New York, NY – Mayor De Blasio’s Fund-Raising Under Scrutiny In NYPD Corruption Probe

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    FILE - The Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio wears a yarmulke on his head during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem, Israel, 18 October 2015.(Credit: EPA) New York, NY – A federal corruption probe that has already led to the reassignment of four high-ranking New York City police commanders is also looking into Mayor Bill de Blasio’s campaign fund-raising efforts, local news outlets reported.

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    Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office in Manhattan have focused on how de Blasio’s campaign team solicited donations, WCBS-TV said. The New York Times had a similar report late on Friday.

    The exact nature of the fund-raising investigation is unclear. Representatives of the FBI and Bharara’s office either declined to comment or did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

    The corruption probe is examining whether police officers received free gifts and travel from businessmen in exchange for favors, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

    Among others, investigators have looked at former Chief of Department Phillip Banks, once the New York Police Department’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, and Norman Seabrook, head of the correction officers union, the source said.

    Two businessmen with ties to de Blasio, Jona Rechnitz and Jeremy Reichberg, are at the center of the investigation, according to news reports.

    The two men served on de Blasio’s inaugural committee in 2013. Rechnitz contributed to his campaign, while Reichberg helped raise money for a nonprofit controlled by de Blasio advisers to support the mayor’s goals.

    A spokeswoman for the mayor referred questions to Dan Levitan, a spokesman for de Blasio’s 2017 re-election campaign. “We are fully confident that the campaign has conducted itself legally and appropriately at all times,” Levitan said in an email.

    The campaign is returning 2013 contributions from Rechnitz. De Blasio said on Wednesday that neither businessman had given to his 2017 campaign.

    A lawyer for Rechnitz has declined to comment. Reichberg could not be reached for comment earlier this week.

    A lawyer for Banks has denied any wrongdoing, while Seabrook declined to comment through a spokesman.

    Police Commissioner William Bratton announced on Thursday that he had transferred four commanders amid the ongoing probe.

    In addition, federal authorities on Friday arrested a former restaurant owner who another source told Reuters was linked to the corruption investigation.

    The restaurateur, Hamlet Peralta, was accused of running a $12 million Ponzi scheme. Media reports said Rechnitz and Reichberg were investors, and the New York Daily News reported one of the four commanders transferred on Thursday was a regular at his restaurant.

    Bratton said on Thursday the investigation, which includes the department’s internal affairs bureau, was examining “the conduct of current and former” officers and others.

    A de Blasio spokeswoman said on Thursday the mayor “is fully supportive of these investigations to learn the truth.”‎


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    7 years ago

    Upcoming Monsey ties news. Stay tuned

    kenyaninwhitehouse
    kenyaninwhitehouse
    7 years ago

    Bharat is a tzadikim he put away silver, skelos and hopefully this communist

    Tzi_Bar_David
    Tzi_Bar_David
    7 years ago

    The real fun begins when the US Attorney gets to the Mayor’s meddling at the Department of Buildings and the offices that regulate zoning.