Firebrand NYPD union boss Ed Mullins resigned on Tuesday evening, hours after an FBI raid on his office and home - sparking brutal put-downs from his New York City rivals.
Mullins had led the Sergeant's Benevolent Association since 2002 and was a high profile, controversial figure who often clashed with city leadership and mayor Bill de Blasio.
But he stepped down as the union's president after a dozen FBI agents raided the organization's Manhattan offices and his Long Island home as part of an investigation that may be tied to mismanagement of union funds.
And his rivals were quick to issue scorching statements about his departure.
Former de Blasio Press Secretary Bill Neidhart told the New York Post: 'A horrible person who also has horrible politics. I don’t know if he’s going to rot in prison, but I do know he’s going to rot in hell.'
De Blasio himself said: 'Ed Mullins dishonored his uniform, his city and his union more times than I can count. It was just a matter of time before his endless hatred would catch up with him. That day has come.'
And US Representative Ritchie Torres - who was once branded a 'first class whore' by Mullins, wrote: 'Ed Mullins has spent his career abusing power and trafficking in hate, and his misdeeds have finally sent him into retirement, which is exactly where he belongs.'
Close to a dozen federal agents were seen carrying boxes of paperwork out of the SBA headquarters in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning.
They descended on Mullins's Long Island home later in the day.
Mullins is seen on Tuesday afternoon after his house in Port Washington was raided by the FBI
Cops raided Mullins' Long Island home as part of an investigation that may be tied to mismanagement of union funds
FBI agents carry out boxes from the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association union on Tuesday
A source told the New York Times that the US Attorney's public corruption unit is involved
Footage obtained by ABC News showed Mullins on Tuesday at his home.
The FBI said they were 'carrying out a law enforcement action in connection with an ongoing investigation' and did not provide any further details on the sweeps.
Two sources told the New York Times that the union is being investigated by the FBI and the public corruption unit of the US attorney's office in Manhattan.
A source told NY1 that the raids are connected to mismanagement of union funds.
The SBA Executive Board said in a statement: 'Given the severity of this matter and the uncertainty of its outcome, the SBA Executive board has requested that President Mullins resign.
'The day to day functioning and the important business of the SBA cannot be distracted by the existence of this investigation.'
Bill de Blasio (pictured yestersday) said: 'It was just a matter of time before his endless hatred would catch up with him. That day has come'
The FBI said they were 'carrying out a law enforcement action in connection with an ongoing investigation'
The union said in a statement: 'Given the severity of this matter and the uncertainty of its outcome, the SBA Executive board has requested that President Mullins resign'
About a dozen agents searched the Sergeants Benevolent Association Tuesday
The union represents about 13,000 active and retired NYPD sergeants and controls a $264 million retirement fund.
Non-supervisory officers are represented by the larger Police Benevolent Association.
Mullins, a police officer since 1982, rose to sergeant, a rank above detective but below captain and lieutenant, in 1993 and was elected president of the sergeants union in 2002.
The controversial officer is a known critic of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who he called 'an idiot' in an interview with Fox News contributor Sara Carter last year after the mayor criticized a large funeral gathering in the Orthodox Jewish community.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is often criticized by union chief Ed Mullins, declined to comment on the raid but accused Mullins of 'divisive' and 'destructive' language on Tuesday
The FBI has only said that they raided the union 'in connection with an ongoing investigation'
Mullins is in the middle of department disciplinary proceedings for tweeting NYPD paperwork last year regarding the arrest of de Blasio’s daughter during protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
Mullins’ department trial began last month but was postponed indefinitely after one of his lawyers suffered a medical emergency.
Mullins’ lawyer denies he violated department guidelines, arguing arrest papers with Chiara de Blasio’s personal identifying information, such as her date of birth and address, were already posted online.
During Tuesday's daily COVID briefing, De Blasio told reporters he knew little about the raid, but took the opportunity to criticize Mullins for his rhetoric.
'A lot of what he has done is really, really destructive,' de Blasio said.
'Especially in the middle of a crisis where we're trying to unify, we're trying to get people through together, he's been a divisive voice.'
One source told NY1 that the search is connected to mismanagement of funds. Above, the SBA union office at 35 Worth Street in Manhattan
FBI agents descended on Mullins's Long Island home later on Tuesday
Mullins is also facing charges of offensive language and abuse of authority by the Civilian Complaint Review Board for calling then-Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot a 'b****' and calling former city councilman Ritchie Torres, who is gay, a 'first-class w****.'
He made the statements on Twitter in 2020.
The tweet about Dr. Barbot came after the commissioner reportedly told NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan: 'I don't give two rats' asses about your cops' after she asked for more masks as the city was experiencing its first wave of COVID-19.
His next administrative court hearing is on October 27.
Mullins is facing facing departmental charges of offensive language and abusive of authority for calling a former health commissioner a 'b****' and a city councilman a 'first class w****'
Congressman Ritchie Torres, who is gay, was called a 'first class w****' by Mullins last year
On Friday, the Department of Justice announced charges against two NYPD officers accused of taking thousands of dollars in cash bribes from a tow truck company owned by a former officer in exchange for directing cars involved in accidents to his business.
The licensed tow and repair business is owned by Michael Perri, who retired from the NYPD in June 2020 and was also charged in the matter.
Perri and two other officers, James Davneiro and Giancarlo Osma, were each hit with one count of bribery and one count of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act.
All three worked at the 107th precinct, which serves the Queens neighborhoods of Fresh Meadows, Cunningham Heights and Hilltop Village, at the time of the bribes.
It appears unlikely that Tuesday's raid was connected to Friday's indictments.
On Friday, the DOJ announced charges against Giancarlo Osma, left, for directing cars involved in accidents to a business owned by former NYPD officer Michael Perri, right. A third officer, James Davneiro, was also charged
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