A Mayor Bloomberg Do Over: Using Charities To Further Mayor de Blasio's Interests

by Gary Snyder


If this sounds familiar it should be.

Less than a month before Mayor Bill de Blasio struck a major contract agreement with the United Federation of Teachers, its parent union, the American Federation of Teachers, gave $350,000 to a nonprofit run by de Blasio advisers, which lobbies on behalf of the mayor's priorities, newly released records show.

The AFT's donation, on April 9, was the largest donation to the de Blasio-affiliated nonprofit, Campaign For One New York, since it was founded after the mayor was elected last November. Its timing raises questions about the ability of outside interests to advance their agendas before the city by supporting a nonprofit close to the mayor.

Mr. de Blasio's backers contributed heavily to Campaign For One New York. In fact, Mr. de Blasio did not publicly disclose headlining a fundraiser for the Campaign For One New York earlier this year.

The group was formed to advance the mayor's signature social reform: universal prekindergarten.The nonprofit is now transitioning to other areas of importance to the mayor.

This is a mirror image of what Mayor Bloomberg did in his administration. There was some backlash but it quickly blew over.



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