New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration created a new $150,000 job in City Hall and handed it to the girlfriend of one of his top aides without advertising the position to the public, according to the New York Post.
Stephanie Yazgi was hired as the campaign director for the mayor's office of immigrant affairs—a position that previously didn't exist.
Yang lives with her partner, Emma Wolfe, who ran de Blasio's campaign and was described by the New York Times as the mayor's "secret weapon." As director of intergovernmental affairs, she is said to be one of the most trusted aides in City Hall.
City Hall says that it was hopeful that the high-dollar position granted to Yazgi, for which she may have been the only candidate to interview, would be paid for without using taxpayer money—but that fell through.
Yazgi will be responsible for "overseeing the mayor’s national organizing efforts on immigration, specifically the Cities for Action on Immigration coalition," according to a job description provided by City Hall.
The position was initially to be funded by a private grant but because of "delays," taxpayers will be footing the bill instead.
Immigration Commissioner Nisha Agarwal said she recruited Yazgi because she headed a list of "about 10 people who were my top job choices."
But City Hall officials refused to say if anyone else was actually interviewed.
The city's Conflicts of Interest Board approved the hiring, stating that although Yazgi would occasionally work with Wolfe, she would not be reporting to her as a direct supervisor.