What It's Cost de Blasio to Stay Out of Court

Mayor Bill de Blasio still owes more than a quarter of a million dollars in legal fees stemming from corruption investigations into his fundraising and political activities, according to newly released financial disclosure forms.

The form shows de Blasio owes between $250,000 and $500,000 to the law firm Kramer, Levin, Naftalis and Frankel LLP. A spokeswoman for the mayor, Natalie Grybauskas, said the total was about $300,000 and pertained to the probe looking into the mayor’s efforts to help the Democrats retake the state senate in 2014. State and federal prosecutors ultimately found there wasn’t enough evidence to bring criminal charges against the mayor.

Grybauskas said the mayor still plans to form a legal defense fund although she declined to offer specifics on how that might work. Last year, the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board issued an advisory opinion that said donations to a legal defense fund are gifts and therefore capped at $50 for donors with business before the city.

De Blasio could seek a waiver from that limit. The Conflicts of Interest Board said no such waiver has been issued. The agency won’t comment on whether or not someone has requested a waiver.

It’s also possible the City Council could help by approving an ordinance that would relax the donation limit stipulated by the Conflict of Interest Board.