New York City taxpayers funded security detail for mayor's son's Yale trips: Report
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has come under fire for allegedly enlisting his taxpayer-funded executive protection detail to drive his son to and from Yale University, according to a report.
De Blasio, who is fresh off his failed bid for Democratic candidate for president, ordered the members of the New York City Police Department’s Executive Protection Unit to cart his son, Dante, to and from the New Haven, Conn., university at least seven times during his first year in college, the New York Daily News reported Monday.
“There was no justification,” a former member of the unit told the News. “If you were told to bring him home from Yale, that’s what we did.”
Democratic presidential candidate New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio delivers campaign speech as his wife Chirlane McCray and his son Dante de Blasio look on at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, Aug. 11, 2019. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Dante, who graduated from Yale in 2019, did not face any security risks at the time, according to the report.
But a spokesperson for the Mayor's Office told FOX Business the Mayor "did not order a security detail for Dante."
"The NYPD determines the security needs of the First Family," the statement continues. "There were credible threats against Dante earlier in the Administration, and the NYPD took the steps necessary to ensure his safety."
A police department spokesperson would not comment or confirm the report, writing in an emailed statement to FOX Business: “We do not discuss security matters regarding the protection of the mayor, his family, or other elected officials.”
New York City’s Department of Investigation, which probes corruption of public officials in the city, is looking into how de Blasio has used members of the detail to benefit his children, according to the outlet.
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When reached for comment Monday, a DOI spokesperson told FOX Business the department was aware of the matter, but would not comment further.
De Blasio, who announced in September he was dropping out of the presidential race, also had detectives from the unit drive the then-teenager to see his uncle, who lived nearby, according to the report citing unnamed sources.
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It’s not the first time the Big Apple mayor has allegedly enlisted his security team to do tasks unrelated to his actual security.
The Daily News also reported how he ordered members of the security unit to help move his daughter, Chiara, out of her Brooklyn apartment.
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This report was updated to include a comment from Mayor Bill De Blasio's office.