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Conflict Of Interest Board Ruling Limits De Blasio's Fundraising Ability For Legal Defense

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio's ability to pay back his lawyers for investigations into his fundraising practices were delivered a blow Wednesday.

As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, the Conflict of Interest Board ruled that donations to the mayor's legal defense fund would be considered a valuable gift and would be limited to $50, unless from a close friend or family member.

"This is an initial view from the board," de Blasio said. "We're certainly going to have more dialogue to work through and show other examples of what's happened in the past."

De Blasio made it clear that he will be negotiating about it, and that that could include legislation.

He was asked whether he had a close friend who, according to the Conflict of Interest Board exemption, could give an unlimited amount.

"I'd like to meet that close friend," de Blasio said. "I don't know of that person."

Earlier this month, both the U.S. Attorney and the Manhattan District Attorney decided not to indict the mayor or his aides following their separate probes of his campaign financing.

The investigation centered around accusations that de Blasio and his aides gave favorable treatment to donors who contributed to his 2013 mayoral election campaign, the mayor's now-defunct political action committee Campaign for One New York, and the 2014 State Senate effort.

Federal investigators questioned de Blasio for nearly five hours in late February.

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