Fake Article about Bill de Blasio Published by The London Times
On Tuesday, The London Times retracted an article after someone impersonated Bill de Blasio, the former Democratic mayor of New York City, and tricked the newspaper into publishing a fake story.
The article was titled, “Bill de Blasio, an ally of Zoran Mamdani, says his policies are ‘inconsistent.'” It suggested that de Blasio had concerns about Mamdani’s proposals for the New York mayoral race. It later came to light that a Times reporter had been misled by a person posing as the former mayor.
Upon realizing the error, The Times quickly pulled the article and issued an apology to de Blasio. They stated, “The Times apologized to Bill de Blasio and swiftly deleted the article after discovering that the reporter had been misled by someone claiming to be the former mayor,” according to reports.
In his response on “X,” de Blasio described the story as “completely false and fabricated,” asserting that he never spoke to any reporters about this matter.
He expressed his dismay, saying, “I want to be 100% clear: The London Times article is completely false and fabricated. It just came to my attention and I am appalled. I have never spoken to that reporter or said anything like that. These quotes are not mine and do not reflect my views.”
Additionally, de Blasio requested the immediate removal of the article, stressing the importance of journalistic integrity. He declared, “I fully support Zoran Mamdani, and I believe his vision is necessary and achievable,” in a separate statement.
The London Times has not yet responded to requests for further comment regarding the incident.
