Malliotakis: Prosecutors Should Reopen De Blasio Fundraising Probe
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Republican mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis called on prosecutors to reopen a probe of Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration Sunday – a mere two days ahead of the mayoral election.
As CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported, the state Assemblywoman and Republican mayoral candidate blasted de Blasio with more allegations of running a corrupt City Hall.
"People have a choice on Tuesday," Malliotakis said. "Do they want to pay millions more in their tax dollars to defend a pay-to-play mayor, or do they want to join me in taking our city in a different direction?"
De Blasio responded to Malliotakis' claims through a statement from campaign spokesman Dan Levittan – which lumped Malliotakis and independent candidate Bo Dietl together.
"The choice on Tuesday is between a Mayor who has driven crime to record lows, raised wages for thousands of workers, built affordable housing at a record pace, and two Trump-supporting Republicans who have campaigned on stunt after stunt because they have no real ideas for improving New York City," Levittan's statement said.
Malliotakis spoke to reporters outside a Madison Avenue apartment building owned by real estate developer Jona Rechnitz – one of Mayor de Blasio's top campaign donors.
Testifying in the trial of former correction officers' union boss Norman Seabrook, Rechnitz said he donated and raised tens of thousands of dollars for de Blasio's campaign in exchange for favors – including getting a break on building violations at the Madison Avenue property.
Malliotakis was happy to show that the story made the front page of the New York Daily News.
Department of Buildings records show in 2014, Rechnitz had 11 complaints and several violations for using his Madison Avenue apartments as a hotel or massage parlor. But the Daily News reported that after Rechnitz donated more than $100,000 to de Blasio's campaign on behalf of Democratic state Senate candidates in 2014 – and paid off fines in January 2015 – inspectors seemed to turn a blind eye.
Buildings records show 19 more complaints about illegal hotel activity in 2015 with inspectors, resulting in no violations.
Malliotakis believes Rechnitz's testimony will likely launch a new federal investigation into de Blasio's campaign fundraising. De Blasio was never charged with any wrongdoing, and has said Rechnitz is a felon and a liar.