FDNY commissioner is branded a ‘fascist pit bull’ for threatening to ‘hunt down’ firefighters who booed AG Letitia James and chanted ‘Trump’ during speech in Brooklyn

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh has been branded a ‘fascist pit bull’ after announcing plans to hunt down unruly firefighters who jeered New York Attorney General Letitia James during her speech earlier this week.

James was speaking at a New York Fire Department promotion ceremony on Thursday when the cheering started before she even took the stage.

The firefighters shouted Donald Trump’s word name as James called for calm from those gathered at the Christian Cultural Center’s Brooklyn Campus.

But it appears those behind the chant may not get away with it if the fire department chiefs have anything to do with it.

FDNY Department Chief John Hodgens sent an email to department leaders warning of an impending investigation by the Bureau of Investigation and Trials (BITS) into the booing and “Trump” chants directed at James.

Hodgens has urged those involved to come forward voluntarily to avoid being pursued by the department, which is currently reviewing video footage of the entire ceremony.

“BITS is investigating this, so they will find out who the members are,” Hodges wrote to FDNY chiefs on Saturday.

‘I advise them to come forward. The commissioner has told me that it will be better for them if they come forward and we don’t have to track them down,” he insisted.

“The (deputy chiefs) will direct the company captain to prepare a list of those reporting and send it directly to (FDNY operations). “I realize that members may not come forward, but they should know that there is clear video of the entire incident and that BITS will contact them if they do not,” he wrote.

The Uniformed Fire Officers Association also alerted its members to the plan on Saturday, noting that the department was “in possession of video footage of the event.”

“As part of this discussion, questions may be asked of specific UFOA members about their actions or their memories,” the message said.

James was invited to speak at the event, which was held in honor of the Rev. Pamela Holmes, the department’s second female chaplain and the first Black woman to hold that title.

“Come on, we’re in a house of God… slow down… thanks for getting it out of your system,” James said before starting her speech.

James spoke weeks after she won a $355 million judgment against Trump for inflating the value of his properties. He was also banned from doing business in New York for three years.

The small but vocal section of the crowd ignored her call to “shut down” and continued to boo for another minute – before loudly shouting “Trump!” Trump! Trump! Trump!’

Eventually, the hecklers ran out of steam until James continued her speech as she thanked the firefighters who tried to save her mother, who died of breast cancer.

“Pray for the firefighters who stood by me when my mother was dying, and who worked on her in my house for an hour, not knowing who I was,” she said.

“I thank the members of the FDNY who worked on her body and prayed for her as she died. Some may even be here. Some might even scold me. But I still pray for them.”

That comment sparked another round of cheering, along with cheers from the better-behaved sections of the crowd.

One FDNY firefighter described the chief’s response as heavy-handed.

“It was a political stunt by the city to have the AG there. When it failed, they sent their fascist pit bulls after guys because they were exercising their First Amendment rights,” he told the New York Post. “Most were off duty and not in FDNY uniform.”

The Uniformed Fire Officers Association alerted its members about the investigation and advised them to comply with FDNY regulations and provide legal representation if necessary.

However, the FDNY did not provide the specific reasons for pursuing those involved or identify any potential violations.

Legal experts, including constitutional law attorney Alan Dershowitz, have argued that firefighters have a constitutional right to express their opinions and should not be punished for exercising their First Amendment rights.

“Firefighters have an absolute constitutional right to berate the attorney general, and the government has no power to punish them for it,” Dershowitz told The Post. “So attempts to find out the names of the booers are an attempt by the government to curb freedom of speech and are unconstitutional.”

Shortly after the ceremony, FDNY Chief Hodgens criticized the firefighters who harassed James for causing a distraction during the event.

“The ceremony was about one thing: the achievements of the members being promoted,” he said.

“The members whose behavior distracted from that celebration were a disgrace and unbecoming of the best fire service in the world.”

James’ office declined to comment.

Judge Arthur Engoron jailed Trump and his sons Eric and Donald Jr. on civil fraud charges in the case led by James.

He ruled that they conspired to inflate the value of property on the financial statements of banks and insurers, and alter Trump’s wealth to obtain tax and insurance benefits.

“From 2011 to 2021, Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization knowingly created more than 200 false and misleading asset valuations on his annual statements of financial condition in order to defraud financial institutions,” James Office explained in 2022.

Independent officials will monitor Trump’s affairs in New York to prevent further violations of the law.

Trump has appealed the ruling, but he faces $1 million in accruing interest every nine days until he pays, and if he doesn’t, his assets could be seized.

A Brooklyn firefighter told the New York Post that the bickering was directly related to the lawsuit, which he said was a “witch hunt.”

“She has no problem bragging about condemning Trump, so this is how hardworking New Yorkers who put their lives on the line feel about her actions,” he said.

Trump’s election campaign responded that James was “an embarrassment to the people of New York” and that was why she was being harassed.

“The rank and file of the FDNY knows they have no greater friend than President Trump. The President is honored and grateful for their very vocal support,” the report said.

The ceremony honored 65 firefighters and civilian support personnel who were promoted, and the Rev. Pamela Holmes, who was named chaplain.