FDNY investigates pro-Trump firefighters who booed AG James during ceremony
NEW YORK - The FDNY has opened an investigation after firefighters and staffers booed New York Attorney General Letitia James and shouted "Trump! Trump! Trump!" during a promotion ceremony last week.
The booing erupted during the Thursday ceremony at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn as James walked up to the podium to honor the swearing-in of the first Black woman to serve as chaplain of the FDNY, Rev. Pamela Holmes. Dozens of firefighters and civilian employees were also sworn in to their new roles.
"Oh come on," James said to the mix of cheers and boos from the crowd. "We're in a house of God. Simmer down."
Heckling, including chants of "Trump," continued as James began her speech.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh returned to the Brooklyn church on Sunday to apologize and address the issue.
"Not only is the [FDNY] the greatest fire department in the world, it is also the most professional fire department in the world, and we let down that reputation on Thursday," she said.
Also on Sunday, officials handed memos to all 250+ firehouses throughout the city, warning firefighters that department investigators are reviewing video footage of the event to identify those hecklers, according to a New York Post report.
"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," Hodges said in the email obtained by the Post.
FDNY spokesperson Jim Long said the investigation isn't about politics and rebuked claims that the FDNY is "hunting down" firefighters.
"Nobody is hunting anyone down," Long told Fox News Digital in an email on Sunday morning. "We’re looking into those who clearly broke department regulations. It has nothing to do with politics. It’s about professionalism at an official event held in a house of worship."
Many Trump supporters have expressed their disappointment with James's civil fraud judgment that fined Trump more than $350 million in February. The former president is a frequent critic of James, posting that she "is looking to destroy New York State."
This article contains reporting from Fox News Digital.