The war of words between Mayor Thomas M. Menino and clothing mogul Greg Selkoe heated up this week after a media report said Menino administration officials claimed the young entrepreneur was once fired by the city.
Selkoe demanded an apology from the mayor after WGBH-TV host Emily Rooney said on her show “Greater Boston” that “the mayor’s office” told her Selkoe was fired by the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
“He can’t go around saying things that are completely false,” Selkoe told the Herald. “It’s an attempt to damage my reputation. The mayor should apologize to me.”
Selkoe said he left the BRA on “academic leave” in 2000 — with a letter of recommendation from Menino — and decided not to return. The mayor attended Selkoe’s wedding after he left the BRA.
Selkoe hinted he could sue if the mayor doesn’t correct the record.
“If they continue to keep saying things that aren’t true about me, yes, all options are on the table,” he said.
Menino spokeswoman Dot Joyce said “no one from this office” claimed Selkoe was fired but she refused to discuss Selkoe’s tenure at the BRA. Asked if the mayor would apologize, Joyce said: “The mayor has nothing to apologize for.”
Selkoe, owner of online clothing retailer Karmaloop.com, rankled Menino last month with the launch of Future Boston Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to improving Boston’s business, cultural and nightlife climate and cutting City Hall red tape. The organization’s launch video claimed liquor licenses and permitting is “rigged” and compared Menino to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Selkoe said Menino aides also have been criticizing him for supporting the mayor’s 2009 opponent, former City Councilor Michael Flaherty.
Selkoe acknowledged backing Flaherty, but said, “It doesn’t give (Menino) the right to attack me personally.”
Joyce dismissed the flap, saying: “Our position has been consistent in that we continue to look for ways to promote the city of Boston and continue to make ourselves the youngest city in the country.”
Green for blue
The NBA Finals tips off in two days, and count the Boston Celtics [team stats] among the top in the league in at least one all-important stat: the amount of money contributed to political campaigns.
The C’s chipped in $212,500 to campaigns since 2009, and they have hardly been bipartisan, according to a study from the Center for Responsive Politics. A staggering 96 percent of donations have gone to Democratic campaigns with the remaining 4 percent to the GOP.
The Celtics ranked fourth in the NBA in total donations behind the Orlando Magic ($308,000), the San Antonio Spurs ($266,000) and the Miami Heat ($249,900). Interestingly, three of the top four donating teams reached the Conference Finals this year — the Celtics, Spurs and Heat.
Most of the C’s money came from part-owner Steve Pagliuca (also a managing director at Bain Capital), who contributed $168,800 to campaigns — the fifth-highest of any NBA bigwig, the Center for Responsive Politics found.