Blaz stomps feet on radio over security abuse hits
Hizzoner is long on complaining, but short on providing specifics
Mayor de Blasio blasted the city’s Department of Investigation on Friday over its “consistently inaccurate” findings of his alleged misuse of NYPD resources — but offered few explanations for what he believes the watchdog agency got wrong.
The department dropped a bombshell report Thursday concluding de Blasio and his family routinely used his NYPD security detail for inappropriate personal and political purposes, like helping his daughter move and serving as a personal “concierge service” for his son, but Hizzoner called bull on all of it while avoiding going into much detail.
“This report is so inaccurate,” de Blasio said in his weekly appearance on WNYC radio. “So unmindful of security realities and of how every mayor has been treated for decades, just consistently inaccurate, consistently, stunningly, consistently ignorant of the reality of security.”
When pressed about the report’s finding that top members of his security detail sought to obstruct the department’s probe, de Blasio regurgitated back to sweeping criticisms.
“The entire report is ridden with inaccuracies,” de Blasio protested. “There’s hearsay throughout it. There’s not comprehensive research. They didn’t talk to the people in charge. Just look across this report and you see so many things that were not included that should have been, so many facts that were left out, allegations without proof. It’s very sad to me.”
Since the report’s release, de Blasio has maintained all usage of NYPD resources for his family was cleared by John Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism.
He has also taken intense issue with Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett’s decision to not interview Miller as part of her probe.
“They scrupulously managed to never interview him and never include his decisions, and his understanding of the threat environment,” he said in Friday’s radio hit.
But Garnett has dismissed de Blasio’s jabs as unfounded, saying she spoke to other security brass with the same understanding as Miller.
Garnett’s probe was launched, in part, in response to reporting by the Daily News in 2019 and 2020.
While acknowledging that the mayor and his family need protection, Garnett said in an interview on NY1 late Thursday that de Blasio’s wide-ranging “pattern” of using NYPD resources for his family, guests, staffers and friends poses a problem.
“When you see a pattern of conduct and a culture that public resources are available for your personal benefit — that’s incredibly destabilizing to good government. It’s not a good use of the public’s money,” she said.
A key portion of Garnett’s investigation concluded that New York City taxpayers dished out nearly $320,000 for de Blasio to have his NYPD security detail join him on the campaign trail during his failed 2020 run for president.
De Blasio has refused to reimburse the city for that expense, even though the Conflicts of Interest Board informed him during the 2020 campaign that it was not proper usage of taxpayer funds.
Garnett arrived at the same conclusion and wrote in her report that de Blasio should pay back the city, but he maintained Friday that he’s still appealing a demand for compensation from the Conflicts of Interest Board.
“It’s a democracy and so we exercise the right to appeal,” de Blasio said.