Despite his refusal to refund New York taxpayers the nearly $320,000 he owes for misusing the perk while in office, former Mayor Bill de Blasio is still being chauffeured around the Big Apple by an NYPD security detail.
It’s been four months since de Blasio left City Hall, but police sources have told the New York Post that the Democrat and his wife, Chirlane McCray, have been enjoying the security and driving skills of six NYPD detectives and a sergeant, with two rotating officers at the couple’s beck and call from early in the morning to late at night.
Yes, a team of New York’s finest can be found shuttling the duo around the city, “including to restaurants, Prospect Park for long walks, and the Park Slope YMCA where de Blasio enjoys working out,” The Post reported.
It’s a service de Blasio has enjoyed for some time. As mayor, he enjoyed it too much, in fact.
As BizPac Review reported in October 2021, de Blasio was caught by the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) misusing his executive protection unit (EPU) during his failed 2020 presidential run.
Report finds huge misuse of de Blasio campaign funds, and active effort to thwart investigation https://t.co/WgpnOg27dZ pic.twitter.com/4IDc17mcIN
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) October 8, 2021
According to the DOI, de Blasio committed multiple violations including “lapses in best practices, corruption vulnerabilities, and inefficient uses of public resources.”
The head of his NYPD detail at the time, Inspector Howard Redmond, was referred to the DA after it was discovered he “actively obstructed and sought to thwart” the investigation.
Two years after the launch of the probe, de Blasio had still not repaid the funds he used, and that remains true to this day.
But rather than tell de Blasio to call an Uber, the security detail has, again at the expense of taxpayers, been hanging out at the high-end Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge, de Blasio’s and McCray’s home-away-from-home while their permanent residence is undergoing renovations.
“He basically has armed chauffeurs taking him to the gym,” said a law enforcement source. “It is ironic since … he’s responsible for a lot of the anti-police rhetoric in the city today.”
While security details for former mayors are nothing new, for many New Yorkers, assigning one to de Blasio is a slap in the face and a waste of their money.
“If he misused his detail, he should reimburse taxpayers, even though it wouldn’t even be a small dent in recovering the amount of taxpayer money that was foolishly wasted during his time in office,” one Twitter user posted, while another wondered “how is the ex-mayor a target for anything other than ridicule?”
“It is not cheap to be a socialist,” noted one user, as another called de Blasio a “Limousine Marxist.”
But one user summed up the reactions with a reply that resonates with many Americans across the nation: “The arrogant hypocrisy never ends.”
If he misused his detail, he should reimburse taxpayers, even though it wouldn’t even be a small dent in recovering the amount of taxpayer money that was foolishly wasted during his time in office. 😐
— Joseph 유 (@The_Joey) April 30, 2022
how is the ex-mayor a target for anything other than ridicule?
— Tim Sawyer (@tzsawyer) April 30, 2022
It is not cheap to be a socialist.
— ரிபப்ளிக்கன் (@Milagaai) April 30, 2022
Limousine Marxist.
— Crypto Bob (@CryptoB01675325) April 30, 2022
The arrogant hypocrisy never ends.
— Heffe Hicksma (@HHicksma) April 30, 2022
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