose only if the activity has been approved by COIB.
The board’s Enforcement Unit individually reviews all complaints of violations of the city’s Conflicts of Interest Law and refers them to the Department of Investigation.
COIB assistant counsel Chad Gholizadeh couldn’t discuss specific complaints, but said a public servant “cannot have any special access or jump the queue to get those photographs.”
But De Blasio campaign spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg said: “City photos are public and allowed to be used. Campaigns and political parties are outside organizations. You may not share confidential city information with these organizations. You may, however, share information with a campaign to the same extent and in the same manner that it has been shared with the general public,” she added. filed