New York City investigators have determined that Mayor Bill de Blasio utilized his NYPD security detail for personal and political objectives, and the NYPD official in charge of the detail intentionally hindered the ensuing inquiry. A recently released report from the Department of Investigation revealed that NYPD inspector Howard Redmond “actively obstructed and sought to thwart” the investigation of the mayor.
At a recent press conference, Department of Investigation officials announced they would submit his case to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal prosecution.
The 47-page report was released almost two years after claims surfaced that the mayor used his security detail to send his son back to Connecticut for college and move his daughter out of her apartment, among other charges. It also comes only one day after the New York Times reported that de Blasio had informed associates that he intends to run for governor next year.
The report reveals that the mayor’s security detail from the NYPD Intelligence Bureau’s Executive Protection Unit (EPU) was employed for the personal advantage of his children or political objectives during his presidential campaign on multiple occasions.
City Hall responded to the report, calling it “inaccurate,” “unprofessional,” and “naive.” They also said it was based on “illegitimate assumptions.”
In his daily news conference, de Blasio said, “There’s a number of claims in this report, and there’s many, many inconsistencies and inaccuracies.” However, The Department of Investigation concluded that “in addition to the misuse of EPU staff and resources, DOI’s investigation identified several vulnerabilities in the EPU’s policies and procedures.”
The report also targets the NYPD’s Howard Redmond, stating, “Inspector Redmond sought to obstruct this investigation by refusing to provide his City-Hall-issued phone for production, deliberately seeking to destroy his NYPD-issued phone after he was informed that he must surrender it for production to DOI, and deleting all communications from both phones before they could be provided to DOI. These actions are a continuation of his conduct during his sworn DOI interview, in which he demonstrated a lack of candor, repeatedly claimed he could not recall the facts around matters under his direct supervision, and gave multiple answers that were not credible in light of the objective evidence and the sworn statements of other witnesses.”
At a press conference, DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said that her department would send its findings on Redmond to the Manhattan district attorney’s office for consideration. Garnett also stated that “protecting the mayor and his family is a serious and significant job that should be guided by best practices, formalized procedures, and an understanding that security details are not personal assistants in a dignitary’s daily life but provide essential protection.”
The mayor’s office slammed the report saying, “Intelligence and security experts should decide how to keep the mayor and his family safe, not civilian investigators. This unprofessional report purports to do the NYPD’s job for them, but with none of the relevant expertise–and without even interviewing the official who heads intelligence for the City. As a result, we are left with an inaccurate report, based on illegitimate assumptions and a naïve view of the complex security challenges facing elected officials today.”
In August of 2020, following the death of George Floyd, de Blasio admitted to painting Black Lives Matter murals around NYC without the proper permits. More recently, the mayor faces lawsuits stemming from his proof-of-vaccination requirements.
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