FDNY ‘smoke out’ vs. Tish ‘Trump’ hecklers
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh is hunting down firefighters and other staffers who mercilessly booed state Attorney General Letitia James and cheered in support of Donald Trump during a department promotion ceremony last week, The Post learned Saturday.
Chief of Department John Hodges fired off an email to other agency honchos warning that a reckoning led by the department’s Bureau of Investigation and Trials was coming over the chorus of boos and chants of “Trump!” that James received at Thursday’s event.
“BITS is investigating this, so they will figure out who the members are,” Hodges wrote chiefs in the letter obtained by The Post. “I recommend they come forward. I have been told by the commissioner it will be better for them if they come forward and we don’t have to hunt them down.
“The [deputy chiefs] shall direct the captain of the company to make a list of those who come forward and send it directly [FDNY operations],” he wrote. “I realize members might not come forward but they should know that there is clear video of the entire incident and they will be contacted by BITS if they don’t.”
A retiree fumed about the FDNY’s heavy-handed response.
“It was a political stunt for the city to have the AG there. When it backfired, they sent their fascist pit bulls after guys for exercising their First Amendment rights,” he said.
The Uniformed Fire Officers Association sent out a message to its members Saturday warning them of the directive and that the department is in “possession of video footage of the event.”
“As part of this discussion, questions may be asked to specific UFOA members over their actions or their recollections,” the message said.
The union advised members to follow FDNY regulations but to contact the UFOA for legal representation if they feel they are the subject of an investigation.
Criminal-defense attorney Alan Dershowitz said whoever jeered had a constitutional right to do so “and the government has no power to punish them for it. So efforts to get the names of the booers is an effort by the government to chill free speech and is unconstitutional.”
The Thursday crowd — made up of the families of captains, battalion chiefs and civilians who were up for promotion, as well as the firemen who work beside them — erupted in jeers as James walked onto the podium at the Christian Cultural Center’s Brooklyn Campus in Starrett City, video shows.
“Oh, come on. We’re in a house of God. First, simmer down,” said James, attempting to pacify the crowd, adding “thank you for getting it out of your system.”
As James continued her speech, the booing swiftly turned to chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!”
The FDNY would not explain why it is going after the hecklers or explain the possible violations.
“The department is conducting a review of the ceremony,” said spokesman Jim Long.
‘Effort to chill free speech’