Opinion

Team de Blasio is accused of campaign crimes far beyond ordinary politics

Mayor Bill de Blasio still insists his team’s fundraising schemes were nothing unusual in New York politics. What they did to help Democratic state Senate candidates in 2014 was “a very normal reality,” he said Monday on Hot 97.

No, it’s not: The alleged schemes run far beyond the normal.

One huge difference is the state Board of Elections charge that Team de Blasio’s involvement stretched all the way to telling campaigns how to spend the money — namely, to hire the mayor’s favored consultants, such as BerlinRosen and AKPD Message and Media.

If that holds up, then Team de Blasio wasn’t just using upstate Democratic committees as cutouts to fund its favored candidates’ campaigns. It was also using the campaigns as cutouts to pay its own cronies.
Such micro-management is light years beyond what state law envisions in letting party committees help fund local campaigns.

Of course, the allegations also run to crossing the line in dumping funds on those party committees. The Board of Elex memo notes, “Team de Blasio held discussions with the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee concerning who would be paying for what aspect of the campaign” and how to identify the de Blasio-raised money.

Having the cash from “independent” donors flagged as really coming from you isn’t “usual,” either.

Beyond all that is the question of what if any favors were promised to the city-based donors for their upstate donations.

De Blasio’s other wall of fog is to insist that Michael Bloomberg, as mayor, spent big to help keep the Senate in GOP hands.

Bull: First off, Bloomberg spent his own money. Second, he gave to Democrats, too.

Third, Board of Elections records show that Mayor Mike didn’t give a dime to GOP county committees outside the five boroughs.

Nor is there the slightest hint that Bloomberg ever asked anyone with business before the city to give large donations to obscure upstate Republican committees.

That was one of the advertised benefits of having a multibillionaire as mayor: He never sold out the public to benefit his own financial interests, because he had no need.

Almost makes you a little nostalgic . . .