De Blasio's Political Consultants: A Conflict Of Interest?
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio has outside political consultants who have been paid upwards of $2 million during his first 18 months in office.
The bill though, is not paid by taxpayers. Instead, nonprofit Campaign For One New York is footing the bill, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.
Its donors include real estate developers and union leaders, and there are no contribution limits, according to Citizen Union Executive Dick Dadey.
Dadey said that the practice is legal because there have been no laws passed to define what he called 'a very serious conflict of interest.'
"These same consultants are wearing two hats -- one helping the mayor think through how to move his agenda forward and the other representing clients who are trying to influence the thinking of the mayor and City Hall," Dadey said. "They collide and they should not."
Karen Hinton, the mayor's press secretary said two consultants in question have not and will not lobby on behalf of clients, and there is no conflict of interest.
