NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has agreed to pay a $329,794 fine to settle an that he misspent public funds on his security detail during his brief, failed run for U.S. president.
The deal, announced Wednesday by the city鈥檚 Conflicts of Interest Board, is the costliest repayment order in the ethics board鈥檚 history. But it allows de Blasio to avoid an even steeper , a reduction the board said came in light of the former mayor鈥檚 鈥渇inancial situation.鈥�
In exchange, de Blasio agreed to drop his appeal of the board鈥檚 finding. And for the first time, he admitted that he received written warning that his out-of-state security expenses could not legally be covered by city taxpayers.
鈥淚n contradiction of the written guidance I received from the Board, I did not reimburse the City for these expenses,鈥� de Blasio wrote in the settlement, adding: 鈥淚 made a mistake and I deeply regret it.鈥�
The payments concern the $319,794.20 in travel-related expenses 鈥� including airfare, lodging, meals 鈥� that de Blasio鈥檚 security detail incurred while accompanying him on trips across the country during his presidential campaign in 2019. He will also pay a $10,000 fine.
The campaign elicited a mix of mockery and grousing by city residents, who accused the Democrat of abandoning his duties as second-term mayor for the national spotlight. It was suspended within four months.
Under the agreement, de Blasio must pay $100,000 immediately, followed by quarterly installments of nearly $15,000 for the next four years. If he misses a payment, he will be deemed in default and ordered to pay the full $475,000.
The funds will eventually make their way back into the city treasury, according to a spokesperson for the Conflicts of Interest Board.
An attorney for de Blasio, Andrew G. Celli Jr., declined to comment on the settlement.
De Blasio had previously argued that forcing him to cover the cost of his security detail鈥檚 travel violated his First Amendment rights by creating an 鈥渦nequal burden鈥� between wealthy candidates and career public servants.
Since leaving office in 2021, de Blasio has worked as a lecturer at multiple universities, most recently the University of Michigan, and delivered paid speeches in Italy.
Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press
