BLAS NEARS A DREAD END
Another day, another investigation involving Mayor de Blasio. Make that three more investigations.
The most investigated mayor in history is busy racking up a dubious record that will, hopefully, never be broken. Reports say a deal to subsidize a private bus company is under scrutiny, as is his opposition to Airbnb.
Both probes are said to center on large contributions to de Blasio’s political slush fund, with investigators wanting to know whether the mayor improperly rewarded the donors with government action.
A third newly reported investigation involves the awarding of a contract to provide police body cameras. The winning bidder is Vievu, of Seattle.
The connection between donors and City Hall actions is the focus of state and federal prosecutors on a slew of fronts. They interviewed scores of donors, lobbyists and others, and the mayor himself met with state prosecutors and says he will soon sit with the feds.
City Hall aides and private consultants caught up in the investigations are said to be worried the mayor will put all the blame on them in a bid to save his own neck.
That’s certainly a possible scenario, but not the only one. We already know de Blasio was personally involved in soliciting some of the suspect contributions, and he alone had the ultimate power to decide what government actions would be taken on all the donors’ pending business at City Hall. Those facts alone mean it wouldn’t be so easy for him to lay all the blame on others.
That is why I draw two conclusions from de Blasio’s meetings with prosecutors: We’re getting close to the end, and he has reason to worry.