Chirlane McCray Doubles Staff Payroll Amid Budget Crunch: Report

NEW YORK CITY — First Lady Chirlane McCray came under fire after a new report found she quietly amassed a 14-member with a $2 million as the city faces potential layoffs.

THE CITY dropped a report late Monday on what it described as McCray's "shadow staff" — six employees who aren't officially on her staff roster who have salaries paid by other city agencies or their positions hidden inside Mayor Bill de Blasio's office.

The report comes within days of de Blasio renewing a warning about 22,000 potential layoffs because of a coronavirus-related budget shortfall and amid steady chatter about McCray eyeing a run for Brooklyn borough president.

Frequent critics of de Blasio and McCray quickly pounced on the report online. The New York Post reframed it to reflect the paper's recent reporting on overflowing trash in the city. And State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a Brooklyn Democrat, tweeted it showed "irresponsible governing."

"The city is in dire straits. We literally don't have $ to pick up trash or buy PPE for schools," he tweeted. "But there's $ to hire political staff & give millions in raises during a pandemic?"

The city is in dire straits. We literally don't have $ to pick up trash or buy PPE for schools.

But there's $ to hire political staff & give millions in raises during a pandemic?

This is not me being 'easily offended'. This is irresponsible governing.https://t.co/EB4kANrjAt
— Andrew Gounardes (@agounardes) August 18, 2020

McCray's staff roster is officially eight people, but THE CITY found at least six more who appeared to work for her but fell under different departments. Those included a $70,000 videographer, according to the report.

The off-the-roster employees effectively doubled McCray's staff payroll, the report states.

City Hall spokesperson Chanel Caraway responded to THE CITY report by defending the "public servants" working hard on McCray's team to help New Yorkers.

"The First Lady has challenged the old, sexist ways of doing things," Caraway said in a statement. "She doesn’t take a salary herself, but she’s leading a team to improve mental health in a trying time and confront systemic racism."

Read the full report by THE CITY here.