During a ceremony, New York Attorney General Letitia James was booed by pro-Trump personnel, and FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh (who has never served as a firefighter) vowed to find and punish them.
Reports indicate that FDNY Chief of Department John Hodges emailed other agency members, threatening that the department’s Bureau of Investigation and Trials would determine who was responsible for the disapproving shouts directed against James during the event.
Hodges wrote to FDNY commanders in a letter that the media has acquired. The letter said that BITS would investigate the matter and determine the members’ identities.
The commissioner told Hodges they would be better off coming forward than trying to “hunt them down.”Â
The company captain is to compile a roster of all volunteers and submit it to FDNY operations at the direction of the deputy chiefs. Although members may choose not to come forward, they should be informed that a clear video captured the event. Additionally, if they choose not to turn themselves in, BITS will contact them.
A video that went viral showed the audience screaming “Trump” over and over again as James was speaking. Additional memoranda and correspondence purporting to originate from the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and the Uniformed Firefighters Association made their way to social media platforms, expressing disapproval of the chanting during work hours and urging the participating FDNY workers to improve their behavior.
An ex-firefighter from the New York City Fire Department was unhappy with the department’s reaction. He told the media that having the AG there was a political ploy by the city. The anonymous retired firefighter said that when the plan failed, the department’s ‘fascists’ attacked those who were using their rights under the First Amendment. Nobody was wearing a uniform. Most were off-duty.
The FDNY’s pursuit was criticized by renowned criminal and constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who explained that the government could not penalize firefighters for exercising their Constitutionally protected right to boo AG James. The government’s attempt to identify them is an unlawful attempt to censor free expression.
