Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has agreed to a fine of about $330,000 stemming from the improper use of public funds for his security detail during his short-lived 2020 presidential run.
The fine will cost de Blasio $329,794, most of it to reimburse the city for the travel expenses for the security, including meals, airfare and lodging. But it also includes a $10,000 penalty.
The settlement between de Blasio and the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB) also brings an end to an appeal that the former two-term mayor had pursued since the board ordered him to reimburse the costs and pay a larger fine in June 2023.
The board had previously found that while de Blasio was serving as mayor and running for president, he used city funds to pay for travel expenses for a New York City Police Department security detail on 31 out-of-state trips for the bid for higher office. This was despite the board having warned him in advance and in writing that he couldn’t have the city pay for these expenses.
He was initially fined $475,000 in total before agreeing to the settlement.
“Today I settled an outstanding case with the NYC COIB. I acknowledge that I made a mistake, and I deeply regret it,” de Blasio said in a post on the social media platform X. “Now it’s time to move forward.”
De Blasio needed to pay $100,000 immediately under the terms of the agreement, which he already did, followed by quarterly payments of $15,000 over the next four years. If a payment is missed, he will be ordered to pay the original $475,000.
“This settlement brings to a successful conclusion the first ever enforcement action brought by the Board against a Mayor of the City of New York,” the board said in a statement. “The Board acknowledges and is grateful to the New York City Department of Investigation for its extensive investigative work, which was critical to this successful resolution.”
De Blasio’s presidential campaign only lasted a few months in 2019 as he struggled to make inroads with voters in a crowded field, usually only receiving 1 percent in the polls at most.
