Bill de Blasio has agreed to repay $329,794 to the City of New York, concluding a protracted ethics dispute over his use of taxpayer money to fund his NYPD security detail’s travel during his 2019 presidential campaign.
The city’s Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB) disclosed the settlement Wednesday, describing it as the highest financial recovery in its history. The agreement spares the former mayor a previously imposed $475,000 repayment, a reduction attributed to his current financial position.
As part of the resolution, de Blasio has formally withdrawn his legal appeal and acknowledged — explicitly for the first time — that he had received written advice warning that public funds could not legally be used to cover campaign-related travel outside the city.
“In contradiction of the written guidance I received from the Board, I did not reimburse the City for these expenses,” he stated in the agreement. “I made a mistake and I deeply regret it.”
The case centers around $319,794.20 in expenses linked to airfare, accommodations, and meals for the police officers who accompanied him across the country in the months leading up to the suspension of his campaign. He will also pay a $10,000 civil fine.
Under the payment plan, de Blasio is required to deliver $100,000 upfront. The remaining balance will be paid in quarterly installments of approximately $15,000 over four years. Failure to meet any installment will trigger immediate liability for the original $475,000 sum.
A spokesperson for the ethics board said the funds will be returned to the city budget.
De Blasio’s legal representative, Andrew G. Celli Jr., declined to comment on the agreement. Previously, the former mayor had argued that requiring repayment imposed an unconstitutional financial disadvantage on public officials without personal wealth, effectively penalizing them for seeking higher office.
