Four staffers in New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office have either left or announced their departures within the last week.
Two people — Freddi Goldstein, the mayor’s top spokeswoman, and Wiley Norvell, the director of communications — left their roles on Friday. Neither is moving on to a new job immediately, according to the Wall Street Journal. Goldstein was with the administration for four years, and Norvell worked alongside the mayor for 10 years.
Another mayoral spokeswoman, Olivia Lapeyrolerie, who was also part of de Blasio’s brief presidential campaign, announced on Tuesday that she was leaving to become a vice president at a public relations firm. Deidrea Miller, a deputy communications director in the mayor’s office, revealed the next day that she is also leaving at the end of the month for a new job.
“The team will carry on,” the mayor said last Friday. He introduced his new spokesman, Bill Neidhardt, who previously served on Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2020 campaign as a national spokesperson and Iowa deputy state director.
“I’ve watched Freddi and Wiley rise through the ranks, lead their teams, and help steer the city through some of the hardest months in its history. I’m eternally grateful for their dedication to the people of this city and for helping us accomplish so much,” said de Blasio, according to Harlem World Magazine. “We’re starting a new chapter as we recover from COVID-19, and Bill’s experience makes him perfect for the challenges ahead. As we rebuild our city, he will help us connect with New Yorkers who need us the most and ensure we come back fairer and stronger than ever.”
The turnover within de Blasio’s administration comes at a trying time for New York City, which was hit hard early on by the coronavirus and has been beset by spikes in violence. De Blasio has been criticized for not defending law enforcement officials amid violent clashes.
