Mayor Bloomberg Asks Charities for a Political Favor

Staff members at several nonprofit groups that receive charitable gifts from Michael R. Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, say they have been asked to express their support for Mr. Bloomberg’s third-term bid, reports The New York Times.

The council will soon vote on a bill that would amend the city’s term limits law, allowing Mr. Bloomberg and dozens of elected officials to serve 12 years in office, rather than the current eight.

Some employees said the requests put them in an uncomfortable position, as they feel that if they do not assist the mayor, their donations from him may be endangered. During public hearings in the council last week, five nonprofit groups testified on behalf of the mayor but did not disclose that they had received money from him.

Top political figures in New York denounced Mayor Bloomberg’s efforts to enlist charities to help his political bid, calling it coercive, the newspaper reports in a follow-up article

Senior officials in the Bloomberg administration said that the groups whose support the mayor is seeking have not been offered a quid pro quo or been threatened.

Mr. Bloomberg has long been a major philanthropist and last year ranked No. 7 on The Chronicle’s list of America’s top donors.

(Free registration is required to view the Times articles.)