The FDNY has failed to identify the snitch who secretly recorded a meeting between a dozen staff chiefs and Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh a year ago – a recording that chiefs fumed was leaked to make them look bad.
The unsolved mystery has irreparably eroded the chiefs’ confidence in Kavanagh, insiders say.
“One of the big trust issues is that the meeting was recorded. And that remains a huge problem,” a high-ranking chief told The Post.
“Nobody knows who recorded it, and there doesn’t seem to be a concern that a meeting of the executive staff of the New York City Fire Department was recorded and then leaked to the press.
As far as we know, there have been no steps taken to figure out who did it.”
An age-discrimination lawsuit against the city and Kavanagh accuses her of leaking the recording to burnish her image as the FDNY’s first female commissioner fighting the old guard to improve the department.
An FDNY spokesman had no comment on the allegation.
Under the FDNY’s social-media policy: “Members of the Department are prohibited from taking photographs, videotaping or recording audio while working unless authorized to do so” by the public information office.
During the Feb. 3, 2023 meeting, Kavanagh, then under fire for demoting several veteran chiefs without consulting the top commanders, called for “innovative, outside the box thinking” and warned she would not tolerate bullying among members.
The chiefs mostly asked questions about logistical matters such as the use of FDNY cars, vacations, and capital projects.
Soon after, one of the chiefs filed a complaint about the clandestine recording with the city Department of Investigation.
The DOI kicked the case back to the FDNY’s investigative arm, the Bureau of Investigations and Trials (BITS), where it apparently was quashed, insiders believe.
“There was no word of anyone being interviewed,” the chief said.
Another complaint was filed with the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board because Kavanagh oversees BITS.
The DOI investigates complaints to COIB.
“This is not a DOI matter and we decline further comment,” said spokeswoman Diane Struzzi.
The unsolved mystery has had a chilling effect on FDNY’s top officers.
“We continue to have meetings in that room. And you always have in your mind, is this being recorded?” the chief said. “The fear is that maybe some people either aren’t being honest or aren’t contributing out of concern that the meetings are being recorded.”
The FDNY would not answer questions about the recording, citing the pending lawsuit and “personnel matters.”