Michael Bloomberg: I Don't Know If NYPD, CIA Broke Laws

NEW YORK -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he doesn't know whether laws were broken in the collaboration between the CIA and the New York Police Department.

The Associated Press asked Bloomberg on Thursday about the CIA's investigation into the relationship. The mayor says the NYPD "was very careful to obey the law and to try to do what's necessary to keep us safe."

Bloomberg says that he has no way of knowing if any laws were broken, but that he'd guess none were.

An AP investigation found that after 9/11, the CIA helped the NYPD build intelligence-gathering programs that monitored life in Muslim communities and infiltrated mosques and student organizations.

The U.S. government's top intelligence official has said it looks bad for the CIA to be working with city police departments.

"It's my own personal view that that's not a good optic, to have CIA involved in any city-level police department," said James Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence. "But I think CIA is going to address that."

Last month, an AP investigation revealed the anti-terror program. Both the police department and CIA have taken heat for accusations that the program targeted and spied on minority communities.

Comments

[aliasooze]

12:52 AM on 10/02/2011

He doesn't know if they broke laws...but they are arresting hundreds of people and they can shoot planes out of the sky. But they didn't when it mattered most.

[Charles Queen]

03:20 AM on 09/17/2011

It would take them both working together in order to acomplish much of anything at all

[bar1ed]

04:33 PM on 09/16/2011

Doesn't seem to know much of anything!

[hemorrhage]

03:37 PM on 09/16/2011

How about an article about Mr. Bloomberg committing perjury on his campaign finance compliance forms, which he signed? He might not know he broke the law, but he sure did. DA Vance, if you aren't too busy massage Mayor Mike's feet, perhaps you can have someone look into this...

[Bnarachi]

01:12 PM on 09/16/2011

How about Mr Bloomburg for president as an independent ?

[jackdaniel58]

07:45 PM on 09/15/2011

I don't know. I hire people for that.

[gramma61]

01:35 AM on 09/16/2011

Bloomberg might get heat for this but NY has done some excellent and smart things for their own safety in this new and unpredictable world of ours.
As far as optics..I think it's laudable that agencies work together...
There are bound to be screw ups or something someone isn't going to agree with...Caution and sensitivity need to be very key in every decision made...

[Pumpsie]

06:25 PM on 09/15/2011

Bloomberg says that he doesn't know if laws were broken, but he's guessing that they weren't.

So, that's that.

Everyone go back to watching American Idol. Nothing to see here. ;)

[Jasper Jackson]

04:37 PM on 09/15/2011

You investigate the suspicious. Oddly, the Mayor who sued GA gunshops now pretends he doesn't know what the law is. It seems a dubious partnership at best - did the Police have warrants to conduct these investigations? If not, they have violated many civil rights.