Updated 04/08/2010 09:32 AM
Mayor Criticizes BOE Officials Who Smoked At Desk
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg had some tough words for a high-level Board of Elections executive who co-workers say regularly smokes at his desk.
Last week, NY1 exclusively obtained video showing Deputy Director George Gonzalez smoking at his Board of Elections office in Lower Manhattan.
Gonzalez told NY1 it was the only time he's broken the city's anti-smoking law. But several sources told the station he smokes constantly in his office.
Bloomberg says Gonzalez is a detriment to himself and others in his office.
"Number one, this guy is killing himself,” said the mayor. “I mean, let's get serious here. If you want to kill yourself, I think the medical evidence is pretty obvious: smoke. That's a good ways to shorten your life span and to shorten, and to worsen, the quality of your life. So in the end, the guy is doing something bad for himself, he's also doing something bad for other people there who smoke, and it's against the law."
The mayor says he's asked the Health Department to look into the matter.