This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/nyregion/joseph-esposito-fired-snow-nyc-oem.html
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| After Snowstorm, Official in Charge of Emergency Response Was Asked to Resign. He Refused. | After Snowstorm, Official in Charge of Emergency Response Was Asked to Resign. He Refused. |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] | [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] |
| Weeks after New York City officials were caught off-guard by a freakish November snowstorm, Mayor Bill de Blasio seemed to be caught flat-footed again — this time, by a botched attempt to push out his emergency management commissioner, Joseph Esposito. | Weeks after New York City officials were caught off-guard by a freakish November snowstorm, Mayor Bill de Blasio seemed to be caught flat-footed again — this time, by a botched attempt to push out his emergency management commissioner, Joseph Esposito. |
| Firing top officials has not been the mayor’s strong suit. He rarely does it, even amid scandal. But the handling of Mr. Esposito’s possible departure — a three-day misadventure where no one seemed to know whether he had been fired — left even supporters of the mayor publicly challenging the process. | |
| The chaos began on Friday, as a deputy mayor met with Mr. Esposito, whose role includes helping to coordinate the city’s response to acts of terrorism and major snowstorms. | The chaos began on Friday, as a deputy mayor met with Mr. Esposito, whose role includes helping to coordinate the city’s response to acts of terrorism and major snowstorms. |
| The deputy mayor, Laura Anglin, asked Mr. Esposito to resign, according to a person briefed on the exchange. | The deputy mayor, Laura Anglin, asked Mr. Esposito to resign, according to a person briefed on the exchange. |
| Mr. Esposito refused. | Mr. Esposito refused. |
| Ms. Anglin told him that he would be fired. Mr. Esposito said that he would need to hear that directly from Mr. de Blasio, the person said. | Ms. Anglin told him that he would be fired. Mr. Esposito said that he would need to hear that directly from Mr. de Blasio, the person said. |
| But Mr. de Blasio wasn’t even in town: He was on his way to Vermont to spend the weekend with Senator Bernie Sanders. Mr. Esposito tried to reach the mayor by phone, but was unsuccessful, the person said. | But Mr. de Blasio wasn’t even in town: He was on his way to Vermont to spend the weekend with Senator Bernie Sanders. Mr. Esposito tried to reach the mayor by phone, but was unsuccessful, the person said. |
| When the mayor re-emerged in New York on Monday, he took the highly unusual stance of refusing to publicly either support or fire Mr. Esposito. He also canceled his lone scheduled appearance, a weekly interview on NY1, and instead agreed to meet Mr. Esposito at Gracie Mansion. | When the mayor re-emerged in New York on Monday, he took the highly unusual stance of refusing to publicly either support or fire Mr. Esposito. He also canceled his lone scheduled appearance, a weekly interview on NY1, and instead agreed to meet Mr. Esposito at Gracie Mansion. |
| Mr. Esposito emerged from the roughly one-hour meeting without commenting, his fate still unclear. | Mr. Esposito emerged from the roughly one-hour meeting without commenting, his fate still unclear. |
| Thus played out one of the more bizarre personnel snafus ever to unravel under Mr. de Blasio, a designation with competition: Nine months ago, the mayor announced the hiring of a new schools chancellor, only to have the candidate reject the offer a day later. | Thus played out one of the more bizarre personnel snafus ever to unravel under Mr. de Blasio, a designation with competition: Nine months ago, the mayor announced the hiring of a new schools chancellor, only to have the candidate reject the offer a day later. |
| It was not at all clear how the decision to ask for Mr. Esposito’s resignation, reported by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, was made, or whether Ms. Anglin acted on her own or at the direction of Mr. de Blasio. | It was not at all clear how the decision to ask for Mr. Esposito’s resignation, reported by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, was made, or whether Ms. Anglin acted on her own or at the direction of Mr. de Blasio. |
| The was-he-or-wasn’t-he-fired episode added another surreal layer to last month’s snowstorm that paralyzed much of New York City, and brought wide criticism on how the de Blasio administration handled it. | The was-he-or-wasn’t-he-fired episode added another surreal layer to last month’s snowstorm that paralyzed much of New York City, and brought wide criticism on how the de Blasio administration handled it. |
| On Monday morning, Mr. Esposito was at his desk and said he was still employed by the city. “Yeah. I’m in the office now,” he said when reached by phone. | On Monday morning, Mr. Esposito was at his desk and said he was still employed by the city. “Yeah. I’m in the office now,” he said when reached by phone. |
| The demand for his resignation threw many in New York City government into a state of uncertainty. Top officials at the police, fire and sanitation departments said they knew nothing of the firing of Mr. Esposito, formerly the Police Department’s highest-ranking uniformed member. | The demand for his resignation threw many in New York City government into a state of uncertainty. Top officials at the police, fire and sanitation departments said they knew nothing of the firing of Mr. Esposito, formerly the Police Department’s highest-ranking uniformed member. |
| For much of the day, members of the Council offered praise for Mr. Esposito and bafflement at the administration’s apparent effort to fire him. | For much of the day, members of the Council offered praise for Mr. Esposito and bafflement at the administration’s apparent effort to fire him. |
| Joe Borelli, a Staten Island city councilman and chairman of the committee that oversees emergency management, defended Mr. Esposito, saying that there was no indication that he was responsible for the problems that occurred during the snowstorm. | Joe Borelli, a Staten Island city councilman and chairman of the committee that oversees emergency management, defended Mr. Esposito, saying that there was no indication that he was responsible for the problems that occurred during the snowstorm. |
| “There was never any implication that he was the one overseeing any of the problems,” Mr. Borelli said. “It’s unclear why they decided on Friday to make him the scapegoat when his reputation is fairly good among colleagues of mine in every borough and every neighborhood.” | “There was never any implication that he was the one overseeing any of the problems,” Mr. Borelli said. “It’s unclear why they decided on Friday to make him the scapegoat when his reputation is fairly good among colleagues of mine in every borough and every neighborhood.” |
| Legal experts and former city officials said that a deputy mayor did not have the authority to unilaterally fire a commissioner appointed by the mayor, as Mr. Esposito was by Mr. de Blasio in 2014. | Legal experts and former city officials said that a deputy mayor did not have the authority to unilaterally fire a commissioner appointed by the mayor, as Mr. Esposito was by Mr. de Blasio in 2014. |
| Ms. Anglin made her demand for Mr. Esposito’s resignation late last week at the emergency management headquarters in Brooklyn, according to the person who was briefed on the exchange. She was in the building to attend what was described as a routine meeting to follow up on the city’s response to the storm. | Ms. Anglin made her demand for Mr. Esposito’s resignation late last week at the emergency management headquarters in Brooklyn, according to the person who was briefed on the exchange. She was in the building to attend what was described as a routine meeting to follow up on the city’s response to the storm. |
| After that meeting, she met with Mr. Esposito, the person said. | After that meeting, she met with Mr. Esposito, the person said. |
| Mr. Esposito refused to provide details or say whether he had a one-on-one meeting with Ms. Anglin. “She was here for a couple of meetings,” he said. | Mr. Esposito refused to provide details or say whether he had a one-on-one meeting with Ms. Anglin. “She was here for a couple of meetings,” he said. |
| The mayor’s office offered no clarity; Mr. de Blasio’s press secretary, Eric F. Phillips, would neither confirm nor deny Mr. Esposito’s firing, saying that City Hall had nothing to say on the matter “at this time.” | The mayor’s office offered no clarity; Mr. de Blasio’s press secretary, Eric F. Phillips, would neither confirm nor deny Mr. Esposito’s firing, saying that City Hall had nothing to say on the matter “at this time.” |
| Ms. Anglin refused to answer questions as she walked out of City Hall on Monday. “You have to talk to the press office. I have nothing to say,” she said. | Ms. Anglin refused to answer questions as she walked out of City Hall on Monday. “You have to talk to the press office. I have nothing to say,” she said. |
| The sanitation commissioner, Kathryn Garcia, said on Monday that she attended a meeting at the emergency management offices, which included Ms. Anglin and other senior officials and staff members. She described it as a “run-of-the-mill” meeting focused on improving the city’s response in similar situations and on how “you share data in an emergency.” | The sanitation commissioner, Kathryn Garcia, said on Monday that she attended a meeting at the emergency management offices, which included Ms. Anglin and other senior officials and staff members. She described it as a “run-of-the-mill” meeting focused on improving the city’s response in similar situations and on how “you share data in an emergency.” |
| She said that she had not been notified of any changes in the leadership at the emergency management office. | She said that she had not been notified of any changes in the leadership at the emergency management office. |
| Mr. Esposito appeared along with several city officials on Thursday at a City Council hearing on the city’s response to the snowstorm. Council members mostly questioned Ms. Garcia; Mr. Esposito rarely spoke. | Mr. Esposito appeared along with several city officials on Thursday at a City Council hearing on the city’s response to the snowstorm. Council members mostly questioned Ms. Garcia; Mr. Esposito rarely spoke. |
| “The problem was that the event was only broadcast as a flurry — just a dusting — so that’s what everyone was reacting to, or working toward until the day of the snow,” he said at one point. “This event caught us off guard because of the bad forecast.” | “The problem was that the event was only broadcast as a flurry — just a dusting — so that’s what everyone was reacting to, or working toward until the day of the snow,” he said at one point. “This event caught us off guard because of the bad forecast.” |