NYC Mayor Rewards His Supporters With Cabinet Positions

The donors in de Blasio’s cabinet

By Sally Goldenberg and Zach Bergson Jan. 16, 2014

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Eight of Mayor Bill de Blasio's top appointees are also de Blasio donors.

According to a review of campaign finance records, members of his nascent cabinet spent a total of $25,775 on his mayoral, public advocate and Council races from 2001 through 2013.

The most generous donor was the mayor's longtime friend and adviser Peter Ragone, who donated $14,850 to de Blasio's various races from 2009 through last year.

The mayor recently named Ragone his senior adviser, with an annual salary of $212,614.

(When he announced Ragone, a longtime Democratic strategist, de Blasio said, "figuratively, we have walked through fire together.")

Another donor was Bill Chong, who de Blasio appointed as his commissioner of youth and community development at a salary of $192,198. Chong gave $3,750 to de Blasio's races over the past 13 years, records show.

De Blasio's spokeswoman did not comment on the donations, but a source noted his longtime relationship with both Ragone and Chong, who previously served in the Bloomberg administration.

Other donors who have been appointed include first deputy mayor Anthony Shorris, who gave $2,700; Shorris' chief of staff, Dominic Williams, who donated $300; children's services commissioner Gladys Carrion, who gave $175; deputy mayor Alicia Glen, who gave $250; schools chancellor Carmen Fari&mtilde;a and her husband Antonio, who gave $3,375; and deputy mayor Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, who donated $375.

De Blasio has made 22 top-level appointments, excluding staff.

Several of them also gave to his opponents over the years.

For example, Glen also gave $1,000 to Bill Thompson in 2012. Zachary Carter, the incoming corporation counsel, also donated to Thompson's mayoral campaign.