Major UK Newspaper Retracts Interview After Impersonation Scandal Involving Bill de Blasio
The Times of London apologises after publishing fabricated quotes from a wine importer misidentified as the former NYC mayor
A British newspaper has retracted an article featuring purported commentary by former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio after discovering it had been duped by an individual posing as the ex-mayor.
The piece, published by the Times of London, attributed critical remarks about mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to de Blasio; he immediately denied ever speaking with the newspaper and said the quotes attributed to him were “entirely false and fabricated.”
The episode unfolded when a Long Island wine importer named Bill DeBlasio—who for years has received misdirected emails intended for the ex-mayor—responded to an interview request from the UK paper.
The importer admitted to using artificial-intelligence assistance to refine his response but maintained he never claimed to be the former mayor.
The Times later issued an apology, stating its reporter had been “misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor.”
The article had suggested that de Blasio had pivoted away from supporting Mamdani, a candidate he had previously endorsed, calling his policy proposals unrealistic and financially unsound.
The retraction, issued within hours of publication, underscores concerns about journalistic verification practices and the risks posed by impersonation in the digital age.
The ex-mayor condemned the incident as reflective of a “hyper-partisan” media environment in which “standards of objectivity and decency are decaying week by week.”
Observers view the incident as a cautionary illustration of how fast-moving electoral coverage and minimal due diligence can allow disinformation to shape public debate.
The timing—just ahead of New York’s mayoral election—also heightened the stakes, raising questions about how misreporting might influence voter perceptions and the political process itself.
The Times confirmed it will not provide further comment and declined to disclose how the interview was approved or the identity of the impersonator.
The importer, meanwhile, said: “I answered as Mr DeBlasio.
They accepted my quote without any vetting—now they’re blaming me?” he told Associated Press.
The episode may prompt renewed scrutiny of editorial standards and source verification in high-stakes journalism.
The piece, published by the Times of London, attributed critical remarks about mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to de Blasio; he immediately denied ever speaking with the newspaper and said the quotes attributed to him were “entirely false and fabricated.”
The episode unfolded when a Long Island wine importer named Bill DeBlasio—who for years has received misdirected emails intended for the ex-mayor—responded to an interview request from the UK paper.
The importer admitted to using artificial-intelligence assistance to refine his response but maintained he never claimed to be the former mayor.
The Times later issued an apology, stating its reporter had been “misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor.”
The article had suggested that de Blasio had pivoted away from supporting Mamdani, a candidate he had previously endorsed, calling his policy proposals unrealistic and financially unsound.
The retraction, issued within hours of publication, underscores concerns about journalistic verification practices and the risks posed by impersonation in the digital age.
The ex-mayor condemned the incident as reflective of a “hyper-partisan” media environment in which “standards of objectivity and decency are decaying week by week.”
Observers view the incident as a cautionary illustration of how fast-moving electoral coverage and minimal due diligence can allow disinformation to shape public debate.
The timing—just ahead of New York’s mayoral election—also heightened the stakes, raising questions about how misreporting might influence voter perceptions and the political process itself.
The Times confirmed it will not provide further comment and declined to disclose how the interview was approved or the identity of the impersonator.
The importer, meanwhile, said: “I answered as Mr DeBlasio.
They accepted my quote without any vetting—now they’re blaming me?” he told Associated Press.
The episode may prompt renewed scrutiny of editorial standards and source verification in high-stakes journalism.
