Heat on DeB for stonewall
The head of the city’s Department of Investigation, who served as finance chairman of Mayor de Blasio’s 2013 campaign, came under pressure Monday to take legal action against City Hall.
City Councilmember Rory Lancman of Queens fired off a letter to DOI Commissioner Mark Peters (lower photo) asking why DOI hasn’t taken action against the Mayor’s Office for blocking access to City Hall documents and computers during a recent probe of a controversial real-estate deal.
The agency issued a scathing report last week on a city maneuver that allowed a Lower East Side nursing home to be sold for luxury housing.
The report said investigators’ access to evidence was impeded by the city’s Law Department, which reports to the mayor.
Peters recused himself from the investigation.
“It’s abnormal, unusual and practically unprecedented that an investigatory body is told by the subject of the investigation that we’re not giving you access or evidence that you’re entitled to, then the investigatory agency just shrugs and says, ‘Oh well,’ ” said Lancman.
“If the DOI is saying that City Hall has impeded its investigation unlawfully, then the DOI needs to go to court to compel the city’s compliance with the law,” he added.
“If not, Mark Peters needs to hand in his commissioner card today.” The nursing home was bought by The Allure Group, which paid the city $16.1 million last year to have two restrictions on the property’s use removed.
The site was then sold to luxury developers over community objections for $116 million.
DOI spokeswoman Nicole Turso noted that the agency “pulled no punches” in its review of the deal, which is also being probed by the Manhattan US attorney, the Manhattan DA and Comptroller Scott Stringer.
“DOI is pursuing enforcement options and therefore declines further comment at this time,” she said.
Asked last week about the agency’s assertions, de Blasio denied being uncooperative, telling reporters: “A huge amount of material was provided. There was a lot of transparency.”