Leak in de Blasio fundraising investigation a republican appointee

NEW YORK (WABC) -- There is a stunning new political twist in the investigation into New York Mayor Bill de Blasio fundraising.

It's the latest chapter in ongoing saga of political backstabbing between Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio.

This latest kerfuffle started last month, when the Daily News broke the story of a Board of Elections investigation, which found the de Blasio administration had violated campaign finance laws.

The case was forwarded by the bipartisan board to the Manhattan District Attorney for criminal prosecution.

The de Blasio administration blamed Risa Sugarman, the in house counsel who wrote the report, and is herself a Cuomo appointee for having leaked it to damage the mayor's reputation.

But Tuesday night, an independent investigation exonerated Sugarman, instead blaming John Conklin, the Board of Election Director of Public Information, and a republican appointee who allegedly admitted under oath to releasing the report to the Daily News.

"Allegations were made primarily by the New York City Mayor," Sugarman wrote in a statement, "that I leaked the report due to political motivations. Now that we know the facts, I hope the mayor will apologize for maligning my integrity and professionalism."

But there will be no apology.

"The IG's report confirms that Ms. Sugarman's office failed to secure the confidentiality of the memo, and raises serious questions about the BOE's management and policies. If anyone should apologize, it is surely the BOE," said a lawyer for de Blasio in a statement.