New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio admitted Monday to drawing the attention of city agencies to certain issues on behalf of community members who need help with business.
De Blasio made the comment during an interview with NY 1, his first since being questioned Friday by federal prosecutors on his campaign fundraising practices, the New York Post reported. He downplayed the meeting with prosecutors over potential corruption charges, saying it went "fine."
During the interview, de Blasio discussed the circumstances surrounding the Buildings Department lifting a partial vacate order at a Hasidic school in 2014. Media reports suggested over the weekend that de Blasio got the order lifted to help Brooklyn Rabbi Moishe Indig, a friend of the mayor's who raised money for him.
De Blasio would not discuss specifics about his involvement in the situation; however, he did admit to placing phone calls for those who want help with city business.
"I will tell you, when I was a City Council member, public advocate, and again as mayor, I believe it is perfectly appropriate to put an issue on the agency's plate, and the agency has to make the decision they see as right," he said.
De Blasio clarified that he "never pressures" department heads on these matters but raises them to ensure they get some attention. Department heads answer to the mayor, however, on city matters.
When the Post asked if de Blasio contradicted himself since the mayor oversees the city's agencies, City Hall spokesman Eric Phillips replied, "You're being absurd if you think he should make every agency decision in a 350,000-person bureaucracy."
De Blasio's comments came three days after sitting down with prosecutors in Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's office for four and a half hours. Bharara is investigating whether de Blasio and his staff gave favors to donors who contributed to his 2013 mayoral campaign and his now-defunct nonprofit, the Campaign for One New York.