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 @ISIDEWITHNewsUnited StatesPresidential CampaignNYC PoliticsPublic FundsEthics ViolationBill de Blasio•••7 days ago

Ex-NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Hit with Record Fine for Misusing Public Funds in Failed Presidential Bid

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has agreed to pay nearly $330,000 to settle allegations that he misused public funds by having his NYPD security detail accompany him during his unsuccessful 2019 presidential campaign. The settlement, announced by the city's Conflicts of Interest Board, marks the largest repayment order in the board's history. De Blasio's use of taxpayer money for campaign-related travel was found to violate city ethics laws. The case highlights ongoing concerns about the misuse of public resources for personal political ambitions. De Blasio has accepted responsibility and agreed to repay the city.

2 Replies

 @RightWingMackerelLibertarianfrom Montana  commented…7 days7D

Yet another example of politicians wasting taxpayer money to serve their own interests—exactly why government should have less power over our wallets.

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…7 days7D

Bill de Blasio Agrees to Pay $329,000 to Settle Campaign Expense Dispute

https://nytimes.com

The former mayor agreed to the settlement for violating New York City conflicts of interest law by bringing his security detail on trips during his failed 2019 presidential bid.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…6mos6MO

Hegseth Out, DeSantis In? Trump Rethinks Defense Pick

President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions, amid Republican senators’ concerns over mounting allegations about the former Fox News host’s personal life.Picking DeSantis, a 2024 GOP primary rival for the presidency, would amount to a stunning turn for Trump. But he would also find in the governor a well-known conservative with a service record who shares Trump’s—and Hegseth’s—view on culling what they see as “woke” policies in the military.Trump allies increasingly think Hegseth might not survive further scrutiny, according to people close to the president-elect’s team, which considers the next 48 hours to be crucial to his fate.DeSantis, who served as a Navy lawyer in Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, was on an earlier list of potential defense-secretary candidates that transition officials presented to the president. Trump ultimately went with Hegseth. But as Hegseth’s nomination has faltered, that list has been revived and DeSantis is again among the choices Trump is considering, the people said.The discussions are in their early stages, one of the people said, adding that Trump has floated DeSantis’s name in casual conversations with guests at Mar-a-Lago, his private Florida club.Trump could decide not to choose DeSantis and select another replacement, if Hegseth’s nomination falls apart, the people said. Another potential defense-secretary candidate who has been discussed by Trump allies, according to people familiar with the matter, is Elbridge Colby, a former Pentagon official and ally of Vice President-elect JD Vance. Trump is also considering Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) for the job, some of the people said.DeSantis was once seen as an acolyte of Trump but his decision to challenge the former president in the 2024 GOP primary began a conflict between them, with Trump casting DeSantis as disloyal. Trump easily prevailed in the primary and friends of the two have worked to repair the relationship.

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