VIDEO: Curtis Sliwa Arrested Outside Gracie Mansion
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Radio talk show host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa was arrested outside Gracie Mansion Tuesday morning.
Sliwa, who is head of the Reform Party, was arrested trying to serve legal papers to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Sliwa says de Blasio, through a representative on the Board of Elections, has arranged for Reform Party candidates to be thrown off the ballot in city elections.
"What the mayor has moved to do is in the general election, he has a challenger: Sal Albanese. That is our candidate, the Reform Party candidate. But unlike those under challengers - Nicole Malliotakis, Bo Dietl - they're on the right, so he's labeled them 'Trump' - he doesn't want Sal running against him because he feels that'll take votes away from him. Because Sal is also challenging him in the general election," Sliwa said.
Sliwa was charged with disorderly conduct.
"Despite Mr. Sliwa's criminal court summons, crime remains at an all-time low in New York City," a spokesman for de Blasio said.
"The mayor really only has himself to blame," Sliwa said. "He started this, and the way he wants to finish this is to have me arrested while functioning in my duty as the New York state Reform Party chairman. What's the problem? Just take the papers, show up in court. Make your argument. Be a man, don't be a wuss. Don't run away in your SUV and do your workout in Park Slope."