De Blasio Insists He Did Nothing Wrong After Pastor’s Arrest
BY JILL COLVIN AND COLIN CAMPBELL
Mayor Bill de Blasio was placed on the defense today, fielding question after question about a controversial phone call he placed to police after a campaign supporter was arrested Monday night
The supporter, Bishop Orlando Findlayter, avoided a night in jail despite two open warrants, prompting accusations of favoritism and interference. But Mr. de Blasio, his talking points mastered, repeatedly insisted he only inquired about Mr. Findlayter’s status.
“I think all of this is case-by-case and this is an unusual situation here. A very prominent member of the clergy obviously was experiencing a pretty unusual situation. So I thought it was appropriate to make an inquiry and I got a response. And that’s the end of the story,” said the mayor, speaking with the media at a storm briefing in Brooklyn.
The decision to release Mr. Findlayter, Mr. de Blasio said again and again, was made by a local commander before word of the mayor’s inquiry had reached the precinct. He maintained the NYPD handled the matter “100 percent appropriately.”
http://politicker.com/2014/02/de-blasio-insists-he-did-nothing-wrong-after-pastors-arrest/
