The city is the most corrupt city in America, according to a new report released Tuesday by the watchdog group Democracy 21.
It was ranked No. 1 in terms of the level of corruption, a measure of the amount of money spent by the city on political influence and campaign spending.
The ranking comes as President Donald Trump and his administration are battling a civil unrest that has sparked nationwide protests and a series of police-involved deaths.
Trump and some of his supporters have used the unrest to attack the police and the courts.
Democrats are calling for an investigation into the president’s use of the term “black lives matter” and the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, in July.
New York was ranked third, ahead of Atlanta, which was the most expensive state in terms the city spent on its electoral system in 2018.
The Bloomberg administration has been criticized for being slow to crack down on corruption and in some cases has been sued over its handling of the protests.
“The city is not the only city with a problem, but it is by far the most egregious,” said Paul Sperry, Democracy 21’s executive director.
“There are many examples of the city’s political system that have been rigged, with the mayor, the top two officials, the chief justice, the mayor’s office, and the city council.”
Bloomberg, who was re-elected in 2020, has taken a more aggressive stance on corruption.
He recently suspended former Mayor de Blasio and put his longtime political ally and campaign chief, Scott Stringer, in charge of the police department.
He also appointed former Republican Gov.
Andrew Cuomo to the governor’s post.
New Yorkers overwhelmingly approve of Bloomberg’s performance as mayor.
He was reelected for another four years in 2020.
Trump, a Republican, and some Trump supporters have questioned the integrity of the New York system and the election of de Blasio, who is not Jewish.