REMARKS
Mastro's response to concerns about his independence and ability to side against the mayor
5:09:20
·
4 min
Randy Mastro provides a final response to concerns about his independence and ability to side against the mayor if necessary. He emphasizes his track record of standing up to powerful figures and his commitment to upholding the law.
- Mastro highlights his history of suing mayors, governors, and presidents
- He asserts that he will 'speak truth to power' and make decisions based on the law and the city's best interests
- Mastro expresses frustration at not being able to provide specific examples of when he would side against the mayor, citing the need to study each case thoroughly
Randy Mastro
5:09:20
Okay.
5:09:20
Can I respond?
Jumaane Williams
5:09:22
Oh, sure.
5:09:22
Alright.
Randy Mastro
5:09:23
Sure.
5:09:24
Thank you.
5:09:25
I I've already told you that you'll always have an open door to me and nobody, you know, you know, has to sign into anything for me.
5:09:33
I've already told you that when it comes to issues between the mayor and the council that devolve into litigation, that my my position is best practice, absolutely.
5:09:46
The mayor side, if they think something is illegal, that the law of the city passed by the city council, the mayor, you know, has to initiate suit, and court council will represent whichever side the the court council determines consistent with the law is and in the best interest of the city is right.
5:10:04
And I've already told you that I will set up supportive
Jumaane Williams
5:10:07
Can you let me just ask this.
5:10:08
Can have you can you think of any time where a court council had defended anyone except the mayor when it came to any other branch of government.
Randy Mastro
5:10:18
Well, isn't that interesting?
5:10:19
I I I am telling you that I will call though.
UNKNOWN
5:10:23
Wait.
5:10:23
Wait.
Jumaane Williams
5:10:23
Wait.
5:10:24
Before you get there, just can you Okay.
5:10:26
Can you think of any example gonna happen?
Randy Mastro
5:10:29
Historically, I think corp counsel has represented the mayor's office, and I am telling you
Jumaane Williams
5:10:34
as But I I would just say I think one Part of the reason that the form of the dramatic is no longer here is because she was keen on maybe not doing that every single time.
5:10:45
And I believe that based on the things you've said today, based on the examples that I've given you, the opportunity to say, here is where I would defend you public advocate.
5:10:55
I would defend the council.
5:10:56
I will bring controller here on these examples, given very specific examples and not hypotheticals to say on this particular case, I would not defend the mayor.
5:11:07
Is there an example that you can think of right now?
5:11:09
I don't want a hypothetical because you can say anything.
5:11:12
This will be illegal.
5:11:13
Is there anything in Europe you have just described your breath of knowledge on the law?
5:11:19
Can you think of any specific example?
5:11:21
With the mayors not the person that you would defend?
Randy Mastro
5:11:25
I can think you're asking me a hypothetical, but
Jumaane Williams
5:11:28
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
No.
5:11:29
Hypothetically.
5:11:30
There was a litany of things that are going on Okay.
UNKNOWN
5:11:33
And
Jumaane Williams
5:11:33
that have gone on.
5:11:34
And your breath of knowledge of working with Giuliani to now.
Randy Mastro
5:11:37
I'm I I can't pre pre judge existing cases.
5:11:41
I've already told you, I'm not gonna follow a rule about you having to sign in for meetings.
5:11:47
I've already told you that I will make it a priority
UNKNOWN
5:11:50
Yeah.
Randy Mastro
5:11:50
I get into office.
5:11:51
Understand.
5:11:52
Look at these cases where there's already a
Jumaane Williams
5:11:55
I'm just being clear.
Lincoln Restler
5:11:56
Can I
Randy Mastro
5:11:56
The best advice?
Jumaane Williams
5:11:57
The the decades amount of work that you have said you have done from Giuliani to now, the decades that you admittedly say.
5:12:04
Then I admittedly say you have a great experience.
5:12:07
You can't think of one real world example, whether it's something that's happening now or whether it's something that happened in the past, where you would say you as corp counsel would not have defended that mayor.
5:12:20
That is a problem for someone who's saying you would do something different.
5:12:24
You should have had examples of how you would do that difference, so people would believe you.
5:12:29
And the fact that you wanna skirt around that means that you might be saying something that you think might help you get appointed as opposed to something that you would do.
Randy Mastro
5:12:38
I I don't think that's right or fair.
5:12:40
I I will be as frank as I can be.
5:12:44
We didn't have situations in the Giuliani administration.
5:12:48
Where the mayor didn't take the advice to back off.
5:12:52
We didn't have litigation with the city council other than that one referendum question, which I think all would agree, was an inappropriate question for a referendum.
5:13:01
So that issue didn't arise in my time and sitting over.
5:13:04
But I am telling you,
Jumaane Williams
5:13:05
I just wanna close out by reiterating.
5:13:07
I know, please.
5:13:08
No.
5:13:08
No.
5:13:08
No.
5:13:08
Wait.
5:13:08
I'm gonna close out and then check and do what he what he would like to I just wanna reiterate.
5:13:13
And of the breadth of knowledge that you have on how government works, how the counts of the public advocate, the controller, the bar of presidents, how the mayor works.
5:13:22
You do not have one example when the mayor was in court or the counsel of the public advocate, the control of the board presidents were litigating against the mayor, or some issue that the mayor brought the court that you would say, you would not defend that mayor, you would defend another branch.
5:13:38
You have enough knowledge in my opinion to have come up with some examples of that.
5:13:42
Because what you have said today in the answers to the question, I don't think leads at least me to think that that would change even though you said it.
5:13:51
What would have been helpful is an example.
5:13:53
So in the next 72 hours, if you have had any examples that you could think of, I would actually love to hear.
5:14:01
Thank you.
Keith Powers
5:14:01
Mister Nestor, I'll let you we're gonna before we go to break, I'll let you answer that last pointing question, give you an opportunity to respond, and then we'll go to break.
