MANHATTAN — Mayor Bill de Blasio's press secretary said she plans to resign, a move that comes amid an intensifying investigation into the mayor's fundraising practices.
The press secretary, Karen Hinton, worked at City Hall for less than a year and revealed her plans to leave shortly after the mayor hired high-priced lawyers to help him as federal investigators probe fundraising during his 2013 campaign.
Thanks for all the nice shout-outs. Hard decision cuz it's been a year of terrific moments and making many new friends I will never forget.
— Karen Hinton (@KarenHinton) May 6, 2016
READ MORE: Here's What We Know About the Probe Into Mayor Bill de Blasio's Fundraising
Hinton handed in her letter of resignation in April and plans to leave when the administration finalizes its budget, which will likely happen in June, according to the New York Times.
Hinton said she's resigning partly to spend more time with her daughter, a junior in high school, the Times reported.
"Karen is a battle-tested communications professional who has advocated for progressive ideals her entire career," de Blasio said when he hired her in 2015.
Hinton, who worked as a reporter for both the Rocky Mountain News and Jackson Daily News before becoming a press aide, has had a testy relationship with the City Hall press corps.
In November 2015, she clashed with a CBS reporter on camera who accused the mayor of not being transparent enough.
And on Tuesday, she tweeted a definition of journalism that many political reporters found disparaging.
Did u know https://t.co/hiPw6IaFEt defines journalism as "writing that reflects superficial thought and research?" Just saying, objectively.
— Karen Hinton (@KarenHinton) May 4, 2016
