Former Mayor Bill de Blasio holds first news conference after leaving office as he runs for Congress
NEW YORK - Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is back on the campaign trail, this time running for Congress.
CBS2's Jessica Moore asked him about a few recent controversies during his first public news conference since leaving office.
De Blasio was perched outside City Hall Monday afternoon, not as mayor, but as a congressional candidate.
"As I look back on my eight years, I say there's things I'm proud of and things I could've done better," de Blasio said.
His goal was to discuss the monkeypox outbreak in New York City, where we've seen a 300% increase in the number of cases over the past three weeks. De Blasio called on officials to drop the two dose vaccine regimen down to one, as he did at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.
"It makes no sense to hold back doses in the midst of a crisis. When more doses become available, give the second dose. But don't leave people out in the cold who could've gotten the first dose because we're clinging to a protocol that doesn't make sense in the middle of the crisis," de Blasio said.
But Moore had other questions. She asked him if he paid back the city the $320,000 taxpayer dollars spent on his security detail during his ill-fated presidential run - money the ethics board says was spent illegally.
"The original determination didn't take into account the host of things that happen in this city, history of security when people are involved in campaigns. That appeal process is continuing and whatever the outcome, I'll act on it appropriately," de Blasio said.
De Blasio was told by the city Department of Investigation not to launch his congressional campaign until he paid the city back, but he did it anyway.
"Because it was clear that a lot of information had not been taken into account, and it was important to provide that information," de Blasio said.
De Blasio also addressed the recent controversy surrounding the New York City ferry.
"Fundamentally disagree with it," he said.
The city comptroller's audit found the de Blasio administration under-reported and falsified the financials of the ferry system, to the tune of $250 million, which claimed the city subsidy for each ride was double what the administration reported: More than $12 per ride.
"I have had many a time when I've seen a report from a comptroller and was mystified by their math and this is another one," de Blasio said.
As for de Blasio's one-dose monkeypox vaccine proposal, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams told Moore that's already the plan they're following, and city health officials are not holding back second doses.