Photo Courtesy of William Alatriste for the New York City Council
Cameras would document Councilman Ulrich’s (c., with daughter, Lily) personal and public-service lives as he mulls a run to unseat Mayor Bill de Blasio (l.) in 2017.
By Michael V. Cusenza
The (as yet untitled) revolution has earned permission from the City Conflicts of Interest Board to be televised.
The panel, an independent agency tasked with preventing ethics questions from becoming ethics problems for NYC public servants, recently gave the green light to City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) to participate in a reality show set to document the Republican’s personal and professional lives as he considers running for mayor next fall, according to a report in Sunday’s New York Times.
On Monday, Ulrich, 31, sent a link to the Times piece in an email blast to press, constituents, and supporters.
“Dear Friends, I want to share this article with you from today’s New York Times which details a potential documentary series that will follow me as I fight for our community in City Hall and throughout the borough of Queens. This will not affect my day-to-day work, and I will not be paid or compensated in any way for participating.
“I agreed to this project so viewers across the country can have an inside look at local politics and public service. I encourage you to read the article here. If you have any questions about the article or about the series, please do not hesitate to contact me.”
As described to the COIB, the production company will tail Ulrich from his Lindenwood home – yes, wife Yadira and 4-year-old daughter Lily will be feature players – to City Hall and all places in-between for a couple of weeks in order to produce a teaser package of clips that the producers would then use to shop the show to television networks.
The affable and popular Ulrich has been mulling a 2017 bid to boot Mayor Bill de Blasio from Gracie Mansion since at least February. Earlier this year, the New York Post indicated that Ulrich, who chairs the Council Veterans Committee, was being courted by top New York Republicans to challenge Hizzoner.
Asked for reaction to the Post report, an Ulrich spokesperson told The Forum in February, “Like so many New Yorkers, Councilman Ulrich is concerned about the future of our city. While he appreciates the encouragement of friends and supporters alike, he is not a declared candidate for Mayor at this time. His primary focus remains serving the needs of his constituents and fighting for New York City’s large and diverse Veterans community.”
That was months ago, well before the mayor found himself in the throes of a massive homeless crisis that has had a tremendous impact on his approval rating—and shows no sign of letting up.
Since then, Ulrich has been publically critical of de Blasio, filed paperwork with the City Board of Elections to set up “Ulrich 2017,” an unspecified exploratory committee, and held three fundraisers.
Stay tuned.
