Bill de Blasio is enjoying life with Louie.
Comedian Louis C.K. was spotted sitting in the back row of a New York State Financial Control Board meeting this afternoon, studiously taking notes on a staid discussion about the city’s fiscal health as Mr. de Blasio, the mayor, spoke. Later, he walked into City Hall with the mayor, and left the building with him as Mr. de Blasio headed to an event in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Why were they together?
“It’s a total coincidence. It’s a total coincidence,” the comedian joke. “I just happen to be going to all the same places as him.”
Mr. de Blasio offered his own explanation to the throng of reporters and photographers (one of whom later walked into a flag pole outside): “There’s a lot of comedy at City Hall.”
A City Hall spokeswoman, Ishanee Parikh, told the Observer Louis C.K. is “shadowing the Mayor for a project in development.”
The comic’s first stop was at financial control board meeting, where reporters and attendees of the forum in the governor’s Manhattan office were twittering up a storm about the unexpected guest, but were not given any opportunity to hobnob with the famous comedian, who was dressed inconspicuously in a black polo shirt.
After sitting through the meeting, which lasted a little less than a hour, the Louie creator scooted away with a couple of press secretaries from Mr. de Blasio’s office. He didn’t take any questions–or tell any jokes.
It’s not the first time Mr. de Blasio has met the famous stand-up comic and director. The two previously collaborated for the annual Inner Circle show, which features reporters and the mayor putting on comedic skits.
Comptroller Scott Stringer, the city’s fiscal steward, was mildly amused at all the attention Mr. C.K. was getting from the press during the fiscal meeting.
“I am informed that he was here but my job as comptroller is to tune all that out and talk dollars and cents,” he told the Observer. “Do you think he was here to throw me off my game?”
A reporter asked if there were punchlines to be had in a meeting about municipal finance.
“I think that the reporters that come to this meeting have some issues and we need them to get a life,” he said with a smile.
This wasn’t the first time this week that a celebrity comedian appeared with a leading New York politician. Yesterday, Sen. Charles Schumer teamed up with his cousin, Amy, to talk about combating gun violence.
