New York City's Department of Investigation (DOI) — essentially the ethics watchdog for the Big Apple — determined that Mayor Bill de Blasio "misused" police resources for his own personal benefit and that of his family, according to a report issued Thursday.
The investigation that began in 2019 looked into "several allegations concerning New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s security detail" including "whether Mayor de Blasio had ordered members of his security detail to move his daughter, Chiara de Blasio, from her Brooklyn apartment to Gracie Mansion," "whether Mayor de Blasio ordered his security detail to drive his son, Dante de Blasio, to Yale University and to various destinations throughout New York City," and "whether Mayor de Blasio ordered his security detail to transport mayoral staff members, or members of his presidential campaign staff, without him in the vehicle."
As the report explains, Executive Protection Unit (EPU) members were used repeatedly for personal business, often without the Mayor being present.
DOI’s investigation determined that multiple EPU members were present during Chiara de Blasio’s move from her apartment, and that an NYPD sprinter van was used to transport some of Chiara’s belongings from her apartment to Gracie Mansion. DOI’s investigation found that at least one EPU member participated in moving Chiara’s belongings – specifically, a futon – into and out of the sprinter van.
According to DOI, "the provision of the sprinter van and the assistance of NYPD personnel in physically moving furniture was a misuse of NYPD resources for a personal benefit, whether it was requested or merely accepted" by Mayor de Blasio.
DOI’s investigation identified multiple instances when EPU detectives drove Dante de Blasio to or from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, without the Mayor or First Lady present in the EPU vehicle... both an EPU sergeant and a former mayoral staffer recalled several instances when Mayor de Blasio directly requested that Dante de Blasio be driven to locations throughout New York City, such as train or bus stations, without the Mayor or First Lady present in the EPU vehicle.
The DOI explains that "children of protectees are not entitled to use NYPD resources outside the presence of the protectee, absent an independent security determination by NYPD that family members require protection," noting that even though "Dante was 'entitled' to NYPD protection, there are no records documenting a security determination that Dante de Blasio should be a protectee or identifying the level of security that he should be provided."
DOI’s investigation also revealed numerous instances when EPU members transported mayoral staffers to various locations, including to their homes, and assisted them in running errands for the Mayor. Additionally, DOI identified several instances when the security detail was asked to transport guests of the Mayor, at his direction, without him present in the vehicle.
In addition to the misuse of his security resources for others, de Blasio still apparently owes the NYPD more than $300,000 for the protection they provided while the mayor traveled for his presidential campaign.
DOI determined that the City of New York expended $319,794 for the members of Mayor de Blasio’s security detail to travel on the Mayor’s presidential campaign trips. Mayor de Blasio has not reimbursed the City for these expenses, either personally or through his campaign. DOI also found that, during these campaign trips, EPU members occasionally transported Mayor de Blasio’s campaign staffers while driving the Mayor. Both reflect a use of NYPD resources for political purposes.
Even worse, the official in charge of de Blasio's protective detail "actively obstructed and sought to thwart" the DOI investigation "frustrating DOI's efforts to learn the full facts regarding these allegations."
Mayor de Blasio's out of touch elitism — through which he received not just police protection but personal favors from the NYPD — is an incredible example of Democratic hypocrisy.
He's the same leader whose police "reform" included cutting one billion dollars from the NYPD budget and gutted key functions of the department, leaving scant resources for officers to protect New Yorkers who don't happen to be family or friends of de Blasio. So while residents of America's largest city find themselves with less protection from police, de Blasio never had to worry.