FDNY boss hunts down staffers who booed NY AG Letitia James, cheered for Trump at promotion ceremony

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh is hunting down smoke-eaters and other staffers who mercilessly booed New York Attorney General Letitia James – and cheered in support of Donald Trump – during a department promotion ceremony this week, The Post has learned.

FDNY Chief of Department John Hodges fired off an email to other agency honchos warning a reckoning led by the department’s Bureau of Investigation and Trials was coming over the chorus of boos and chants of “Trump” that James received at Thursday’s event.

“BITS is investigating this, so they will figure out who the members are,” Hodges wrote FDNY chiefs Saturday in the letter obtained by The Post.

“I recommend they come forward. I have been told by the commissioner it will be better for them if they come forward and we don’t have to hunt them down,” he continued.

“The [deputy chiefs] shall direct the captain of the company to make a list of those who come forward and send it directly to [FDNY operations]. I realize members might not come forward but they should know that there is clear video of the entire incident and they will be contacted by BITS if they don’t,” he wrote.

A list of talking points for deputy chiefs doing the investigation obtained by The Post said: “We want the members to come forward. They will come to headquarters to be educated why their behavior is unacceptable.”

An FDNY retiree fumed at the department’s heavy-handed response.

“It was a political stunt for the city to have the AG there. When it backfired, they sent their fascist pit bulls after guys for exercising their First Amendment rights,” he said. “Most were off-duty and not in FDNY uniform.”

Famed constitutional and criminal law attorney Alan Dershowitz blasted the FDNY’s hunt down.

“Firefighters have an absolute constitutional right to boo the attorney general, and the government  has no power to punish them for it,” Dershowitz told The Post. “So efforts to get the names of the booers is an effort by the government to chill free speech and is unconstitutional.”

The Uniformed Fire Officers Association sent out a message to its members on Saturday warning them of the directive and that the department is in “possession of video footage of the event.”

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

The union advised members to follow FDNY regulations but to contact the UFOA for legal representation if they feel they are the subject of an investigation.

On Thursday, the crowd – — made up of the families of captains, battalion chiefs and civilians up for promotion, as well as the firefighters who work beside them — erupted in loud jeers as James walked onto the podium at the Christian Cultural Center’s Brooklyn Campus in Starrett City,  raucous video shows.

“Oh, come on. We’re in a house of God. First, simmer down,” said James, attempting to pacify the crowd. She added, “Thank you for getting it out of your system.”

As James continued her speech, the booing swiftly turned to chants in support of former President Donald Trump.

“Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!” the crowd bellowed.

The FDNY defended the moves.

“Nobody is hunting anyone down. We’re looking into those who clearly broke department regulations,” said spokesman Jim Long. “It has nothing to do with politics. It’s about professionalism at an official event held in a house of worship.”

James was invited to speak at the event to honor her friend, The Rev. Pamela Holmes, who was being sworn in as the department’s second female chaplain, and the first Black woman to hold that title.

Last month, James’ office won a $454 million civil fraud judgment against Trump, which found him guilty of inflating his wealth by billions to dupe banks and investors into helping him grow his real estate empire.

An appeals court has allowed Trump to stay at the helm of the family company and apply for loans from Empire State banks to help post the bond.

But James has already vowed to ask a judge to seize Trump’s assets — including some of his prized Big Apple properties — if he fails to get the judgment stayed, and doesn’t cough up what he owes.