Particle.news
Download on the App Store
14 ARTICLES
·
10h ago

Times of London Retracts De Blasio Interview After Mix-Up With Same-Name Source

The episode became campaign fodder in the race’s final week, exposing unresolved gaps in how the paper verified the source.

FILE - Then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes a phone call during the 14th Annual CUNY/Daily News Citizenship NOW! event, April 28, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file)
More than 13,000 people pack Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, for mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's “New York Is Not For Sale” rally on October 26, 2025.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, right, speaks alongside New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a press conference in New York, in 2020.
Image

Overview

  • The Times of London apologized and removed the article shortly after publication, saying its reporter was misled by someone falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor.
  • Bill de Blasio said the quotes criticizing Zohran Mamdani were entirely fabricated, demanded the takedown, and reaffirmed his support for the Democratic nominee.
  • New reporting by Semafor identified the email respondent as a Long Island wine importer named Bill DeBlasio, who says he never claimed to be the mayor and used AI to help draft his reply.
  • It remains unclear how the reporter obtained the email address and why identity checks failed, with News UK maintaining the paper had been misled.
  • The brief article was rapidly amplified by other outlets, including the New York Post, and by Andrew Cuomo’s campaign aide, before corrections were issued.