At his first political fundraiser since the federal and state investigations into his political activities were revealed, a defiant Mayor Bill de Blasio told his supporters that powerful wealthy forces are out to get him. But he says he isn't backing down. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.
After getting battered for weeks in the media over multiple investigations, Mayor Bill de Blasio is firing back. At a re-election fundraiser, he accused unnamed media titans in the city of trying to stop him.
"There are billionaire media owners who don't want to see change in this city, who want to distract us, who want to lull us to sleep, who want to keep us from making the changes this city needs," the mayor said.
That was as close as the mayor got Thursday night to referencing the investigations swirling around City Hall. He has said repeatedly that he and his team followed the law and that a double standard is being applied. And he made clear at his closed-door fundraiser that he is plowing ahead with his reelection campaign.
"We are not finished by any stretch, my friends. In fact, we have only just begun to fight," de Blasio said.
More than 600 supporters showed up for his birthday party re-election fundraiser, an event held at Brooklyn Bowl and headlined by the popular comedian Louis CK.
There were no protesters. Instead, the mayor's fans were eager to defend him and publicly shrug off the investigations and the bad headlines that have come with them.
"This will go away in a few weeks," said one supporter. "The mayor is a very credible man. He stood by the community. He didn't do nothing wrong."
"I think it's just stories to sell papers," said another. "He says four more years and a lot of people say yes, four more years. We're ready to go."
The mayor says he is ready to go, too.