The FBI Is Investigating De Blasio's Fundraising, Too

[Donkees]

Source: NY Post

The FBI Is Investigating De Blasio's Fundraising, Too
BY NATHAN TEMPEY IN NEWS ON APR 9, 2016 12:35 PM


The FBI is looking into Mayor Bill de Blasio's fundraising practices as part of its wide-ranging investigation into two prominent businessmen who are backers of his, as well as top NYPD officials, some of whom were demoted on Thursday as word of their involvement leaked. For de Blasio, the probe's focus seems to be how the mayor hit up real estate bigwigs for money during his campaign, and particularly the role of his former campaign treasurer Ross Offinger, according to reports.

The businessmen, Upper West Side developer Jona Rechnitz and Borough Park, Brooklyn consultant Jeremy Reichberg, served on de Blasio's inaugural advisory committee. Reichberg hosted a gathering in de Blasio's honor at his home to raise money for the mayor's controversial slush fund, Campaign for One New York, and Rechnitz donated $50,000 to the organization, as well as $9,900 directly to de Blasio's campaign, between him and his wife. Rechnitz is also said to have bundled $40,000 in contributions from others for de Blasio, and donated more than $100,000 to elect Democrats to the state Senate at de Blasio's request.

Offinger was also once treasurer of Campaign for One New York, which de Blasio is now disbanding after sustained outcry from good-government advocates who argued he was using it to circumvent campaign finance laws, and owed donors big favors as a result of their unrestrained spending.

When word of the investigation broke earlier this week, de Blasio resisted returning the money from Rechnitz, saying he wanted to let the investigation play out. Aides now say he'll give the direct contributions back, but not the bundled contributions or the $50,000

Read more: http://gothamist.com/2016/04/09/de_blasio_fund-raising_corruption.php

[kristopher]

1. Reminds me of Trump's reminder of how he got Clinton to attend his wedding. nt

[n2doc]

4. The NY Post is one of Hillary's supporter's favorites too

So long as they are bashing Sanders. Admit it, both sides do it.

[RufusTFirefly]

8. Did someone mention Rupert Murdoch?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I think PE said it best

[Donkees]

5. " ...the mayor’s policy decisions aren’t connected to campaign contributions."

Federal Probe Expands to Nonprofit Tied to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio


Federal investigators are interested in whether major donors to the Campaign for One New York—including real-estate developers and unions—received special treatment from Mr. de Blasio’s administration, the people said. The investigators are looking at whether donations were made in exchange for some kind of official act...

In the first half of 2015, real-estate developers gave about $800,000 to the Campaign for One New York, an amount that is more than any other industry’s contribution and more than the industry gave the previous year, according to disclosure reports.

In 2015, Mr. de Blasio led an unsuccessful effort in Albany to persuade state lawmakers to renew—with some changes—a city subsidy for developers known as 421-a. Mr. de Blasio and his aides have said that the mayor’s policy decisions aren’t connected to campaign contributions.

Others with business in front of the city also have given to the group, including the teachers union, which gave $350,000 while it was negotiating a new contract. Two wealthy donors who have been urging Mr. de Blasio to ban horse carriages in Central Park also donated to the group.

In recent weeks, Mr. de Blasio’s campaign also returned a $4,950 donation from Joel Landau, an executive at a for-profit nursing care provider that is now under scrutiny in connection with the city’s decision to lift deed restrictions on a Manhattan health-care facility. The deed change led to the sale of the property, making the firm what appears to be a $72 million profit.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-probe-expands-to-nonprofit-tied-to-new-york-mayor-bill-de-blasio-1460237784

[beastie boy]

6. DeBlazio's and who else's fundraising?

"Too" implies there is someone else's fundraising the FBI is investigating...

[Donkees]

7. Probe expanding from NYPD - "wide-ranging investigation" - Reposting first sentence:

"The FBI is looking into Mayor Bill de Blasio's fundraising practices as part of its wide-ranging investigation into two prominent businessmen who are backers of his, as well as top NYPD officials, some of whom were demoted on Thursday as word of their involvement leaked.

[Kelvin Mace]

9. NY Post is unreliable source

[Donkees]

10. The Second Excerpt is from Wall Street Journal