Mayor de Blasio on Thursday used video testimonials from four supposed Average Joe New Yorkers to praise his administration’s first 100 days in office — without revealing that one is related to his bishop pal in whose arrest he intervened.
During an hour-long speech at Cooper Union, de Blasio inexplicably drew a link to one of the biggest screw-ups of his short tenure by allowing Bishop Eric Garnes, Rev. Orlando Findlayter’s brother-in-law, to appear in the short clip.
In early February, de Blasio called a top NYPD official following Findlayter’s arrest for a traffic infraction in Brooklyn. The bishop was released from a nearby precinct soon afterward, despite an outstanding warrant.
Amid questions about the propriety of the call, City Hall officials insisted the decision to release Findlayter was made by the precinct commander before de Blasio’s inquiry.
Ironically, Garnes’ video boost of the administration centers on NYPD and community relations.
“In the last 100 days, we have experienced a tremendous connection between the police department and the community,” Garnes, who, like Findlayter, is a clergy liaison to Brooklyn’s 67 Precinct, says in the clip.
“Many of our young people are feeling a lot more comfortable about walking through the streets and not having to worry about being mishandled.”
De Blasio never identified Garnes as a precinct liaison or a relative of a pal.
Instead, he said the four adults in the video were “some New Yorkers who have seen this vision of a progressive city at work, and will tell you what it means for their lives.”
After the short clip, during which City Hall was also praised for its pre-kindergarten, after-school and paid sick-leave agenda, de Blasio added: “Their stories are just a few powerful examples of what real change means.”
Garnes, who was among the hundreds who attended the speech, told The Post the administration had recently approached him to appear in the clip because of his work as a clergy liaison.
He also noted that his church, Tabernacle of Praise Cathedral in East Flatbush, is well known, and said the clip had been filmed Tuesday morning inside City Hall.
“The office called my office and asked if I was available,” he said. “They specifically asked me to talk about crime and how the community is relating to the police department, and have we seen some changes that makes people a lot more comfortable — specifically because of the change in the law, of the stop and frisk law.”
De Blasio recently moved to settle a lawsuit against the city that charged the NYPD with racially-biased implementation of stop and frisk.
He has made improving cooperation between the police and communities a central tenant of his young administration.
After the speech, Garnes weaved his way through the crowd to approach the mayor, who was glad-handing well-wishers near the stage area.
Garnes greeted de Blasio warmly and they chatted for about a minute.
The mayor’s office defended inviting Garnes.
“Bishop Garnes is a respected clergy member and community leader and we appreciate his work to bring police and communities closer together,” said City Hall spokeswoman Marti Adams. “We’re thankful that he agreed to share his story with the city today.”