Push to rein in mayor’s ‘probe’ power

A Democratic lawmaker proposed new restrictions on Mayor de Blasio’s power over the Department of Investigation — including an independent special counsel — after Hizzoner “insidiously” moved to weaken the watchdog agency this month.

“[The] DOI’s institutional independence must never yield to political vengeance,” said Bronx Councilman Ritchie Torres, the Oversight and Investigations Committee chair, decrying de Blasio’s “unprecedented assault.”

The mayor blocked DOI Commissioner Mark Peters from controlling who heads an office that probes corruption in city schools — four days after Peters fired that unit’s boss, Anastasia Coleman. She and members of her staff then filed whistleblower complaints against DOI that are being investigated.

Torres wants all complaints against Peters and future DOI commissioners to be probed by a special counsel, not an agency that de Blasio or DOI controls.

Torres also wants to amend the City Charter to provide DOI with an “independent budget” and prevent de Blasio from appointing or removing DOI commissioners without council approval. And the mayor wouldn’t have any say over the hiring and firing of individual agency inspectors general or special commissioners who report to the DOI head.

The proposals are a direct rebuke to an executive order de Blasio signed on April 1 requiring his permission to appoint or remove the special commissioner of investigation for the city’s schools. Peters had canned Special Commissioner of Investigation Coleman as part of a plan reportedly meant to boost his power.

De Blasio’s office declined to comment.