Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, said Tuesday that the Staten Island district attorney should investigate Rudy Giuliani for falsely reporting a crime while campaigning for his son.
Mr Giuliani had claimed he was assaulted at a Staten Island supermarket, a complaint that led to the arrest of an employee there named Daniel Gill. But video footage later obtained by the New York Post showed Mr. Gill slapping him on the back, seriously undermining the accusations of Mr. Giuliani that he had been physically assaulted and nearly shot down.
These accusations were amplified by Mr.’s son. Giuliani, Andrew Giuliani, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor in Tuesday’s primaries.
Finally, prosecutors downgraded their charges against Mr. Gill from second-degree assault, a felony, to third-degree assault, second-degree harassment, and third-degree threats, all misdemeanors. Mr. Gill spent more than 24 hours in police custody.
On Tuesday, Mr. Adams said prosecutors should turn their attention to Mr. Weather in Giuliani.
“I think the district attorney has the wrong person who is investigating,” Mr. Adams, during an unrelated media availability in Harlem. “Reporting a crime falsely is a crime. Were it not for this video, this person would have been accused of punching the former mayor. “
Mr. Adams said he was talking to police commissioner Keechant Sewell about whether Mr. Giuliani in themselves constituted a crime.
“When you watch the video, the guy basically passed by and slapped him on the back,” Mr. Adams. “It was clear that they did not punch him in the head. It was clear he didn’t feel like a bullet. It was clear that he was not about to fall to the ground.
Mr. Giuliani did not respond to a request for comment. The Legal Aid Society, which represents Mr. Gill, made no immediate comment.
“The prosecutor’s office is declining comments pending the open case and the investigation,” said Ryan Lavis, a spokesman for Michael McMahon, the Staten Island district attorney.
“What if we didn’t have the video?” asked the mayor on Tuesday. “This person would have been charged with a felony, when all he did was slap him in the back. You can’t make sensationalism to carry out your own agenda, and you can’t use the police to carry out your own agenda ”.