Bombshell report accuses Mayor Bill de Blasio of coordinating possible illegal fundraising scheme

NEW YORK (WABC) -- It is no surprise Mayor Bill de Blasio would want Democrats in power in the state Senate, but did he break any laws in his effort to take control of them in the chamber? A bombshell memo obtained by the New York Daily News suggests he did, and it could be a felony.

"I believe everything we did was legal and appropriate and careful, and look, we said from the beginning if there is any kind of investigation going on, we will happily participate," Mayor de Blasio said.

The mayor was on the defensive over more questions into his fundraising tactics. Speaking on WNYC's the Brian Lehrer show on Friday, he flatly denied any wrongdoing, and vowed to be transparent.

"We want to get everything out. We want every fact to be uncovered, and I welcome this being done, and being done properly, so I am happy to be a part of solving any outstanding question. But from my vantage point, everything was done legally and appropriately," de Blasio said, responding to accusations that he and his top aides coordinated what may have been an illegal fundraising scheme.

In a damning eight page memo obtained by the Daily News, and posted in full on the newspaper's website, the lead investigator said, 'the review revealed a pattern consistent with coordinated fundraising and expenditure of funds to evade contribution limits, for purpose of funneling contributions that exceeded contribution limits."

According to the Daily News, the memo was delivered to the Elections Board in January, and recommended the Manhattan DA investigate City Hall for 'willful and flagrant violations' of state election law.

The Board of Elections' chief investigator is saying the mayor and his team were behind a criminal effort to help elect Democrats to the state Senate in 2014, and in return for contributions, deep-pocketed donors could potentially reap benefits from the de Blasio Administration.

Scott Levenson, a democratic consultant unaffiliated with the mayor says this will be a distraction for de Blasio.

"There's a long way between criminal laws being broken, and a technical violation. Tremendous amount of grey area between the two, and people should be mindful of that as the story evolves over the next several weeks.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA declined to comment. Eyewitness News reached out to the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, but have not heard back.