The Times of London, which falsely quoted former Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, contacted someone with the same name and incorrectly attributed it to the former leader.
The outlet had to delete its story on Tuesday which falsely quoted the former mayor criticizing Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s policy proposals. A reporter named Bevan Hurley received the wrong email from a Long Island wine importer also named Bill de Blasio, who responded with his views on Mamdani, according to Semafor.
“I never once said I was the mayor,” the wine importer said. “He never addressed me as the mayor. So I just gave him my opinion.”
The other de Blasio said in a statement that while he admired Mamdani’s vision, the nominee was making dangerously “optimistic assumptions” about his tax policies.
After the story’s publication, de Blasio wrote on X that the story was “entirely false and fabricated” and demanded that the story be deleted. The Times of London removed the story and apologized to the former mayor for the mistake.
I want to be 100% clear:
The story in the Times of London is entirely false and fabricated.
It was just brought to my attention and I’m appalled.
I never spoke to that reporter and never said those things.
Those quotes aren’t mine, don’t reflect my views. https://t.co/I65e8UV6tm— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) October 28, 2025
De Blasio has been a vocal supporter of Mamdani and endorsed him in September. He reiterated his support in a Wednesday statement by saying that Mamdani’s “vision is both necessary and achievable.”
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