Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Queens Corruption and District Attorney 667












.
.
The Feds Sent Over A Dozen Queens Pols to Jail and the NYT Says the Problem With DA Brown is That He Has Been In Too Long? 
Elections Are Easy for Queens Prosecutor; Critics Call This a Problem (NYT) Robert A. Brown, 83, has been re-elected to the prosecutor’s job six times since 1991, with no opposition, and detractors say that is a sign of lingering machine politics in New York. The challenger, a former state legislator threatening the party favorite, was kicked off the primary ballot in a district attorney race in Queens after a judge ruled that the signatures he had gathered were not valid. The man, seeking to beat Richard A. Brown, lost an appeal, paving the way for Mr. Brown to easily defeat a Republican in the heavily Democratic borough. That was in 1991, and it was the last time Mr. Brown faced an opponent for the office. Mr. Brown has been open about his struggles with Parkinson’s disease — and rumors that his office is increasingly managed by his top associates have done little to churn up opposition.  However, in an era when criminal justice reform is an increasing part of the conversation in New York City, and district attorney seats in Brooklyn and Manhattan have turned over in recent years — or, in the case of Staten Island and the Bronx, will on Jan. 1 — some people have begun asking where Mr. Brown’s challengers are. Some legal professionals and government watchdogs compared Mr. Brown’s absence of challengers in Queens with the situation in the Bronx, where Robert T. Johnson, the district attorney since 1989, announced, after winning an uncontested primary in September, that he would seek a judgeship. The move allowed Democratic leaders to select a replacement candidate, and, by default, the next top prosecutor. “District attorneys in New York are virtually like Supreme Court justices: They’re there forever,” Doug Muzzio, a professor of public affairs at Baruch College, said. “The judiciary is one of the last bastions of machine control.”* Before being elected to his first term, Mr. Brown was appointed by Gov. Mario M. Cuomo after the previous district attorney, John J. Santucci, stepped down, and there were whispers around the courthouse that Mr. Brown might do the same: retire and let the Democratic Party choose his successor.
.
.
.
.
DAs Not Only Protect the Pols But the Lobbyist, Special Interests and Political Machines That Elect Them 
But unlike Mr. Johnson in the Bronx, who presided in a courthouse with extensive delays and was criticized for a seeming reluctance to aggressively pursue corruption cases, Mr. Brown has a solid reputation. Statistics highlight his office’s successes. In 2014, Mr. Brown’s staff had the highest percentage of convictions in the five boroughs after arrests for violent felonies and domestic violence, a point of pride for the office. The borough’s average arrest-to-arraignment time that year — just over 18 hours — was the lowest in the city. The voters in Manhattan and on Staten Island have had more choices in recent elections. Cyrus R. Vance Jr., a Democrat, was elected district attorney in Manhattan in 2009 after defeating two others in the primary. He succeeded Robert M. Morgenthau, who served for 35 years before retiring at 90. On Staten Island, Michael E. McMahon, a Democrat, defeated a Republican for the post last month.  But change did happen in Brooklyn after the longtime incumbent, Charles J. Hynes, a Democrat, was ousted by voters in 2013. He had been in office since 1990. His successor, Ken Thompson, a fellow Democrat, announced in 2014 that the office would stop prosecuting most low-level marijuana cases. Mr. Thompson also set up a Conviction Review Unit, and 17 convictions have so far been overturned.* The last time Queens DA Richard Brown, who has been re-elected six times, faced an opponent was 1991. He’ll become NYC’s longest-serving prosecutor in January. In an era when criminal justice reform is an increasing part of the conversation in New York City, and district attorney seats in Brooklyn and Manhattan have turned over in recent years, some people find his longevity a problem.
NYPD Ticket Fixing Scandal Reporting Drip Drip Drip 



Last Thursday
Shirley Huntley Also Home From Prison

True News Exclusive 
Shirley Huntley was rewarded Thursday for her work as a government snitch and got out of jail. One day after her former chief of staff Councilman Ruben Wills is arrested.  To save herself, Huntley agreed to secretly record fellow politicians and two political operatives at her Queens home, where she was recuperating from a broken ankle.In June, July and August 2012, Huntley hosted fellow lawmakers in her den, catching them on recording devices hidden in a water bottle, a key chain and a cigarette case. It was unclear why the feds focused on the nine guests, but at least four had links to the tainted bid by the Aqueduct Entertainment Group to build a racino at the Queens racetrack. The feds reportedly directed Huntley to ask them about Aqueduct.


With the arrest last week of one of the group, Rubin Wills, the “Huntley Nine” are asking: Who’s next?


Get the Feeling Queens Pols Feel They Can Get Over On DA Brown?
9 Queens Pols Arrested Since 2006 With the arrest of New York City Councilman Ruben Wills marking the ninth Queens politician to have been investigated, arrested or convicted of corruption since 2006, some borough residents say they’re fed up with lawmaker corruption, the New York Post reports: 

Queens Corruption and District Attorney
Albany Corruption
* An influential Queens clergyman is trying to drive Queens District Attorney Richard Brown out of office, arguing that he has not been good for the African American community, the Observer reports: http://goo.gl/h5Vhjm
.
The girlfriend of former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate spoke with her lawyers for the first time in months after a report that her $35 million federal lawsuit was in danger of being dismissed because they could not locate her, the Daily News writes:








NYC Parking Meters is Ground Zero for Municipal Corruption

Back to the Future: Parking Meter Corruption Again Bloomberg?
New York City's parking meters have always been the gold mine that brings forth scandal.  Back in the 1980s, the Koch administration gave a $22 million contract to a company named Citisource to supply handheld computers for parking enforcement agents. Koch's folks also doled out another contract to an outfit called Datacom to process parking tickets. Both companies, federal prosecutors later revealed, had bribed scores of city officials to land their contracts.
By the time the Parking Violations Bureau scandal was over, Stanley Friedman, Koch's close ally and head of the Bronx Democratic Party, was in jail, along with his sidekick, Bronx Borough President Stanley Simon, and a handful of others.  Queens Borough President Donald Manes committed suicide before he could be indicted, and their chief prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani, became a hero.
5
5
5

Tammany Hall Parking Again? Tammany Hall leader Carmine De Sapio steered valuable city contracts for streetlights and parking meters to the Broadway Maintenance Corporation


Mayor Dinkins was forced to cancel the contract after the Department of Investigation revealed that Lockheed colluded with other bidders. The DOI also found several city officials improperly favored Lockheed and that a key City Hall staffer solicited a job with the company during the process. * City exec faces time rap (NYP)


 

Come to Jamaica to leave it(Queens Crap)
From the NY Post: The only tenant so far in a long-planned retail center that’s supposed to attract shoppers to downtown Jamaica will be a bus station that instead takes them away — to the Resorts World racino at Aqueduct Raceway. A sign in one of the three storefronts, which have remained empty since they were finished last June, advertises: “Coming soon: Bus Depot Here!” The Greater Jamaica Development Corp., the politically connected nonprofit that used $9.2 million in taxpayer money to clean up the area and develop the retail arcade, says it has signed a lease with Resorts World for the largest of the storefronts on Sutphin Boulevard.
It will basically be a waiting room for free shuttle buses that run to the racino every 20 minutes. The 2,300-square-foot space is now an empty shell. The storefronts were the centerpiece of the revitalization of the Sutphin Boulevard underpass under the Jamaica Long Island Rail Road station. Rep. Gregory Meeks secured Federal Transit Administration funds for the site. The money and other grants that the Queens Democrat sent to Greater Jamaica are under investigation by the US Attorney’s Office, which last year issued a subpoena to the nonprofit seeking information on the funds.



In an email to local arts groups, The State Council on the Arts is offering to help arts organizations get loans to supplement a slow process in generating contracts for the 2,500 grants it awards this year, the Times-Union reports:

Even Before Wills Was Elected to the Council There Has Been A Buzz of Him Pocketing Money From Non Profits to Help Pay For Child Support
True  News  2010 - 2012
Bladeo is Came in 3rd to Rubin Wills Who is Also Under Investigation and had or has 2 arrests warrants on on him 
Wills Investigation 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,  




Running Mates: Queens DA Brown and A Sexual Assaulter Councilman Dennis Gallagher He Prosecuted and Drove From Office

Vote the Row B Ticket
DA Brown and the Former Councilman He Convicted of Sexual Assaulting A Woman

Only in Queens can and disgraced council member who after he pleas guilty of sexual assaulting a woman run for a political party position in Queens.  With the media not covering the undemocratic political parties of NY, anything goes.  Gallagher was allowed to plea bargained to a misdemeanor by the Queens' DA.  DA's tend to go lightly on corrupt pols, mostly giving them a pass by overlooking corruption because the pols and county parties they represent are important to their reelection.  Queens DA Brown has be embarrass by the NYP today because he did not expect Gallagher to come back as a party official/political consultant.  Where are the women's and good government groups to protest Gallagher?  Until today's article they did not even know he was running.

Red-faced and whispering, City Councilman Dennis Gallagher angrily pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sex charges for assaulting a woman in his campaign office. As part of his plea deal, Gallagher, 43, will not serve jail time for forcible touching and sexual abuse. He agreed to resign from office by April 18 and undergo alcohol counseling. (March 17, 2008, NYDN) *  Elect'-ile dysfunction in Queens Queens DA Richard Brown, who once prosecuted former City Councilman Dennis Gallagher on charges of sexually abusing a woman in his office, now finds himself joined with the former lawmaker again -- on election petitions for the Sept. 13 GOP primary.(NYP) * Councilman Dennis Gallagher pleads guilty to sex abuse - New York ... (NYDN)


Under Indictment Haggerty Still is Trying to Control the Queens GOP
Officials from the warring factions of the Queens Republican Party have been stationed at the Board of Elections all week analyzing each others' county committee member petitions. One wild card: indicted Queens GOP operative John Haggerty, who has been doing line-by-line reviews of petitions for candidates supported by his rival, Queens GOP chairman Phil Ragusa. Haggerty learned the art of kicking candidates off the ballot at the knee of masters like Stanley Schlein and the now deceased Robert Muir. And despite his legal troubles, Haggerty's prowess in the area is such that he still gets brought in for petition challenge and recount work around the state. Petition challenges for the Queens elections begin next week.

New York's Corrupt Political Parties (True News)

 
___________________________________________________________________________________
More Huntley Fallout


4 Pols Not Sleeping Well Tonight
City Councilman Leroy Comrie, former Councilman James Sanders and Councilmen Mark Weprin and Ruben Wills.
Non Profit Leader Pleads Guilty To Pocketing Council Funds(NY1)
The head of a Queens non-profit pled guilty Tuesday to stealing $85,000 in City Council money.
Van Holmes, the head of the Young Leaders Institute in Laurelton, has agreed to serve six months in prison and pay back $95,000 in restitution. Prosecutors say Holmes took money that was supposed to go to youth education programs and used it for shopping sprees and visits to a cabaret lounge.
 Prosecutors are also looking at three Council members and a current state senator as part of this investigation. Sen. James Sanders (D-Jamaica), who left the City Council after ousting Huntley from her seat last year, and Councilmen Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), 

Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) and Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), all allocated money to Holmes’ nonprofit in the past several years. Jail for Huntley’s thieving pal(NYP)


Huntlety's Character Witness Van Homes Not Also Stands Indicted
Try not to laugh: Before Shirley Huntley was sentenced to jail in May for stealing $87,000 from a children’s charity she controlled, a friend wrote the judge for leniency, calling her his mentor and an “outstanding citizen.” The punch line? This character witness has now been arrested for stealing $88,000 from his children’s charity. Van Holmes, head of the Queens-based Young Leaders Institute, clearly learned his lessons from Huntley — he’s facing four felony charges for turning the “nonprofit” shell group into a personal ATM. * Several Lawmakers Appear In Court On Corruption Charges(NY1) * SE Queens nonprofit prez arrested on fraud charges(TimesLedger)

Huntlety's Character Witness Van Homes Not Also Stands Indicted
Try not to laugh: Before Shirley Huntley was sentenced to jail in May for stealing $87,000 from a children’s charity she controlled, a friend wrote the judge for leniency, calling her his mentor and an “outstanding citizen.” The punch line? This character witness has now been arrested for stealing $88,000 from his children’s charity. Van Holmes, head of the Queens-based Young Leaders Institute, clearly learned his lessons from Huntley — he’s facing four felony charges for turning the “nonprofit” shell group into a personal ATM. * Several Lawmakers Appear In Court On Corruption Charges(NY1) * SE Queens nonprofit prez arrested on fraud charges(TimesLedger)




Albany Rips Off Per Deim Expenses For Years
State lawmakers received $1.8 million in per diem expenses during this past legislative session, a 28 percent drop from 2012, as the previously lax oversight of the reimbursement system has been subject to more scrutiny, Gannett Albany writes:
Flashback
Politicians caught collecting Albany per diems when they're not there(2012, NYP)





NYT Write About Gottlieb Drop Out, But Leaves Out Key People Involved in the Ticket Fixing conspiracy in the 6th

NYT Still Trying to Manage the News Not Report on the Conspiracy to Kill Democracy

After the fact and dozens of new media blog stories the NYT writes about attempts by the Queens machine to use their long time party hack Jeffrey Gottlieb to split the Jewish vote in 6th Congressional District.  The NYT writer Sarah Maslin Nir used an anonymous person involved in Gottlieb campaign to say he drop out because of a NYP story last weekend that he burned down his own house.  The NYT reporter Nir only used the the target of the Gottlieb ticket splitting candidacy Rory I. Lancman as the accuser and ignored key evidence already published in several blogs about a key person in the Meng's campaign involvement in ticket splitting. The NYT never mentioned Corrupt Boss Crowley once in the article.  It should have read it own reporters story on how weak the machines in competitive races.In Queens, Political Center Is in Surrogate's Court - NYTimes.com Perhaps the machine losing the Weprin race has increase the need to find ways to win like splitting the vote.  Candidate Is Said to Quit House Race in Queens * NY Corrupt Party Boss Crowley(True News) * One Corrupt Political Boss Will Pick the Next Congressman(True News)

Meng's Nussbaum: Corrupt Journalist and Political Operative is Unknown by the NYT

The NYT left out that a key Queens political operative helping to run the Meng Mike Nussbaum approached another Queens Jewish person Matthew Silverstein who was looking to run for office and suggested he run in the 6th before Gottlieb entered the race.  The NYT reporter Nir also ignored a story posted in City and State about FOR MENG CONSULTANT NUSSBAUM, A HISTORY OF VOTE-SPLITTING. How is the world can the NYT leave out the fact that Nussbaum is part owner of several Queens newspaper and he is running campaigns.  Is the NYT trying to tell us that their is not ethics in journalism and the newspapers can run candidates and operate like political machines like they did in the old Tammany Hall days?  Or has the paper become the clueless Times. * A Secret Pact Broken, A Candidate Shunned From The Ballot (Queens Politics)

NYT Reporter Clueless About Queens Machine Games or A Crying Need for 101 Intro Course About The Gangs Who Run NYC Politics



The NYT reporter did not understand what Lancman was talking about when he said the machine was just playing musical chairs by replacing Gottlieb with someone else.  “Same game, different face.”What is the game reporter Nir? She did not answer his charge. The Game Lancman was talking about is quite simple.  The Queens machines uses a network of political operatives both democrat and republican to fix elections.  In this case the Democratic Queens machine used GOP operative Jay Golub who ran the petition drive to get Gottlieb on the ballot and is most likely the anonymous person Ms. Nir was writing about describing why Gottlieb dropped out.   Which means that a person deeply involved in the ticket fixing conspiracy was using the NYT reporter to spin Bull Shit and to cover up what was really going on. *   More on the Race for the 6th Congressionial District(True News)

Queens Political Corruption Grows Inside the NYC Board Of Elections

Stephen Graves Resigned Quietly from the Board of Elections Wednesday After Being Suspended Last Week For Bribery

Two Years Ago Stephen Graves Computer and Files Were Seized In Joint FBI DOI Raid On the Queens Board of Elections.  After his office was raided Graves disappeared for two weeks.  When he came back he was reassigned from the Queens BOE to its Warehouse, because many at the board believed he was wearing a wire to catch others for the feds in return for a lighter sentence.  Before that Graves was operating out of Manhattan until a group of Jewish employees filed an EEOC complaint against him.

DOI Going After the Secret Lobbyist Can Start the Clean Up of Corruption at the BOE 

The city’s Board of Elections was notified two years ago that Graves wascaught on tape soliciting a $25,000 “finder’s fee” from a company competing for a $65 million voting machine contract in 2009.  “He was recommending the use of a particular lobbyist,” said one source. “In exchange for that he wanted a finder’s fee.” The lobbyist, who was not identified, was supposed to receive $250,000 a year for five years, the source said. All DOI has to do is expose who was the lobbyist who Graves want to receive the $1.250,000.  The chances are that lobbyist is a BOE lobbyist insider or Queens GOP operator who knows where many of the commissioner who run the board bodies are buried.  Note the sting tapes on Graves were made by the BOE vender not DOI.

DOI Can Also Clean Up the BOE By Stopping the Cover Up of Who Tried to Fix A Ballot in A 2010 Special Election
  The second case involves the former head of the BOE Gonzalez who left the board right after a scandal of ballot fixing was disclosed in a Queens special election.  DOI said over a year ago that it was investigating what happen.  That investigation could be revived to force Gonzalez to rat on his former board members.  It is interesting to not that Gonzalez lawyer Stanley Schlein is also the registered lobbyist for the same company that Graves tried to shake down, Dominion Voting Systems.  Head of Board of Elections Fired One Week Before Election (WNYC) 
e
e

The BOE is the Enabler for Ticket Splitting and Interconnecting Network of Corruption in Queens Politics
Robert Hornak is the news manager of purchasing for the BOE.  Besides being a big player it the GOP and a lobbyist or a company working for a lobbyist. Hornak ownes Lexington Public Affairs that operating out of his apartment.  Lexington is hired by GSP Consultants to do campaign work. GSP owners Jay Golub was a consultant to Jeff Gottlieb congressional run to split the vote in the 6th.  Hornak worked with Jay Golub and with accused BOE briber Steven Graves on the Victor Babb City Council Campaign.  Golub GSP Consulting was $4,500 by the Ragusa' faction of the Queens GOP who at that time was fighting the Haggerty faction. Steven Graves was running in the 25AD for State Committee as part of the Ragusa faction in 2009.  Also working for GSP is Dennis Gallager who the NYP calls the Perv pol lands Qns. lobbyist gig  

Ticket Fixer Jay Golub
Gallagher, who stepped down in 2008 after pleading guilty to sexual-abuse charges stemming from accusations that he raped a woman in his Middle Village office, is listed on a city government database as an “additional lobbyist” with GSP Consulting. Republican Gallagher, a Republican, confirmed that he does consulting work with Golub and that he’s done consulting for Councilman Peter Koo (R-Queens) but said he hasn’t done any work for Republicans in Queens “on a paid basis.” Michael Nussbaum Meng' campaign consultants also worked in the 2009 peter Koo campaign. golub also worked in the campaign for Issac Sasson.  in Both the Koo campaign and the Sasson campaign Nussbaum's Multi Media company did the printing. 


As Political Bosses Fixed Elections and A Lobbyist Connected to A Major BOE Pay to Play Investigation Remains Anonymousthe Main Stream Media See and Reports Ficton





__________________________________
AG Just Solve the Moreland Mystery?
There’s a $3 million mystery at the center of a new report on Albany corruption. Help us solve it:(WNYC)
A non-profit company providing medical services, operating out of a city storefront appears to have received about $3 million in sketchy funds from very important lawmakers. We need you to help us find it.  Or maybe you happen to be familiar with a certain storefront where investigators installed a pole camera for 25 days. Maybe you’re an expert in non-profit law. You get the idea.



Mystery Solved: Another None Profit Indicted 
Looks Like the Several Investigators Were Sitting On this Story - Moreland Report Yesterday Pushed It Out
 
The founder of a Queens nonprofit, Angeldocs, has been indicted for pocketing grant money, including member items, per .  Organization's Mission or Most Sigriificant Activities AngelDocs believing in the principle that health is a birthright, through advocacy, mentoring and health literacy is dedicated to a mission of improving lives by supporting wellness, accessibility and afforriability of quality healthcare, skills and tools to PREVENT diseases to all but, especially to those most vulnerable members in our communities.An executive at a New York City non-profit organization has been arrested and charged with stealing $373,000 in both state and federal funds, according to a joint announcement from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and city Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn. In addition to the city and state investigation, officials say the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Housing and Urban Development Department played a role in the probe.The organization has received a dozen state, city and federal grants, with Ogundu accused of skimming portions from all 12: approximately $91,000 from the City of New York, approximately $87,000 from the State of New York and approximately $195,000 from the federal government. Ogundu was charged with several felonies, including second-degree grand larceny, second-degree forgery and first-degree falsifying business records.Non-Profit Exec Arrested, Accused Of Pocketing $373K(YNN) * Doctor charged with ‘scamming’ $370K through fake clinic(NYP)


The New Deputy Borough President of Queens Comrie Has A None Profit Member Item Corruption Problem

The City Council dished out nearly $147 million for pet projects throughout members’ districts, including a grant to a dysfunctional medical center in Queens that even Mayor Bloomberg’s agencies doubt should get taxpayer money. Included in the massive list of “member items” — funds individual council members dole out to non-profits — is a $5,000 allocation to Angeldocs, whose city funds are under examination by the city Health Department. Last year’s taxpayer-funded council grants to Angeldocs were reviewed in April by the Department after The Post reported it was delinquent on property taxes and its only staffer, Dr. Dorothy Ogundu, refused to reveal details about her practice. Despite that, Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-Queens) appropriated another $5,000 for the clinic, which Council Speaker Christine Quinn has yet to approve. Council’s pork bill at $147M(NYP and Queens Crap) * Queens nonprofit Angeldocs stole $350000: authorities (NYDN) Founder Dr. Dorothy Ogundu allegedly used the Hollis-based outfit to pocket city, state and federal funds earmarked for public services and capital improvements — to pay for personal expenses, including buying cars and shipping them back to her native Nigeria. Founder Dr. Dorothy Ogundu allegedly used the Hollis-based outfit to pocket city, state and federal funds earmarked for public services and capital improvements — to pay for personal expenses, including buying cars and shipping them back to her native Nigeria.

Looks Like the City Health Department Was Sitting On this Story and Moreland Report Pushed It Out
600G health clinic in a vegetative state(NYP) Dr. Dorothy Ogundu says she created her Angeldocs charity to improve access to health care for the poor. But the former church she turned into the Aki Life Health Center on Hillside Avenue in Holliswood was locked up tight on two visits by The Post last week. Its front door, where the business hours were listed as 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week, was chained shut with a padlock. Ogundu used government grant money, including a $100,000 allocation from the state Dormitory Authority, to turn the former classroom area of the church into treatment rooms. Rep. Gregory Meeks secured federal grants totaling $380,500 for renovations and programs. A state member item from Assemblywoman Vivian Cook went to renovate a second-floor kitchen.

A sign proclaims the space “Cook’s Kitchen.” She paid $20,053 in property taxes in 2006 and then let the bills mount until they reached $300,368 by 2010. The property was not eligible for a charitable tax break because it was owned by a for-profit.Ogundu transferred the title of the property to Angeldocs in late 2010 and then gained a city tax exemption. But she still owes the $300,368. “I told them this is ridiculous,” Ogundu said. “I think that the city should meet me halfway.” She turned to her local representative, Assemblyman David Weprin, whom she said she has known from his days on the City Council and her own community involvement. Weprin, along with Cook, sponsored a bill earlier this month to let Ogundu file for a retroactive tax exemption, refund any taxes she paid and wipe out her debt.

A Takeover Of Journalism by Lobbyist and Politicians

Last week the NYT said A Court, Not Votes, Sustains a Political Machine in Queens. True News said it was much more than the court that was fueling that political machine.  Yesterday the NYT wrote an article on when is a blogger a journalist. Today True News looks a Queens local newspapers that have not only turn they back on journalism but have become partners, house organs with the Boss Crowley’s political machine.



Soviet Queens Pravda 
A Takeover Of Journalism by Lobbyist and Politicians


In queens the local newspaper, the political machine and government all work together.  The paper do not preform the role of checks and balances that Founding Father envisioned to protect the people from the government and ensure a working democracy.  Instead Queens local newspapers have gamed journalism to operate as a co-machine in Queens.  They work in campaigns and are lobbyist to the same elected officials they help elect or reelect.  The papers operate as the house organ for the Democratic  party to controling who becomes gets elected or becomes a judge in Queens county.  The judges in turn send the legal ads worth tens of thousands dollars to the local papers.

At the heart of the queens newspaper conspiracy is Michael Nussbaum.  He wears many hats.  Executive V.P. and Associate Publisher TRIBCO owners of the Queens Tribune and several other papers and magazines in that borough.  Nussbaum owns the papers along with Congressman Ackerman and Mike Schenkler who services as publisher of the operation.  Schenkler calls Nussbaum the driving force behind  Multi-Media, which he calls the papers printing, promotion arm.  What Schenkler does not tell us is that Multi-Media does campaign printing for elected officials like State Senator Shirley Huntley, Assemblyman Edward Braunstein and Councilman Peter Koo.  One of Nussbaum papers hired the wife of Councilman Leroy Comrie Marcia to run their southeast queens local edition.  

A queens pol says Nussbaum and a large political consultant lobbyist group work together often in printing for candidates. Parkside is run by Evan Stavisky who works for almost all the candidates backed by the queens machine.  Stavisky moved into the big time by working for Brian Mclaughlin and many of the organization that led to the former queens congressman conviction.  Stavisky was in the middle of the city council slush fund non investigation where Quinn and the others walked away untouched. n 2005 in a NYT article Dick Dadey executive director of Citizens Union expressed concern about what he called "a growing problem" of council members being lobbied by firms that serve as political consultants to many of them.  It not just the local queens newspapers that control what becomes news.  Most of the political writers in NYC know but have not written how Evan lives in Rockland County where his wife is an elected county democratic leader and Evan services an elected district leader in Queens.  It is a deal reporters who do not understand politics make to endure that they continue to get news tips from Stavisky. Stavisky is part of the permanent government.  In 2009 he lost 5 out of 6 council races.  In 2010 he was paid over $2 million by the senate democrats who lost their majority.  This year he lost a congressional district which was 4 to 1 democratic to a republican. 


Newspaper V.P. Nussbaum is not only campaign consultant he is also a lobbyist for developers like Patrick Thompson who is trying to clear FAA clearance to finally redevelop the illegally partially torn down 20 years ago RKO Keith.  Schenkler wrote that Nussbaum “brings us Asian clients and friends. His network includes the very top government officials and business giants in the Far East as well as their counterparts here in our country.”    If you want to know where Nussbaum gets his asian clients all you have to do is check with one of the other papers owner Congressman Ackerman.  The congressman is a member and the former Chair of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific which has oversight on U.S. policy towards nations in Asia.  Ackerman has already show that he knows how to use the paper to benefit himself and his partners.  He was Nussbaum papers publisher and weekly columnist until 1978 when he was elected to the state senate. Ackerman's wife is also the publisher of the Hill in Washington DC.


Nussbaum Was Convicted for Bribery in 1987 of Soliciting a $250000 Bribe for Borough President Donald Manes
Nussbaum  was a member of Queens machine before he became a journalism.  He was a public relations consultant who was found guilty for collaborating with Donald R. Manes, the Queens Borough President, in soliciting a $250,000 bribe for the awarding of a cable-television franchise in Queens.  It was all part of massive scandal that U.S. Attorney Giuliani started to get him into the mayor's office, that involved Mayor Koch, the city's Parking Violations Bureau, the death of the Queens Borough President, judges, the Bronx county leader and a tangled.  Nussbaum conviction was later overturned by a higher court. The appeals court ruled that Mr. Nussbaum could not be charged with bribery because he was not a public official, and that there was insufficient evidence linking Mr. Manes - the only public official implicated - to any bribery plot.  Manes killed himself as another scandal CitySourse began to point to him.


Queens Courier Owner Schneps Follows Nussbaum into the Political Printing Business
It is clear that Ackerman and Nussbaum are not the only political running local newspapers in the city today. Vicky Schneps who owns the Queens Courier.  She also owns a string of other Queens Papers.  He son owns a couple of papers in Brooklyn,    She was paid $18,000 by 2010 State Senate candidate John Messer for printing.  Printing is how Nussbaum connects to campaigns. Schneps was also paid and $9500 for T-Shirts by Messer.


Pols and Judges Pay Newspapers With Legal Ads
Most local papers in NY survive today with legal ads from the court. Other states have abandoned the government subsidy of legal ads by allowing them to be placed on the Internet for free. Local papers depend on the Albany pols to make money. If you ever wonder why they play up to local elected officials and print their press releases now you now know why.


The Queens Organization Understands the lesson of the Soviet Union . . . . Control Information, Control People
As the demonstrations in Russia indicate the former home of Provida is moving toward democracy.  Not only is Queens and the rest of New York stuck with newspapers designed to control them. That control which really means an uninformed public has help cause Queens to become the most corrupt borough in the city.  Where assemblymen rip off hospitals and little leagues, a comptroller rips off the CFB and taxpayers and a congressman get free mortgages from a developers.







True News Sunday Udate

The Queen's Politburo
One Corrupt Political Boss Will Pick the Next Congressman

Tammany's Crowley

NY's Election Law not Albany's ethic disclosure laws are what keeps our elected officials corrupt.  One Irish pol who never gets any negative press compared to Vito Lopez will because of the Weiner's perfect storm will get to pick Brooklyn Jewish seat. If Weiner was leaving a city council seat Boss Crowley would would not be able to choose the winner.  The Charter changes put into effect after Donald Manes who was Queens Boss before Crowley killed himself after being caught in the Koch's administration corruption, took the power away from political bosses to pick the parties nominee.   

Good government groups and the media have stayed away from election law reform.  True News will use the opportunity of the Weiner replacement special to investigate the corruption of the Queens machine.  Crowley epicenter of corruption is the Queens courts, esp the Surrogate Court which has had a history of corruption. Every time Crowley tries for a leadership post in Washington it seems his fund raising becomes the focus of an investigation.

A Jailed Elected Official is An Opportunity to the Queeens Machine
We will look at why so many Queens elected officials have been indicted or are under serious criminal investigations.  Already convicted in the last couple of years Alan Hevesi (in jail), Brian McLaughlin (in Jail), Tony Seminerio (died in jail) and Hiram Monserrate. When McLaughlin, Seminerio and Monserrate were forced to resign it was Crowley who picked there successor by giving them the Democratic nomination in the special. When When picked Peralta to take Monserrate he also go to pick Maya to replace Peralta in the assembly.  Crowley also controls without opposition who becomes a judge, who becomes surrogate and who becomes the district attorney.  The Queens County Leader is has already pick the replacements for Assemblywomen Pheffer and Mayersohn.  Jo Ann Shapiro for Pheffer and Mike Simanowitz for Meyerson.


Were Have All the Journalist Gone After Newfield

Newfield and Wayne Barrett
Dead Wood: NY's Investigative Reporters
Not since the death or old school investigative report Jack Newfield in 2004 has any reporter in New York covered how the corrupt Queens Democratic Machine use the courts as there personal bank.  Today over a decade later nothing has changed.  The new Queens Surrogate Kelly was like Nahman elected without a primary.  Today's Queens Democratic machines still use the Surrogate Court as their personal bank.  All that has happen has Crowley has replaced Manton.  Crowley Bolz and Reich all receive most of the loot from the Queens Surrogate Court.  The only difference is Newfield is long gone and the clueless, inexperienced and none caring corporate journalist of today report political gossip, don't do investigative pieces and only write about corruption when the U.S. Attorney indicts a pol.


NYP and Daily News Both Being Sued By Judges
Have the lawsuits against the NYP and Daily News scared those papers away from corrupt judges? Errol Louis and the Daily News are both being sued about an investigative story Lewis wrote about Judge Martin. What interesting about both of this cases is that one lawyer is suing both papers. Howard Schwab from Lester Schwab Katz & Dwyer LLP.


Newfield Before Today's Corporate Hired Guns Reporters on the Corrupt Queens Democratic Mob

In 1998 Newfield reported that Frank Bolz III, chairman of the Queens Democratic Party's law committee, is the single biggest recipient of assignments from Nahman - collecting $178,050 for 47 paid guardianship appointments since 1992.  Bolz is the law partner of Queens Assemblyman Joseph Crowley's father and brother. Gerard Sweeney, Manton's former law partner and campaign treasurer, is the current counsel to the public administrator - appointed by Nahman. Sweeney's law partner, Michael Reich, is executive secretary of the Queens Democ-ratic organization and has received 27 real-estate receiverships from nine differ-ent Queens judges. In 2000 Newfield wrote "The law firm of Queens Democratic Party leader Tom Manton has received more than $400,000 in court patronage since 1997. One partner -- Frank Bolz -- heads the party's law committee. Another, Gerard Sweeney, is counsel to the public adminis-trator. A third, Mike Reich, is executive secretary of the Queens party organiza-tion. They should apply antitrust laws to Manton's Monopoly." The rule is that a lawyer can get only one assignment of more than $5,000 during any 12-month period. Records show that lawyers like Batra, Bolz and Harvey Green-berg get a lot of assignments for $4,800 each.


Ex-Assemblyman Jimmy K. Meng Sentenced in Bribery ...(NYT)

Monserrate's Political Life Ends with an Earful, Tears and ...

john haggerty » Queens Politics

Disgraced Queens Pol Dies In Prison - Politics on the Hudson

polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2011/.../disgraced-queens-pol-dies-in-prison/
Jan 6, 2011 - A tragic end today to the life of former Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, D-Queens, who died today in prison after he was sentenced earlier ...

 

 

 

 

 

 


No comments:

Post a Comment