7 Deadly Sins of Mayor De Zastero: Greed

By Ruth Papazian

 

7 Deadly Sins of Mayor De Zastero: Greed
In an April 2016 article describing “a perfect storm” of five investigations involving Mayor Bill de Blasio (a/k/a De Zastero), his administration and his inner circle being conducted by “six different federal, state and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies,” The New York Times noted that “[a]t the heart of each of the five inquiries is money— in most cases, fund-raising linked to the mayor, his election campaign or a nonprofit group connected with him.” Testifying as a cooperating witness in the corruption trial into Norman Seabrook, who formerly headed the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, De Zastero donor Jona Rechnitz said he would call the mayor on his personal cell phone “at least once a week” and “always gave money, as long as I could get results.”

With all the pay-to-play accusations swirling around him, particularly in connection with his nonprofit organization, Campaign for One New York—the subject of two investigations into his administration because large donors had special access to the mayor and later received favorable treatment— in May 2016 De Zastero pledged to provide a list of donors his administration has not helped in any way, but has since reneged. Perhaps the list was embarrassingly short.

New York City must have a mayor who is more than just a fixer for the donor class, some of whom are stripping neighborhoods of necessities like groceries, gas stations, dry cleaners—and even a nursing home—so that they can put up luxury high rise condos instead.

 

greed

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