(WatchDogReport.org) – Leaders of the New York City Fire Department have reportedly reversed a decision to “hunt” rank-and-file servicemen who booed Empire State’s Attorney General Letitia James during a fire department ceremony.
When the Democrat took to the stage at Brooklyn’s Christian Cultural Center, several members booed her and chanted “Trump!” several times. The FDNY’s Chief of Department, John Hodgens, responded to the behavior by calling it “unacceptable” and warning that the culprits who appeared on video from the ceremony would be investigated internally. The U-turn comes after a union representing the department’s firefighters raised concerns about potential disciplinary action against its members.
At the event, the FDNY was also preparing to swear in the first black female fire chaplain, Reverend Pamela Holmes. James tried to calm the crowd and said they were in a house of God before the booing escalated to chants of the former president’s name.
Two Staten Island lawyers, Louis Gelormino and Mark Fonte of F&G Legal Group, offered to represent for free any firefighters disciplined for booing at the ceremony. The heckling followed the success of James’ lawsuit, which ordered 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump to pay $355 million after he was found guilty of exaggerating his wealth to secure better loan terms. The president will also have to pay interest and, according to James, could end up paying a total of $450 million. The total will continue to grow until it is paid by the former president. James said that justice had been served and called it a “tremendous victory” for the nation.
Referring to the fire department’s Bureau of Investigation and Trials, Hodgens said in an email to leading FDNY officials that BITS was investigating, and he recommended the hecklers come forward so that they did not have to “hunt them down.” Gelormino said the heckling was a “smattering at best” rather than an unacceptable outpouring and criticized Hodgens for making a mountain out of a molehill. Hodgens’ warnings were later contradicted by the FDNY’s spokesperson, who said there was never any investigation into those who booed and that nobody was being hunted down. The spokesperson claimed that the department was looking into who had broken regulations.
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