The head of one of New York’s biggest police unions resigned on Tuesday amid an FBI investigation, The New York Times reports.
Ed Mullins, the head of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, resigned after multiple FBI raids.
The board of the union said that Mullins is “apparently the target of the federal investigation.”
The union, which is the fifth-largest police union in the country, said that “given the severity of this matter and the uncertainty of its outcome,” the board asked him to resign.
The board said it is in the dark on the scope of the investigation but does not believe “that any other member of the SBA is involved or targeted in this matter.”
Mullins headed the 13,000-member union for 19 years. He has been a staunch opponent of police reforms and a big supporter of former President Donald Trump.
FBI raid:
The FBI on Tuesday raided the union’s headquarters in Manhattan and at Mullins’ home in Port Washington.
The raid was connected to an investigation by the FBI and the public corruption unit of the US attorney’s office in Manhattan, two sources told the Times.
An FBI spokesperson told the outlet that agents “were conducting a law enforcement operation pursuant to an ongoing investigation.”
Agents spent hours inside the union headquarters and carried out at least 11 large boxes and a black trash bag from the office.
Mayor celebrates:
Mullins has long had an outsized presence in New York as a result of his ongoing feud with Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Mullins has accused de Blasio of turning his back on cops and backing anti-police rhetoric. He declared “war” on de Blasio after two officers were shot last year.
“Ed Mullins dishonored his uniform, his city and his union more times than I can count,” de Blasio said on Tuesday. “It was just a matter of time before his endless hatred would catch up with him. That day has come.”
