FBI Raids Headquarters of NYPD Union That Publicly Opposed Biden
FBI agents on Tuesday raided the New York headquarters for the Sergeants Benevolent Association, a union for active and retired New York City Police Department members that strongly supported then-President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
The 13,000-member union is New York’s second-largest police union, CNN reported. While it is unclear exactly what investigators were looking for, the outlet reported a search warrant was executed early Tuesday.
The outlet also reported a home on Long Island in the community of Port Washington was also visited by agents as part of an investigation. The home reportedly belongs to SBA President Ed Mullins.
There is no word yet regarding what that investigation might be related to.
One FBI agent told CNN the execution of the warrants was “in connection with an ongoing investigation.”
No arrests were made on Tuesday, according to ABC News.
The New York Times reported the search was executed by the FBI and the public corruption unit in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mullins and other members of the police union have been vocal about their support for Trump and their opposition to their city’s public officials, especially Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Mullins has also challenged NYPD leadership for failing to stand up for the city’s embattled police force.
Just hours before the FBI raid, the SBA tweeted a letter authored by Mullins that criticized de Blasio for plans to privatize security at Rikers Island, which is the city’s largest jail complex. The action at Rikers, Mullins said, would make the climate at the jail less safe, and would be done at the expense of trained corrections personnel.
Unite against union-busting efforts! pic.twitter.com/PkBolBZTz9
— SBA (@SBANYPD) October 4, 2021
Mullins in the letter accused de Blasio of “dereliction of duty” and creating a hazardous environment at the jail complex, making matters worse by replacing seasoned corrections officers with private security officers.
The SBA took de Blasio to task continuously throughout 2020 as rioters and other criminals acted in some cases with impunity, thanks in large part to New York’s bail reform laws.
The SBA even called out de Blasio’s daughter last summer for allegedly engaging in rioting in the city. Mullins recently faced internal discipline charges after sharing a police report on Twitter documenting her arrest, according to the Times.
De Blasio commented on Tuesday’s federal raid when speaking at a news conference.
“I don’t know the specifics and I don’t know who it’s directed at,” he said, according to WPIX-TV. “We’ve seen some very destructive actions from the SBA.”
The New York City mayor also called Mullins “divisive.”
Prior to the 2020 election, Mullins announced that the SBA had given Trump its full endorsement, Fox News reported. The SBA president last November urged New Yorkers to “vote for President Trump.”
“Your vote is your choice. I just ask that you remember that it is more than a choice between two men,” Mullins said at the time. “It is a choice between world views that will have a very direct impact on police across the nation.”
“The Trump Administration has an undisputed record of supporting police officers at a time when many other segments of society are abandoning or openly attacking us,” Mullins continued.
“The Administration publicly pushed back on irresponsible policies ranging from sanctuary city mandates releasing dangerous criminals back onto the streets, to efforts to deny officers of body armor and other life-saving gear, to misguided mandates revising operating procedures in ways that endanger officers and public safety.”
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