Bloomberg doesn't play by "the rules" either.

[no_hypocrisy]

New York City until 2008 only allowed two terms for its mayor. Bloomberg wasn't having any of it. He campaigned and browbeat the City Council to change the law for him and it did. Mind you, the City was in pretty good shape post-9/11 and two terms of Mayor Mike. But he wasn't ready to leave yet. Below is the story.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg#2009_election

2009 election
Main article: New York City mayoral election, 2009

On October 2, 2008, Bloomberg announced he would seek to extend the city's term limits law and run for a third mayoral term in 2009, arguing a leader of his field was needed following the financial crisis of 2007–08. "Handling this financial crisis while strengthening essential services ... is a challenge I want to take on," Bloomberg said at a news conference. "So should the City Council vote to amend term limits, I plan to ask New Yorkers to look at my record of independent leadership and then decide if I have earned another term."[62]

Ronald Lauder, who campaigned for New York City's term limits in 1993 and spent over 4 million dollars of his own money to limit the maximum years a mayor could serve to eight years,[63] sided with Bloomberg in running for a third term and agreed to stay out of future legality issues.[64] In exchange, he was promised a seat on an influential city board by Bloomberg.[65]

Some people and organizations objected and NYPIRG filed a complaint with the City Conflict of Interest Board.[66] On October 23, 2008, the City Council voted 29–22 in favor of extending the term limit to three consecutive four-year terms, thus allowing Bloomberg to run for office again.[67] After two days of public hearings, Bloomberg signed the bill into law on November 3.[68]

Bloomberg's bid for a third term generated some controversy. Civil libertarians such as former New York Civil Liberties Union Director Norman Siegel and New York Civil Rights Coalition Executive Director Michael Meyers joined with local politicians such as New York State Senator Eric Adams to protest the term-limits extension.[69]

Bloomberg's opponent was Democratic and Working Families Party nominee Bill Thompson, who had been New York City Comptroller for the past eight years and before that, president of the New York City Board of Education.[70] Bloomberg defeated Thompson by a vote of 51% to 46%.[71]

After the release of Independence Party campaign filings in January 2010, it was reported that Bloomberg had made two $600,000 contributions from his personal account to the Independence Party on October 30 and November 2, 2009.[72] The Independence Party then paid $750,000 of that money to Republican Party political operative John Haggerty Jr.[73]

This prompted an investigation beginning in February 2010 by the office of New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. into possible improprieties.[74] The Independence Party later questioned how Haggerty spent the money, which was to go to poll-watchers.[75] Former New York State Senator Martin Connor contended that because the Bloomberg donations were made to an Independence Party housekeeping account rather than to an account meant for current campaigns, this was a violation of campaign finance laws.[76] Haggerty also spent money from a separate $200,000 donation from Bloomberg on office space.[77]

[rurallib]

1. Maybe Mike likes the way the presidency is transforming into a kingship

and has decided that could fit his lifestyle?

Imagine - a rich dude who doesn't play by the rules.

[snowybirdie]

2. Anyone who makes that

kind of money doesn't play by the rules for the rest of us. No more billionaires!

[PJMcK]

3. Bloomberg was hell of a lot better than his predecessor

Besides, New Yorkers re-elected Bloomberg to the third term.

[TidalWave46]

4. I see a lot of negatives about Bloomberg, this isn't one of them. NT

[George II]

5. Michael Bloomberg was only the second NYC Mayor subject to term limits. Giuliani was the first....

...and there was talk about suspending it for Giuliani because of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

[thesquanderer]

7. Yup, Giuliani tried, Bloomberg succeeded. Both were wrong.

And, perhaps not coincidentally, neither were Democratic candidates.

[Prof.Higgins]

6. If nitpicking like this is all you've got against Bloomberg, he's in good shape. Nt.

[Bradshaw3]

8. There's a lot more, like helping to keep the Senate republican

And his tax rates low:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287360054