{"id":465487,"date":"2022-06-20T03:42:28","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T00:42:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/queens-da-melinda-katz-uses-security-detail-as-personal-car-service\/"},"modified":"2022-06-20T03:42:28","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T00:42:28","slug":"queens-da-melinda-katz-uses-security-detail-as-personal-car-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/queens-da-melinda-katz-uses-security-detail-as-personal-car-service\/","title":{"rendered":"#Queens DA Melinda Katz uses security detail as &#8216;personal car service&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dd1f3dd54d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dd1f3dd54d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/queens-da-melinda-katz-uses-security-detail-as-personal-car-service\/#%E2%80%9CQueens_DA_Melinda_Katz_uses_security_detail_as_%E2%80%98personal_car_service%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Queens DA Melinda Katz uses security detail as &#8216;personal car service&#8217;&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1>&#8220;Queens DA Melinda Katz uses security detail as &#8216;personal car service'&#8221;<\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>When it absolutely, positively has to get there \u2026 trust your bodyguards!<\/p>\n<p>Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz used members of her taxpayer-funded security detail to help her move to her new million-dollar digs \u2014 potentially running afoul of ethics rules, The Post has learned.<\/p>\n<p>The borough\u2019s top prosecutor was spotted wearing her gold DA\u2019s badge on her hip last week as she carried four boxes of belongings to a black Ford Expedition parked outside the Forest Hills house where she\u2019s been temporarily living since selling her former childhood home for $1.05 million in February.<\/p>\n<p>She then climbed into the official vehicle and was driven about 1.2 miles by a pair of plainclothes NYPD cops to her new three-bedroom, 2-1\/2 bathroom Colonial-style house, which city records show she bought late last month for $1.1 million.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> was one of four that The Post saw Katz, 56, and her detail make between her old and new homes Tuesday morning. Later in the day, Katz took part in an online Pride event sponsored by her office and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eared to be sitting behind the driver\u2019s seat in the SUV, which had a row of clothes hanging from a rack visible in the rear.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204441.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Child gets into SUV\" class=\"wp-image-22725655\" width=\"618\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204441.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1233 1236w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204441.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=925 927w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204441.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=618 618w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204441.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=308 309w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204441.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px\"\/><figcaption>Katz\u2019s family is moving homes, but not without help from their tax-payer-funded security detail. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kevin C. Downs for The New York Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_02.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz\" class=\"wp-image-22725650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Katz spoke at a Pride seminar from her packed vehicle on June 14. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On Friday morning, The Post also saw members of Katz\u2019s security detail carry various items to the SUV from one of the homes while picking up her and her two kids. One cop made three back-and-forth trips, and the other made two. They carried stuff in their hands and in large black plastic bags.<\/p>\n<p>Sources familiar with Katz\u2019s routine told The Post that members of her security detail also had been hauling flat-screen TVs, groceries and dry cleaning around for her, as well as loading her sons\u2019 bicycles and sports gear into an official SUV, driving the family away and returning several hours later.<\/p>\n<p>Katz also regularly had her security detail show up at her home on weekday\u200b mornings in time for her to accompany her kids as the\u200b cops drove them to school, after which she returned home, dressed for work and left around 10 a.m., sources said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204304.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"The Post captured the scene where Katz had her security detail carrying furniture for her during her move.\" class=\"wp-image-22725654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204304.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204304.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204304.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The Post captured the scene where Katz had her security detail carrying furniture for her during her move. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kevin C. Downs for The New York Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204604.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Melinda Katz\" class=\"wp-image-22725656\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204604.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204604.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204604.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Sources close to Katz said that she had used her security detail for hauling around dry cleaning. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kevin C. Downs for The New York Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cShe uses the detectives as her personal car service,\u201d one source said.<\/p>\n<p>The moves appear to run afoul of provisions in city law that bar elected officials and other public servants from using their positions \u201cto obtain any financial gain, privilege, or other private or personal advantage\u201d and \u201cfrom using City resources for any personal, non-City purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those prohibitions were cited in a 2016 agreement between the city Conflicts of Interest Board and the late Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson, who agreed to pay a $15,000 fine to settle allegations that he illegally had his security detail buy him meals for which they were later reimbursed by the DA\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<p>Blair Horner\u200b of the New York Public Interest Research Group, which advocates for government accountability, said Katz \u201cdeserves protection\u201d because \u201cwe live in a crazy world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut any elected official who needs to have their laundry picked up or their belongings moved should hire a private company to do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are a lot of elected officials who have gotten into trouble for using public resources for private purposes. Public servants are just that.\u201d\u200b<\/p>\n<p>Katz, a Democrat whose annual salary is $212,800, is a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of disgraced former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, having babysat his kids and volunteered on his successful 1993 campaign for city comptroller.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204206.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Security detail loading\/unloading items from SUV\" class=\"wp-image-22725652\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204206.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204206.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_204206.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Katz was moving from her Queens home at the time, using her official vehicle and security detail as help. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kevin C. Downs for The New York Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In return, Hevesi supported Katz\u2019s third-party campaign to replace him in the state Assembly against the local Democratic district leader, who she defeated in a special election in 1994.<\/p>\n<p>During his 2006 reelection campaign for state comptroller, Hevesi was accused by his Republican challenger of using a member of his security detail as his wife\u2019s chauffeur for the previous three years.<\/p>\n<p>Hevesi acknowledged the abuse and im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely paid $83,000 in restitution but was later ordered to cough up another $90,000, then forced to resign and serve 20 months in prison for a $1 million pay-to-play corruption scam with a state pension-fund investor.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_01.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Queens DA Melinda Katz sits with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg on June 6. \" class=\"wp-image-22725649\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Katz sits with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg on June 6. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Mary Altaffer\/AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One source said Hevesi\u2019s downfall had apparently affected the extent to which Katz relies on her security detail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe learned her lesson \u2014 she makes sure she is always in the car with her kids,\u201d said the source said.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for the DA\u2019s office said Katz\u2019s NYPD detail was assigned \u201cfor protection, as has historically been the case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the borough, the DA\u2019s job is 24\/7,\u201d the statement said. \u201cMembers of the detail are physically with the DA for her protection while on a schedule similar to any other working parent \u2013 they accompany her whether she hosts work meetings, attends community events, or tends to the needs of her family.\u201d\u200b<\/p>\n<p><em>Additional reporting by Kevin Sheehan and Nolan Hicks<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/06\/19\/queens-da-melinda-katz-uses-security-detail-as-personal-car-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Queens DA Melinda Katz uses security detail as &#8216;personal car service&#8217;&#8221; When it absolutely, positively has to get there \u2026 trust your bodyguards! Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz used members of her taxpayer-funded security detail to help her move to her new million-dollar digs \u2014 potentially running afoul of ethics rules, The Post has learned&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":465488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/melinda_katz_comp.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[130492,77266,127239,10701,76316,74695,71511,130510,93883,70467,5044,72287],"class_list":["post-465487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-6-19-22","tag-bodyguards","tag-conflicts-of-interest-board","tag-democrats","tag-district-attorneys","tag-ethics","tag-government","tag-ken-thompson","tag-melinda-katz","tag-moving","tag-nypd","tag-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=465487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/465488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=465487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=465487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=465487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}