Saturday, November 9, 2013

GOP Bottom Feeders And Why the Party is Dying in NY, Tabone Trial 668


Queens GOP Machine Also Coming Down, Turner To Take Over Next Thursday

State Takeover
Word tonight is that the state GOP leader will appoint someone to the Queens GOP.  As the former VP of the Queens GOP Vince Tabone heads to jail for trying with other GOP leaders to sell the party line to Malcolm Smith (also heading to jail) it look like GOP lead Cox has had enough of the long time civil war fighting for control of the Queens GOP. Insiders report that proxies are being collected to put former congressman Turner in as Queens Boss.

Changing Of the Queens GOP Team 
After of the Death of the Queens GOP Boss, Jailing of Its VP for Ballot Fixing Vinny Trombone There is A Changing of the Machine's Guard at the BOE.  Two Years Ago True News Exposed Bougiamas 360 Consultant Corruption at the BOE Along With Other Queens GOP Corruption At the BOE and Nothing Happen
City Board of Elections official had employee work forhis firm, used city email address: Conflicts of Interest Board (NYDN) A City Board of Elections official illegally enlisted a subordinate to work for his private political consulting firm and used his city email address to do work for the company, the Conflicts of Interest Board found. John Bougiamas was a supervisor at the board’s Queens borough office — and was also running his own consulting firms, 360 Consultants and Pharos Group, which did data services for political campaigns and website design. He got one of his employees to do work for 360 Consultants — mostly working for free, though the staffer got paid $500 for one project. Bougiamas, who worked for the Board of Elections for five years, also used his city email at least seven times to do work for his private businesses, the conflicts board said. Bougiamas resigned after the board’s commissioners voted to suspend him without pay. He did not return a call for comment. 

No Reaction to City's GOP Bottom Feeders Bosses That Sold Line to Smith?
A GOP Congressional Delegation Who Abandoned Ideology for Member Items * A GOP Senate Controlled By Lobbyist D'amato and His Real Estate Friends
Ex-GOP boss Isaacs nixed Malcolm Smith bribe(NYP) Quid pro quos are OK — but he draws the line at ­being bribed. former Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith enough support to put him over the top to become the GOP’s mayoral candidate in 2013 — in exchange for being hired to provide legit legal work. But Isaacs had a quick change of heart during a Feb. 14, 2013, sit-down in a parked car in Manhattan with an undercover posing as a crooked developer when Isaacs realized the offer was really a $30,000 bribe. Isaacs, testifying at Smith’s White Plains federal corruption trial, told jurors he is a personal-injury lawyer and “bells went off” when he realized the job was for “real estate work.” “He was bribing me because he didn’t care what I was going to do,” said Isaacs, who soon after began working with the feds to nail Smith.  * GOP State Sen. Martin Golden deleted a joke about same sex marriage from his Facebook page, and the Bay Ridge Democrats have called on him to apologize for sharing “a crass joke,” the Observer reports
Queens GOP Machine Also Coming Down, Turner To Take Over Next Thursday

State Takeover
Word tonight is that the state GOP leader will appoint someone to the Queens GOP.  As the former VP of the Queens GOP Vince Tabone heads to jail for trying with other GOP leaders to sell the party line to Malcolm Smith (also heading to jail) it look like GOP lead Cox has had enough of the long time civil war fighting for control of the Queens GOP. Insiders report that proxies are being collected to put former congressman Turner in as Queens Boss.

Changing Of the Queens GOP Team 
After of the Death of the Queens GOP Boss, Jailing of Its VP for Ballot Fixing Vinny Trombone There is A Changing of the Machine's Guard at the BOE.  Two Years Ago True News Exposed Bougiamas 360 Consultant Corruption at the BOE Along With Other Queens GOP Corruption At the BOE and Nothing Happen
City Board of Elections official had employee work forhis firm, used city email address: Conflicts of Interest Board (NYDN) A City Board of Elections official illegally enlisted a subordinate to work for his private political consulting firm and used his city email address to do work for the company, the Conflicts of Interest Board found. John Bougiamas was a supervisor at the board’s Queens borough office — and was also running his own consulting firms, 360 Consultants and Pharos Group, which did data services for political campaigns and website design. He got one of his employees to do work for 360 Consultants — mostly working for free, though the staffer got paid $500 for one project. Bougiamas, who worked for the Board of Elections for five years, also used his city email at least seven times to do work for his private businesses, the conflicts board said. Bougiamas resigned after the board’s commissioners voted to suspend him without pay. He did not return a call for comment. 


No Opposition From the City's Member Items Driven GOP
(NYO) Councilman Eric Ulrich, a Republican from Queens, argued to the Observer today that his close relationship with Progressive Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito only strengthens his bid to replace resigning Staten Island Councilman Vincent Ignizio as leader of the three-member GOP conference—though his colleagues have apparently yet to be convinced. -- Councilman Eric Ulrich of Queens told the Observer“Do I want to be minority leader? Yes, I do. And I think a good relationship with the speaker is a plus, not a minus … It’s always been a plus in the Council, and there hasn’t been a situation where it hasn’t been a plus, and it’s not something that I’m going to run away from.”Bredderman writes: “Ulrich would have to ultimately convince either Mr. Matteo or Staten Island Assemblyman Joseph Borelli, Mr. Ignizio’s protegé and presumptive successor, to back him. Mr. Borelli, who has declared his intention to run for the reliably GOP seat, told the Observer he planned to back Mr. Matteo due to their shared Staten Island roots, and scoffed at Mr. Ulrich’s assertion that ties to the speaker were an advantage. ‘I am first and foremost a Staten Islander. I am second-most a Republican. I am going with the best Republican to lead our conference,’ Mr. Borelli said.” 

.The Corruption Goes Right Through the Government to the Election System
The Smith Corruption was Caused By the NYC's GOP for Sale Not the Election Law As the NYP Claims
Blame GOP Bottom Feeders Party Leaders for Selling Their Ballot Line . . . the 80% of NYC Voters Going for Cuomo . . .  Local GOP Leaders are More Interested in Giving Out Jobs at the BOE, Than Giving Out An Opposition Message to Democratic Leaders Who Ass They Constantly Kiss for Member Items and other pots of government $$$
Like the Lopez case, the Smith case is attracting its share of snark about how corrupt Smith is. That’s true enough, but in both these cases the focus on personalities misses a larger point. It’s not just that New York pols are corrupt — that’s no secret. It’s that our election and ethics rules invite corruption. Whereas Lopez took advantage of the rules governing Shelly Silver’s Assembly, Smith was trying to cash in on the Wilson-Pakula law that allows candidates from one party to run on another party’s ticket if they get the support of a majority of that party’s county leaders. Combine that with fusion voting — the ability to run on more than one ballot line — and you might as well hang a “for sale” sign out front. Point is, sleazy people wouldn’t get anywhere in Albany without the rules and practices that encourage them.




True News Had Turner Taking Over the Corrupt Queens GOP Two Weeks Ago
State GOP leader Ed Cox is expected to announce Thursday that former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner will head the Queens Republican Party, ending years of in-fighting and legal disputes over its leadership, thePost reports:  * As expected, former Rep. Bob Turner was recognized as the new leader of the Queens Republican Party last night, potentially ending two decades of internecine warfare, the Observer writes: 


Halloran 10 Years Smith and Tabone Get Ready to Eat the Cheese 
Ex-Councilman Dan Halloran gets 10 years for bribery scheme (NYP) Saying he believes former City Councilman Dan Halloran perjured himself at trial, a federal judge threw the book at the disgraced pol on Wednesday — sentencing him to 10 years behind bars for masterminding a failed $200,000 bribery scheme to get Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith the Republican line in the 2013 mayoral election. The US Probation Department had recommended 6 ½ to 8 years of prison for Halloran, who tried to claim insanity as a defense at trial and is a “prince” in a pagan order that includes public floggings. “For five days, he lied on the stand,” Karas said. “It was egregious.” “There was overwhelming evidence of his guilt,” the judge added. “I saw him squirm and look uncomfortable on the stand … He lied and lied repeatedly. It was grotesque and offensive.” A White Plains federal jury last July deliberated a mere 85 minutes before finding Halloran guilty on five counts of bribery, wire fraud and racketeering

The Bottom Feeder GOP Has A Lone History of Selling Their Ballot Line
The conviction ended a bizarre two-month trial in which Karas rejected Halloran’s bid to pursue an insanity defense related to a brain tumor he had removed in 2012and also saw Halloran proceed with the case without Smith and another co-defendant, former Queens Republican Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone — even after a mistrial was declared. Both Smith and Tabone were convicted on federal corruption charges in February and have yet to be sentenced. Halloran negotiated for $110,000 in bribes to be paid out to three city GOP leaders through the mayoral-race-fixing scheme, and he sought another $75,000 in payments for himself. He was caught on tape telling an undercover FBI agent and a crooked Rockland County developer working with the feds that money “greases the wheels” in New York politics. To get the GOP line, Smith — then one of the state’s top Democrats — would have needed the support of three of the five borough Republican committees. Queens and the Bronx were allegedly secured for the scheme, but Smith never secured a third borough committee. Halloran testified that he knew the undercover agent posing as a developer was asking him to break the law and that he only went along with the conversation in order to legally snag campaign cash. He claimed the money he secured through the Smith scheme was legitimate consulting fees and that he never planned to follow through with forwarding the Council funds. Following the jury’s verdict, Assistant US Attorney Douglas Bloom alleged that Halloran lied through his teeth about being innocent during his five days on the witness stand. Karas then also agreed, saying he “was also very troubled with Mr. Halloran in terms of his candor.” * Former city councilman Dan Halloran gets 10 years in prison New York Daily News‎ * Former NYC councilman Dan Halloran gets 10-year prison sentence Newsday‎ * US Attorney SDNY ‏@SDNYnews  Fmr NYCcouncilman Daniel Halloran sentenced to 10 years in prison for role in bribery& fraud schemes  * Former New York City Councilman Daniel Halloran was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in two corruption schemes, including taking bribes to help then-state Sen. Malcolm Smith run for mayor in 2013, The New York Times reports: 
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GOP Consigliere Warns No Rats  
GOP warned not to'do anything stupid' like talk to feds without lawyer, source says(NYDN) Counsel David Lewis gave the stern advice to Republican members during a recent closed-door session. The briefing came after the arrest of Sheldon Silver and a report that said Senate GOP leader Dean Skelos is also being investigated. Carl Heastie’s election as speaker means. Senate Republicans have been warned by their counsel David Lewis not to “do anything stupid,” like talking to the FBI or other investigators without a lawyer present. “He said, ‘If someone knocks on your door, you don’t have to talk to them,'”rent regulations will be renewed and probably not changed much says RSA: (City and State)


Manhattan GOP Leader's Legal Fee Bribe OK
Ex-GOP boss Isaacs nixed Malcolm Smith bribe(NYP) Quid pro quos are OK — but he draws the line at ­being bribed. former Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith enough support to put him over the top to become the GOP’s mayoral candidate in 2013 — in exchange for being hired to provide legit legal work. But Isaacs had a quick change of heart during a Feb. 14, 2013, sit-down in a parked car in Manhattan with an undercover posing as a crooked developer when Isaacs realized the offer was really a $30,000 bribe. Isaacs, testifying at Smith’s White Plains federal corruption trial, told jurors he is a personal-injury lawyer and “bells went off” when he realized the job was for “real estate work.” “He was bribing me because he didn’t care what I was going to do,” said Isaacs, who soon after began working with the feds to nail Smith.

Dumb As Shit NYC GOP Turns to A Hispanic After Obama Win, Then Smith Offers $$$?
Obama’s win in 2012 catalyst for Malcolm Smith bribery scandal(NYP) It’s all President Obama’s fault! A $200,000 bribery scheme to secure the Republican line in the 2013 mayoral race for then-state Sen. Malcolm Smith, a Queens Democrat, was the result of bad forecasting by city GOP leaders who thought the president would lose his 2012 re-election bid, a witness testified Thursday. “We thought Obama would lose,” ex- Bronx GOP chair and convicted felon Joseph “Jay” Savino told jurors in the White Plains federal corruption trial of Smith and former Queens GOP Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone. So, Savino said, local Republican leaders plotted to prop up a black New York City mayoral candidate to woo “disenfranchised” voters the following year. Savino said Smith, who was one of the state’s most powerful Democrats and had already aligned himself with Republicans in the Senate, was the GOP’s choice for a cross-party endorsement. He said top city Republicans even met with billionaire developer Stephen Ross to talk about fund-raising for Smith. But when Obama defeated Mitt Romney in November 2012, the Republicans instead opted to court a Hispanic candidate in Democrat Adolfo Carrión, who was then Bronx borough president. GOP leaders “looked at the numbers” and determined they’d have a better shot scoring the mayoral seat by running a Hispanic. They liked Carrión because he was a “Hispanic Democrat with a conservative base,” Savino said.Smith-Tabone jurors hear tapes, FBI agent(Queens Chroncile) Sources have reported that the agent, who was known as “Raj,” was subjected to cross-examination on Tuesday from Smith’s lawyer, Gerald Shargel. Shargel is pursuing an entrapment defense, and Tabone’s team is expected to do likewise. Former Republican City Councilman Dan Halloran was convicted for his involvement in the alleged plot in July and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Kenneth Karas on Jan. 21. Former Bronx GOP Chairman Joseph Savino and former Spring ValleyNY Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret have pleaded guilty to reduced charges. Former Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin is expected to go on trial after Smith and Tabone.


New Manhattan GOP Leader Isaacs Out

Manhattan GOP chairman shakeup in the works(NYP) There’s a leadership shake-up coming at the Manhattan Republican Party. Adele Malpass is replacing Dan Isaacs as the head of organization.  “I’m going to be the chairman. I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” said Malpass. An announcement is expected Monday. The Manhattan GOP has become irrelevant in local politics in recent years. It has no elected representatives serving in city or state legislative offices. It used to have representatives in Congress, the state Senate and Assembly and the City Council * Manhattan GOP leader Isaacs caught on FBI tape entertaining $30G bribe from agent – pol whines ‘I have never been charged’(NYP) * State Republican Party Dumping Manhattan GOP Chair: Sources (NYO)


Malcolm Smith Locates Huntley's Bags Of Money

Before She Went to Jail Former Senator Huntley Told the FBI That Bags Of Cash Were All Over Albany
Malcolm Smith boasted about plan to bribe senators: undercover agent(NYP)   A federal agent who went undercover as a wealthy developer to boost the government’s bribery case against former state Sen. Malcolm Smith testified Thursday that the disgraced pol boasted to him shortly after the November 2012 general election about how easy it would be get fellow Senate members’ support for him to get back the majority leader post he lost three years earlier.  During the White Plains federal corruption trial of Smith (D-Queens) and former Queens GOP Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone, the agent, known to the jury as “Raj,” said Smith indicated that legislators preferred under-the-table cash through consulting fees rather than getting campaign donations. Smith wanted the undercover agent to supply the money to the senators — none of whom were named in court– in exchange for future political favors. “You know…some of them may not want [the money] for their campaigns,” Smith told the wire-wearing agent in an audiotape played for jurors . “They may say, ‘You know what, you know, can I be a consultant?’ They may need it personally.”  
Raj testified that it was Smith “who brought up,” how to pay off senators – a move aimed at discrediting the Democratic ex-pol’s entrapment defense to charges he ran a $200,000 bribery scheme to try buying his way onto Republican line in the 2013 mayoral race.




WHY Did Gianaris's DSCC Hired Titanic Captain Parkside Who Lost in 2010 and 2012 To Lose the Senate Again?  
Brooklyn Boss Norman Went to Jail for Demanding to Candidates His Consultants Be Hired, Gianaris is Doing the Same Thing
Backlash Against Parkside
Post-Election Grumbling But a handful of Democratic insiders who worked on various losing campaigns this past cycle have started to question the methodology of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and their preferred vendor in many instances, The Parkside Group.Evan Stavisky's Parkside Group was over $175,000 by the DSCC to lost the senate in 2014.  In both 2010 and 2012 Parkside was also paid over $2 million to lost the senate   During the 2008 election cycle, when Democrats won back the majority, the DSCC’s main consultant was Red Horse Strategies. Red House according to Parkside was helped by the the big Obama sweep in 2008. In 2012 Parkside's take of $2.2 from the DSCC also help drive that committee into debt.  In 2011 Parkside had to be removed from the Weprin congressional campaign because of incompetent work.  Parkside ran the $7.5 million campaign for the real estate Pac Jobs for New York which lost the council speaker position for the Queens organization for the first tine in a generation.

Capital Was Wrong When They Reported A Queens GOP Truce 

The lawsuit by former Congressman Bob Turner against the leadership of the Queens GOP is still on.   Insurgent leader Robert Turner, who ran against the late Phil Ragusa last year for county chairman and lost, declined to accept the offer. He wanted the present organization county leader, Robert Beltrani, to resign and then he would step in as the new county leader, but Beltrani refused. Turner's  lawsuit says that GOP leader Robert Beltrani and his supporters did not count the supporters of Turners proxy votes. All that was accomplished at the sit down besides lunch at the Kaufman Studios was a free lunch for Ulrich, Cox, Jim Mccullen Bert Haggerty and the other GOP bottom feeders.   
There do not seem to be major issues involved in this confrontation. Insurgent groups have been challenging the county organization for control.   In 2015, the next Republican county convention of county committee people will be held in September. At that time, new county leaders will be chosen.   What that means is both sides will spend a good part of 2015 trying to build support among the county committee and district leaders. This particular dispute has been going on for the last several years. The ghost of GOP bottom feeders Vinny Tabone and Dennis Gallagher hung over the meeting

 Queens Republicans agree to a truce, if not a chairman(Capital)   The meeting took place inside the Astor Room at Kaufman Astoria Studios. Representatives from both sides of the civil war were present, including supermarket and oil magnate John Catsimatidis of Manhattan, who has bankrolled much of the Republican apparatus since Michael Bloomberg’s departure, and Eric Ulrich, the 29-year-old councilman who is the last remaining Republican elected official in the borough that has more registered Republicans that any other borough in the city. Also at the meeting were New York State Republican chairman Ed Cox, who this week just ousted Daniel Isaacs as the chairman of the county organization in Manhattan, and former congressman Bob Turner, who is interested in becoming the next chair of the Queens organization.* Catsimatidis’ daughter files for divorce from husband of 3 years(NYP) Andrea Catsimatidis, daughter of billionaire grocer and failed mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis, filed for divorce Wednesday against her husband of three years, President Richard Nixon’s grandson Christopher Nixon Cox.

Memo: To GOP Leader Cox: Your Don't Rebuild Your Party With Building Leadership 


Ed Cox trying to wake up city’s Republican Party(NYP) State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox will huddle with power brokers on Monday to try to stir life into the city’s moribund GOP — particularly in Queens, The Post has learned. There’s good reason for the reclamation project. The GOP tidal wave that swept the nation on Election Day never reached Gotham, where the party didn’t pick up a single additional legislative seat. In all but a few races, particularly in Queens and Brooklyn, the GOP failed to even field any candidates. The GOP did not have candidates on the ballot in nine of the 12 city congressional races and in 15 of the city’s 26 state Senate contests.  “It is unacceptable for Queens County not to present candidates for Congress and state Senate,” Cox said. “New York City deserves a two-party system.” The powwow will include Gristedes mogul John Catsimatidis and former Queens GOP Rep. Bob Turner, who has offered to be the local party leader.* New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox predicted that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, not Hillary Clinton, will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2016, the New YorkPost’s Fred Dicker reports: 


Queens GOP Bottom Feeders Let Their Party Die Selling Ballot Line Over the Years  
Queens Republicans Fielding Almost No Candidates in State Races(NY1) It’s no secret that Republicans are a vanishing breed in New York City. Outnumbered more than six to one, they account for just 11 percent of the city’s registered voters, versus 69 percent for Democrats. There is just one Republican in the city's congressional delegation, just two out of the city's 65 representatives in the state Assembly, and two of out 26 state senators.  In Queens, though, party officials are doing especially little to reverse the trend. "Unfortunately, for a lot of reasons, the Republican Party is on the verge of extinction in Queens County," said City Councilman Eric Ulrich of QueensUlrich is Queens' lone Republican elected official, and it appears he won't have company any time soon. This year, with every seat in the state legislature up for grabs, most Queens Democrats are running unopposed. Republicans are fielding just two candidates for 25 seats.






GOP Boss Vincent Tabone Lawyer Pregnant Wants Delay 
One of the Bums Who Made Sure the City's GOP Were Corrupt and Leaderless Has One More Trick to Stay Out of Jail for a While
Pregnant Lawyer Requests Delay in New York Corruption Retrial(NYP) Deborah N. Misir, who represents Vincent Tabone, a former leader of the Queens Republican Committee, told Judge Kenneth M. Karas of Federal District Court that she must avoid stress.



NYC's GOP Leaders Have Not Rallied the City Against the Message of the Terrorism 

Blame GOP Bottom Feeders For the 80% of NYC Voters Going for Cuomo . . .  Local GOP Leaders are More Interested in Giving Out Jobs at the BOE, Than Giving Out An Opposition Message to Democratic Leaders Who Ass They Constantly Kiss for Member Items and other pots of government $$$

NYPD's John Miller: Was this an act of terrorism? It appears at this point that was the suspect's intent. Watch:(WCBS) * Muslim convert in NYPD ax attack was pro-ISIS and called forjihad (NYP)   “Which is better, to sit around and do nothing, or to Jihad!” he wrote, according to reports. Fox News reported that Thompson blasted America directly and pushed for homegrown terror on Facebook.

 No "clear link to international terrorism" in NYPDhatchet attack despite angry Facebook postings by suspect: (AP) * Hatchet attack suspect acted alone, NYPD chief says,"I'm very confident this was a terror attack" (WNBC) * Attacker With Hatchet Is Said to Have Grown Radical on HisOwn (NYT)* Bratton: Hatchet attack on cops was a lone wolf "act ofterror" (WNBC) * Queens attacker had‘extensive social media presence’(Capital) * Jihad on Jamaica Ave.(NYP Ed) Zale Thompson may not have received orders from an ISIS outpost in Syria before he went after cops with an axe, but it’s clear he found radical Islam. “Which is better, to sit around and do nothing, or to jihad,” he commented on a YouTube video supporting an Islamist caliphate.* A lone wolf strikes in Queens(NYDN Ed) A radical jihadist attacks cops * NYC's top cop calls vicious hatchet attack on rookie policeofficer a 'terrorist attack' (NYDN)

Is the party for rent, or just the storefront?






















Rich Man Catsimatidis Defines A Political Party As Anything He Wants At the Time

John Catsimatidis abandonsRepublican Party(NYP)Look who’s abandoned the Republican Party. John Catsimatidis, that’s who. In a clean sweep, the Republican candidate for mayor in 2013 is supporting the three statewide Democratic candidates: Gov. Andrew Cuomo, State Attorney Eric Schneiderman and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Cats is telling everybody that Cuomo is a longtime friend and Republican candidate Rob Astorino is a schmo. He says he can’t support Republican AG candidate John Cahill because Cahill supported Catsimatidis’ rival Joe Lhota in the 2013 primary. And Cats knows DiNapoli. The billionaire’s failure to support the GOP ticket is even more interesting because his daughter’s father-in-law is GOP state chairman, Ed Cox. As Cats gears up to challenge Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2017, his abandonment of the GOP will force him to run as an independent, non-aligned candidate.


RockACuomo Cuomo, who just released an ad featuring Republican Laurence “Larry” Rockefeller dishing on GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino, said he plans to reach out to more Republican Party moderates to aid in his campaign push, State of Politicsreports:  * Astorino pledged that if elected he would cut income taxes, eliminate most business tax credits, replace the Common Core standards and allow counties to opt out of non-mandated Medicaid services, Gannett Albanyreports:  * VIDEO: Cuomo knocksAstorino over HUD settlement fight

The Reputation of the National GOP and Lack of GOP Leaders in NY Has Destroyed the GOP Vote in NYC
City Republicans present united front ahead of elections(NYP) That’s the message two dozen city-based Republicans sent out from City Hall Wednesday — presenting a united front and common agenda ahead of upcoming statewide elections. “This is really the first time that we have come together — all five boroughs — to deliver a consistent message,” said former Staten Island Assemblyman Robert Straniere. Among the issues he ticked off aimed at “forgotten” New Yorkers were support for charter schools, helping NYCHA residents purchase their units, and maintaining safety in the city

Who Knew A Judge Could Be Queens GOP Boss? 

Judge becomes new Queens GOP chair(Queens Crap)

From the Queens Chronicle:
Queens Republicans have a new chairman.
After the death of Phil Ragusa last month, the county party’s executive vice chairman, Robert Beltrani of Jackson Heights, was automatically elevated to chairman.
Beltrani, a judge with the New York State Division of Parole, will serve as chairman for the remainder of Ragusa’s term, which will expire in September 2015. Ragusa was re-elected chairman last September, according to Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak.
A loyalist of the late chairman, Beltrani ran for state Senate in the special election to replace Hiram Monserrate after the senator was expelled from the Legislature following his conviction for assaulting his former girlfriend. Beltrani entered the race after an unsuccessful attempt by Queens Republicans to lure former Democratic Councilwoman Helen Sears, who had just been ousted a few months earlier, onto their ballot line. Beltrani lost the race to then-Assemblyman Jose Peralta. He has also ran several times for state Supreme Court, most recently in 2012.


RIP Queens GOP Boss Ragusa 
PHIL RAGUSA, 74—Longtime Queens GOP chair dies—Daily News’ Lisa Colangelo and Celeste Katz: Phil Ragusa, chairman of the Queens County Republican Party, died Tuesday after a battle with leukemia. He was 74. "Chairman Ragusa had dedicated his life to serving his community, the Republican Party and particularly his friends and family. He has been chairman of the Queens Republican Party since 2007 and will be sorely missed," the GOP said in a statement. The soft-spoken Ragusa passed away at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to a spokesman. The party leader "will be remembered for his integrity and commitment to the democratic process and was viewed by many as not just a friend but a mentor." http://nydn.us/1jfHrPS


As the Ragusa Wing of the Queens GOP Fight to Stay Out of Jail the Haggerty Family Takes Over the BOE  
Board of Elections appoints Bart Haggerty second-in-command of Queens outpost(NYDN)Bart Haggerty, a longtime critic of the borough's party bosses, starts as deputy clerk of the Board of Elections Queens office late this month.


Will Ragusa's Nephew Lose His Double Dipping Job With ES&S?
GOP Queens Leader commissioner voted to approve $90 million to purchase ES&S scanners that do not work for runoff elections.According to True News tipster Phil Ragusa has been paid over 50,000 from ES&S last year in a two month period. True News Has Confirmed From A Current Top Executive That BOE warehouse employee PhilRagusa the nephew of the Queens GOP leader is on the payroll of ESS as A Paid ConsultantThat means that grandson Ragusa was paid from the same voting machine vendor that his grandfather's BOE commission approved after a battle of the lobbyists for which machine the BOE would buy. Grandson Ragusa was paid $1800 by a day by ES&S at the same time we was on the BOE payroll. On one 4 day pay period Grandson Ragusa was paid over $9000 for 4 days work on and hourly rate that would have taken two weeks to reach the $9000 bill.  BOE Scanner Vendor Paying Grandson of Queens GOP Leader Payoff for A Pay to Play Contract(True News)
From Rockefeller Republicans to Selling Ballot Lines 
REMEMBERING ROCKEFELLER REPUBLICANS: The recent passing of state Sen. Roy Goodman is a sad reminder of the disappearance of the Rockefeller Republican, Morgan Pehme writes in City & State: http://goo.gl/ELNlkv

NYP: GOP's Failure to Communicate

The Post writes that New York’s Republican Party has a strong statewide candidate lineup, but if they can’t make the case for smaller, freer, more business-friendly government, the party may as well pack it in: *
In contrast to the intra-party fight they endured four years ago, Republicans are emerging from the convention relatively unified. The proceedings were scripted and undramatic. But there remained among the participants a sense that they needed to justify their expressions of enthusiasm, and to convince others, if not themselves, of the plausibility of this year's ticket. NEW ONLINE: Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s campaign has launched a Tumblr to document what it says are instances of his Republican opponent, John Cahill, running from some of his positions. * Astorino closes his party’s convention with a grim diagnosis(Capital)Republican pitch is that the New York economy is dying under Cuomo* Astorino embraces underdog role - Times Union*Cuomo Rival Focuses on Jobs(WSJ) * Skelos Backs Astorino, Bullish On 2014(YNN)


Bronx GOP Boss Savino Going to Rat


Preet Bharara Has Started the Dominoes Falling 
Former Bronx GOP Chairman Jay Savino pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The former Republican Party chairman in the Bronx has pleaded guilty to corruption charges, admitting to accepting a bribe to let a Democratic state senator run for New York City mayor as a Republican. Joseph Savino entered the plea to three public corruption counts Tuesday in federal court in White Plains.* Former Bronx GOP Chairman Jay Savino Pleads Guilty To Corruption Charges(NYDN) * Former Bronx GOP Chairman Pleads Guilty In Connection With ...(NY1)* Savino pleads guilty in corruption scandal with Spring Valley ties(LoHud) * Ex-Bronx GOP boss pleads guilty in corruption case(TU) *Ex-Bronx GOP boss pleads guilty in corruption case(WSJ) * Ex-Bronx County Republican Chairman Joseph Savino pleads guilty to bribery ...(Bronx 12)
A Political Corruption Trial Legal Trick?
Federal prosecutors allege former Queens GOP Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone is violating conflict-of-interest laws by using a law firm whose lead partner is running for Congress for his trial for public corruption charges.
GOP operative could be violating conflict of interest laws: feds(NYP)A Queens Republican operative fighting public corruption charges is hurting his own defense — and potentially violating conflict-of-interest laws — by continuing to use a law firm whose lead partner is running for Congress, the feds allege in new court papers. Assistant US Attorney Justin Anderson asked Manhattan federal Judge Kenneth Karas on Monday to “conduct an inquiry” into the potential conflict over ex-Queens GOP Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone using a Mineola law firm partnered by Republican Grant Lally. The Post reported in February that Lally was raising eyebrows in political circles by telling people he’s running for Democrat Steve Israel’s Congressional seat on Long Island. In light of his campaign, Lally later handed over the assignment of representing Tabone — who is accused of pocketing $25,000 as part of a failed scheme to get state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) on the 2012 GOP line for mayor — to other lawyers at his firm, including his wife Deborah Misir. “Under counsel’s reasoning, it might be the case that calling a particular witness would be helpful to Tabone’s defense but cast Mr. Lally’s political party or his interests in an unfavorable light,” he noted. “Under that scenario, the decision to call such a witness might be influenced — consciously or unconsciously — by Mr. Lally’s concern for his electoral interests.
More on the GOP Bottom Feeders and Corruption
Queens Brooklyn GOP Civil War

The governor’s race has divided John Catsimatidis, who’s backing Cuomo, and his son, who’s helping GOP candidate Rob Astorino raise money.

You Can't Always Get What You Want Vinny

Trial Before the Election
The judge also decided that the trial of state Sen. Malcolm Smith, Republican City Councilman Dan Halloran, and Queens GOP leader Vincent Tabone will begin on June 2.




Where is the Mayor's Political Opposition?
GOP Bottom Feeders
Ulrich Bought Off? 
Would-be critics are all on the inside
De Blasio’s establishment(Capital) Judging by the reaction of de Blasio's fellow city officials, though, the media freak-out was taking place in a parallel universe. They had no comment on the matter, other than to defer to the mayor. Nothing to see here. This is a normal thing now: It happened when de Blasio placed a personal call to a police precinct about an arrested supporter and, earlier, when his administration bungled a storm cleanup. The media criticizes, the city's political establishment shrugs.

NYC Elected Officials in A Parallel Universe
Surrounded by political sycophants and seeing his 3-1 electoral win over Joe Lhota as a mandate … he seems to think he can do whatever he likes 
Its a stark departure from the dynamic under the previous mayor, when de Blasio and his allies were relative outsiders.Melissa Mark-Viverito, who in part owes her own victory in the City Council speaker's race this year to the mayor, has yet to schedule an oversight hearing on the storm even though several of her members called for one.When Michael Bloomberg botched a snow cleanup in 2010, his critics excoriated him—most notably Letitia James, then chairwoman of the City Council's sanitation committee. At one point during eight oversight hearings on the blizzard, James, who is now the public advocate, dramatically whipped out a set of steel chains to demonstrate the sanitation department's inadequate equipment. Mark-Viverito also declined comment on de Blasio's NYPD call, other than to advise reporters to "move on."* Eric Ulrich endorsement of Mark-Viverito triggers some backlash ... * Councilman Eric Ulrich named chairman of the City Council's Veterans Committee * also interesting to compare MMV budget response to ; Quinn's 1st one in 06 was much tougher on City Hall. most important function of city council is budget negotiations, and MMV's statement indicates nothing but cohesion. * “Judging by the reaction of de Blasio’s fellow city officials, … the media freak-out was taking place in a parallel universe. They had no comment on the matter, other than to defer to the mayor. Nothing to see here,” Capital New York noted, contrasting the reaction to Mr. de Blasio’s controversies with Michael Bloomberg‘s. “Its a stark departure.

How Can A Party Of Bottom Feeders Be the Opposition Voice?
Councilman Vinny Ignizio, a Republican and a member of Ms. Mark-Viverito’s leadership team, went on Inside City Hall to discuss his role in the progressive-dominated body. “My voice is to be the respectful voice of dissent–be that to the mayor, be that to the speaker, be that to the city as a whole. There are a lot people in this city that believe we’re going the wrong way,” he said.

More on the GOP Bottom Feeder Party


GOP Operative 
Keep Public In the Dark About Corruption

GOP Bottom Feeders
GOP operative asks judge to delay trial until after elections(NYP) Claiming key GOP campaign strategies could be “exposed” before this year’s gubernatorial and legislative races, a Queens Republican operative wants his federal corruption trial delayed until after November’s elections. Former Queens Republican Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone —
who is accused of pocketing $25,000 as part of a failed scheme to get state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) on the 2012 GOP line for mayor — has filed papers asking White Plains federal Judge Kenneth Karas to delay a June 2 trial set for Tabone, Smith and other co-defendants until at least December. Tabone’s request for a trial delay comes two weeks after Smith made a similar request. He asked the trial be pushed back until at least October, so it would not affect him running for re-election in the Democratic primary. Smith’s Senate district is predominantly Democratic, so a primary victory means a likely win in the general election, too.
 Lawyer for allegedly corrupt ex-politician running for Congress(NYP)A criminal defense lawyer representing accused corrupt ex-Queens Republican Party honcho Vincent Tabone is running for Congress, The Post has learned. Grant Lally’s decision to throw his hat in the ring for Democrat Rep. Steve Israel’s seat on Long Island is raising eyebrows in political circles.
 

John Catsimatidis is keeping his “options open” regarding another run for mayor. “I’ve known Bill de Blasio for 20 years, and I hope he does a good job,” the billionaire told The New York Times. “But I love politics; I love people; and if an open seat comes along that I think I would enjoy, I would definitely do it. I want to be in a position to make a difference.”


GOP Party of Bottom Feeders

 The Post writes that the state Republican Committee must be in dire straits if Chairman Ed Cox has to ask fellow Republicans not to endorse Gov. Andrew Cuomo for re-election:



Civil War in A Dead Party Cannibalism

GOP Bottom Feeders Nobody is in Charge

NYC's GOP which hold only about 3% of the city's elective offices, has gotten so far from reality that some bottom feeders want to go after a sitting congressman with a man with two families.  Fossella, who is married to childhod sweetheart Mary Pat and has three children, was engulfed in scandal after a DWI arrest in the D.C. area in May 2008.He then confessed to having a secret second life, fathering a child in an extramarital affair with a retired Air Force lieutentant colonel. Many think that Fossella is looking to get paid and given a job by the national GOP party to stay out of the race.Now a managing director at Al D’Amato’s lobbying firm, Park Strategies, Fossella has since reconciled with his first family. GOP dislikes sitting congressman, eyes DWI pol with secret family(NYP) * The chair of the state Republican Party, Ed Cox, said Mr. de Blasio was always going to win this year’s election. “The city’s been going so well under two mayors who were elected on the Republican ticket that people thought, ‘Okay, we’re going to elect a Democrat this time,” Mr. Cox explained on Road to City Hall last night.

t’s not just Brooklyn’s Republican Party that is having problems, the Staten Island Advance has the latest on the smallest borough’s GOP infighting: “So, a nice 800-pound gorilla for Island Republicans to tiptoe around: The party’s two top elected officials and out-loud personalities at each other’s throats. Staten Island’s brawling Republicans: The gift that just keeps giving.”

Vincent Ignizio, a conservative Republican from Staten Island, has been elected the leader of the NYC Council’s three-person Republican caucus.

Media Failure

What Happens to Competitive Elections With the Death of the NYC GOP? 
The real reason NYC is not a democracy is the media has failed to inform the voters of NY - the Quinn Disconnect tells it  all
In the Daily News, Francis Barry, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s director of public affairs, laments the lack of electoral competition in New York City, and proposes a single primary election for all parties’ candidates as a solution *In City & State, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. makes his case for early in-person voting to relieve the burden of single day voting for low-income New Yorkers, and calls on the state and city to take action:* GOP moderates vow to speak louder but not to ever actually do anything
Republican mayoral candidates, clockwise from top left: Louis J. Lefkowitz, Roy M. Goodman, Joseph J. Lhota and John Marchi.

 



Tea Party Meteor Hits NY's GOP to Win Citywide Electons, Noting Left But Party Hacks Bottom Feeders 
Tea Part hunting extinct species(NYP Ed) “We’ve got to get the Rockefeller Republicans out of the party,” a fellow told me in Minnesota recently. Or was it Arizona? Or Wilkes-Barre, Pa.? Actually, I think it was all three. I hear it all the time as I travel around the country speaking to conservative groups. For those who don’t know, the Rockefeller Republicans — named after the former New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller — were the liberal, mostly Northeastern wing of the Republican Party. Liberal Republican sounds like a contradiction in terms today, particularly for young people who grew up in the age of strictly ideological parties. But for most of US history, the parties weren’t strongly ideological institutions so much as coalitions of interests. There were very liberal Republicans and very conservative Democrats
 _____________________________________
Cats GOP Bottom Feeder Civil War

Catsimatidis Wants to Own the NYC GOP And Kick Out Republicans He Does Not Control

Catsimatidis clan gave over $19K to aid Michael Grimm’s challenger(NYP)
The in-laws of state GOP chairman Ed Cox are trying to knock off the only Republican congressman in New York City – Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm, The Post has learned. Billionaire supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis and his family have pumped $19,800 into the campaign of Grimm’s Democratic challenger, Brooklyn Councilman Domenic Recchia, campaign records show.* Former Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis and his family members have given $19,800 to Brooklyn Democratic City Councilman Domenic Recchia for his congressional run against Rep. Michael Grimm, the Staten Island Advance reports:

 _____________________________________
A One Party Town and Low Vote

: New York Is a One-Party Town Again 
New York Republicans: The city's factional GOP establishment sabotaged Mr. Lhota at every turn. There was bitter infighting in the Queens and Brooklyn Republican wings of the party. The chairman of the Bronx Republican organization and vice-chairman of its Queens counterpart were indicted for allegedly trying to sell off their endorsements to Democratic Sen. Malcolm Smith. And Mr. Lhota's Republican primary rival, John Catsimatidis, couldn't stop taking shots at a Mr. Lhota even after their summer-long battle was over. In City Council races, all the viable GOP underdogs were crushed: Dennis Saffran lost to Paul Vallone in Queens, former state Sen. David Storobin fell to Chaim Deutsch in southern Brooklyn, and John Quaglione couldn't oust Councilman Vincent Gentile in Bay Ridge. Meanwhile, District Attorney Charles "Joe" Hynes' 50-point loss on the GOP line to Democrat Kenneth Thompson reinforced the belief that a Republican cannot win a boroughwide race in Brooklyn. The city's GOP chairs will also have to live going forward without Mayor Michael Bloomberg pouring Money into their coffers.* GOP’s victories spell hope for NY governor’s seat: Chair(NYDN)

New York's Decreasing Voter Turnout



Another  Loss for Catsimatidis
Eric Ulrich
53.1%
9,658
GOP
Lew M. Simon
Crain's New York Business Former Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis has funded ... The target, Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich, had insulted the grocery magnate over the summer. ... his second full term in eastern Queens against Democrat Lew Simon.* NYC 2013: Cutting It Close In Queens(NYDN)

Councilman weathers Catsimatidis attacks to win re-election(NYP)


 Goodby NYC GOP
If loses, Republican caucus - which had 5 members 4 yrs ago - would be down to 2 from Staten Island
From this morning's NY Daily News Why Lhota Lost:
"Republican insiders said the detail-oriented management style that made Lhota a professional success helped drag him down as a mayoral candidate.

“He had to approve everything on the schedule. He would tweak every word in the ads — and he helped find the pictures,” lamented one operative familiar with the Lhota campaign.
“When a candidate is that much in the weeds, they waste their time and their staff's time,” the source said. “He would not let go and be a candidate.”
 Joe Lhota concedes to Bill de Blasio shortly after the polls close, gives two speeches(NYDN)
Republican Joe Lhota conceded to Democrat Bill de Blasio in the New York mayoral race and couldn't help but takes some final jabs at the mayor-elect in the process.* It was such a rough night for Joe Lhota, he had to give his concession speech twice * Lhota Bid Troubled From Start(WSJ)
You won’t have me to kick around for a while,” Joe Lhota declared in his second concession speech–channeling Richard Nixon–after video crews didn’t get a good shot of his first one.* Although Joe Lhota got destroyed on Election Day, he fared much better in outer-borough Jewish communities. “Joe Lhota put forward a message that resonated with the Jewish community on the issues like public safety, private school education, and religious freedom,” argued Michael Fragin, who worked on Jewish outreach for the Lhota campaign.



Catsimatidis Spent $419 for Each Vote in Primary(NYT)
John Catsimatidis spent $419 per vote in losing the Republican mayoral nomination, more than double what Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent in 2009, while Anthony Weiner was the highest per-vote spender among Democratic candidates * Dollars spent per vote: $419-John Catsimatidis; $190-Anthony Weiner; $119-Joe Lhota; $68-John Liu; $60-Christine Quinn; $36-Bill Thompson; $24-Bill de Blasio.





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Cats Wants to Buy City's GOP







Ulrich supports Joe Lhota in the mayoral primary. Hornak is embroiled in a civil war in the Queens Republican Party, whose vice chairman, Vince Tabone, was nabbed in the larger bribery scandal that ensnared state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) and City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens). Tabone also worked for Catsimatidis, who donated tens of thousands of dollars to the party in the past year.
still seems like a fairer way to conduct things. why should Lhota, not really representative of electorate, be in top 2?
 _____________________________________________________________________________
True News Give Your Truth

True News Wags the NYP on the Queens GOP Civil War and the Full Story
Yesterday True News Gave The Full Story On Catsimatidis Takeover of the GOP
A minor play in the war is Robert Hornak messed up on reappointing a BOE commissioner led to his loss of his BOE almost no show job.  True News is trying to inform it reads how all the pieces in politics fits together. The NYP and the rest of the media is headline hunting.  The NYP did not even bring up the fact that Hornak was responsible for paper work that lead to the Queens GOP BOE commissioner leaving.  And what about the court case that was withdrawn over the accuracy of Hornak filing with the BOE and City Council?
Queens GOP Executive Director Robert Hornak Quits Board Of Elections After Shakeup(TU)
Goldenberg said Hornak was almost fired for being late WRONG Hornak left because his BOE commissioner was not reappointed because of his Fuck UP.
‘Cats’ guy the life of the tardy(NYP) Former New York City Board of Elections employee Robert Hornak was late to his job 171 times over the past 14 months and was in danger of being fired before taking a job with the mayoral campaign of John Catsimatidis.


We Hear Your Now Melvin Lowe
 Because he is a Democrat, Smith needed three Republican leaders' permission. According to court papers, Savino accepted $15,000 from an undercover FBI agent last Feb. 1 at a Manhattan restaurant. As part of the plea, he must forfeit the money. Savino faces up to 30 years in prison at a Feb. 25 sentencing.* Political Consultant Melvin Lowe Arrested in Corruption Case ...


Selling the GOP Line
Because he is a Democrat, Smith needed GOP support in at least three boroughs to run as a Republican without changing his party affiliation. Smith had Halloran allegedly set up meetings with Savino and Queens Republican Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone to arrange bribes for their support, while Halloran pocketed thousands for himself, prosecutors said

Savino Throws Halloran Under the Bus
Joseph “Jay” Savino told White Plains federal Judge Kenneth Karas that Councilman Dan Halloran instigated the entire scheme to get state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) on the GOP ballot for mayor.The fallen Bronx power broker said the deal was concocted after he reached out to Halloran in January 2013 for help ensuring that the City Council didn’t replace one of Savino’s hand-picked commissioners on the city’s Board of Elections. “He basically told me the only way I would keep my commissioner is to come to this lunch,” Savino said. Savino said he met with Halloran and others – including an undercover agent he referred to as “Raj” — at Spark’s Steak House in Midtown on February 1. There, Savino said, it was proposed that he’d be hired for legal services on development projects in Rockland County and the Bronx in exchange for him helping get Smith on the GOP mayoral ballot. Savino said he agreed to accept a $30,000 retainer — including $15,000 up front.


 

GOP Civil War


Pay to Play Ballot Line Corruption Starts GOP Civil War
Malcolm ignites GOP war(NYP) The city Republican Party is at war with itself in the wake of the Malcolm Smith corruption scandal, sources said yesterday. State Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) is maneuvering to oust Craig Eaton as the Kings County Republican chairman. In the wake of the Malcolm Smith corruption scandal, state Sen. Martin Golden is hoping to oust Craig Eaton as the Kings County Republican chairman, while Republican activists are calling for the Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa to step down, the New York Post writes:  " Usually? Golden backs Joe Lhota for mayor, while Eaton supports John Catsimatidis.* Golden hungry for answers — but could get Eaton!(Brooklyn Paper)


__________________________________________________________________________________


NYP is Wrong About the Death of the NYC's GOP 
The Bottom Feeders Who Use the Party To Make $$$
The Only Power GOP Leaders Have Now is to Make Money Off of Selling Ballot Access  to Millionaire And Giving Out Jobs and Fixing Contracts at the BOE

City GOP fears death of party(NYP) Republican insiders say that the New York City Republican Party is in shambles, engulfed by infighting and weak leadership that could damage any hopes the party’s nominee has at winning the mayoral race Among the party troubles: * It has become irrelevant in Manhattan and The Bronx, where there is not one elected Republican. * GOP presidential candidates raise millions of dollars from Manhattanites, but the New York County committee is virtually broke. 
The Queens GOP is bitterly divided. Two of its veteran state senators were defeated in recent years, and it no longer has any representation in that body. * A civil war is brewing in the mighty Staten Island GOP. County Chairman Bob Scamardella announced his resignation last week after a dispute with elected officials, particularly its borough-president candidate, Councilman James Oddo. * Brooklyn’s party is splintered. Chairman Craig Eaton, Sen. Marty Golden and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis are all backing different mayoral candidates



Paying for the GOP Ballot Line

Catsimatidis Continues the Bloomberg Tradition of Buying the GOP Line 
 John Catsimatidis, who is running for mayor on the GOP line and has been generous to many politicians over the years. Records show he and his firms have ponied up $311,700 to the local GOP since 2009, or less than half what Bloomberg has provided. That process can yield big dividends to those who play it right. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg earned Republican support in his three mayoral bids in part by contributing millions of dollars to the Republican Party.  Since 2009, Bloomberg’s contributed $815,000 to GOP.


Catsimatidis Buy$ 3 GOP County Leaders
182G in Fat Cats donations (NYP) That’s a lot of green apples! Billionaire supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis has pumped more than $182,000 into the city’s county Republican committees — and now has three of the five GOP leaders’ support in his mayoral bid.  The contributions from the candidate and his Red Apple Group and United Refining companies date back to 2006, though most came in the last few years. Manhattan GOP Chairman Dan Isaacs and Kings County Republican boss Craig Eaton said there was no connection between Catsimatidis’ contributions and their support. Catsimatidis spokesman Rob Ryan also denied a link.  Last summer, John A. Catsimatidis, the supermarket and oil refinery magnate, contributed $23,100 to the Queens Republican Party after it endorsed his bid for mayor; the official purpose was for “office rent.”  Catsimatidis was a democratic until 2006.  He was going to run for mayor in 2009 before Bloomberg and Quinn changed the term limits law to run again.



Bloomberg Rented the GOP Dictator Catsimatidis is Buying It to Own, Even If It Took A Queens Civil War
The Catsimatidis' Queens Faction
Supermarket Barron and mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis is involved in a hostel takeover the Queens GOP Republican Party. Catsimatidis wants to take over the running of the party and he is using his cash to get his way. Catsimatidis used his money to puppetize the Phil Ragusa faction of the party which is battling a group of the Queens Republican State Committee members want him out and replaced by former congressman Bob Turner.  Catsimatidis in his take-over of the Queens GOP (Manhattan and Brooklyn) is breaking new ground in control.  In the past the rich bought the loyalty of party leaders. Catsimatidis is cutting out the republican voters in Queens and using his employees to buy the party. His mayoral race has become a democracy killer.

The Search for $$$ Causes A Scandal and GOP Civil War and Losses
A second major factor splitting the GOP is the political leaders search for money.  Bloomberg paid each of the 5 county parties 100,000 for getting them on the ballot. Yesterday CrainsNY reported that the Manhattan GOP party was flat broke. The Manhattan GOP is essentially bankrupt. Yes they housekeeping account is flat broke but the Townhouse they own on 81street between 1st and 2nd avenues is worth over $20 million dollars. Some say the building is owned by the met club, but others say that the Manhattant GOP controls the club.  What is clear the Manhattan GOP party leaders and the rest of county leaders are looking to sell their endorsement for money.  The last time the GOP had a primary for mayor was in 1989 were Ron Lauder another Billionare who tied to buy the endorsement lost to Giulani.  The primary hurt Giulani who lost the general to Dinkins by less then 50,000 votes.



Catsimatidis Feeds the Bottom Feeders
Queens GOP Vice Chair Vinny Tabone and Gofer Robert Hornak On Catsimatidis Payroll
The Queens GOP headquarters also houses the law offices of Vinny Tabone who was indicted for offering to sell a Wilson-Pakual to Malcolm Smith so he could run in the GOP primary and have access to millions in city matching funds. Tabone worked for both Catsimatidis supermarket and for his campaign. He resigned from the campaign, it is unclear if he still works for his company. Tabone wanted $100,000 cut from from the senator Smith's matching funds (2-4 million).  * Tabone steps down as Queens GOP honcho amid corruption probe ...(NYP) 


What About the Sworn Papers Filed in Court by Ragusa to Save His BOE Commissioner?

Is DOI, the DA or the AG investigating if the papers were real or forged?  Robert Hornak the director of machines for the Board of Election testified in sworn statements to the court that  the Queens leadership executive committee members met and voted Nov. 1 to reappoint Stupp, and that on Nov. 3, Ragusa signed a certificate saying so. That information was to have been mailed to the City Clerk and City Council on Nov. 19 -- although apparently neither envelope ever arrived. Hornak's sworn statement said he mail the papers to reappoint Stupp on Nov. 19. to the executive committee.Ognibene said the gathering at which the organization members supposedly agreed -- having met at Dante's Caterers on Nov. 1 -- to re-nominate Stupp would have coincided with "GOP night," which is more of a cocktail party than a formal party proceeding. "I don’t know if there was ever a notice" of such a meeting, Ognibene continued.   Robert Hornak who was dump from the Board of Elections shortly after a court case was drop defending his paper work to appoint BOE commissioner Judith Stupp. * What About the Sworn Papers Filed in Court by Ragusa to Save His BOE Commissioner?(True News)*Queens GOP Chair Drops Case To Get Ousted Board Of Elections Commissioner Back To Work(NYDN) The group opposing Ragusa is asking for an investigation of court filing about BOE commissioner Judith Stump appointment. * Queens GOP Chair Drops Case To Get Ousted Board Of Elections Commissioner Back To Work(NYDN)


BOE's Graves Pay to Play BOE Lobbyist Pay to Play Voting Machine Contract, FBI Sting
The city’s Board of Elections was notified two years ago that Graves was caught 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. The DOI has done nothing to expose Graves and his pay to play parnter.  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


 _____________________________________
GOP Without Bloomberg Bucks

REPUBLICANS WITHOUT BLOOMBERG'S MONEY — Party braces for life without it — Capital's Jimmy Vielkind: The billionaire mayor, whose term on New York's political stage will expire at the end of the year, has been a major benefactor of several local Republican fundraising committees, including the soft money “housekeeping” account that boost G.O.P. efforts to gain and maintain power in the State Senate. http://goo.gl/LEirJ8
* Video: Bloomberg Handles a Veterans Day Heckler With Ease



Boss Ragusa Queens GOP Team is Not Smart Enough to Save Their BE No Show Jobs 
You Wonder Why the BOE is So Fuck Up
The way the revenge unfolded is another example of just how dumb Team Ragusa is.  In short Ragusa, Vinny Tabone and the former BOE director of purchasing Robert Hornak did not file the reappointment papers for Stupp with the city council.  Ulrich filed his own papers for his pick for Queens GOP commissioner Michael Michelle and got it passed right under the nose of Team Ragusa.  Michelle was  sworn in as BOE commissioner before Team Ragusa could get court papers to stop it. Ragusa appointees at the BOE including Hornak are in a panic that they will get fired.  Phil Ragusa a family relative of the GOP leader, Robert Baltronie Jr., Maria Lynch, Gerald Bordello are all part of Team Ragusa whose jobs are in danger if Team Ragusa does not stop Michelle commissioner appointed. 

A Mayor Candidate Buys Support With A Lawyer?
The buzz was last night that Mayor candidate John Catsimatidis sent over election lawyer Lawrence Mandelker to help Team Ragusa recapature its GOP commissioner chair. So now we have a candidate looking for GOP party leaders endorsements paying for a lawyer to save that party leaders ass.

Who is the commissioner Now?



Queens thrJudy Stup put in Michael Michell
Bronx did not reappoint JC Polico- Bronx
Brooklyn - threw  out - Nancy Schacker - who they picked marty golden guy
staten replac JC Sipp and put in -
appoint problems read the law eric read the law
Comre always affaid that they go after the petitions and throw them off the ballot
eric and otho




Bottom Feeders of the Bottom Feeders



Hornak The GOP bottom feeders have their own subgroup ofBottom Feeders Who Worked at the BOE  or for consultant or companies connected to the BOE workers
Led by GSP Cottage, Steve Graves, Jay Golub 
Lexington public affairs
John Boughimis 360 Consultants 
GSP Boughimis and Hornak
cottage - Hornack treasure 
Gollup dentail office at sunny side
While Hornak and Boughimas working at the Board
Boughimas could not  use computers and phone - brough in his own computer and phone
Both on the executive board of  Queens GOP
Graves
Orisi Consultanting  
Tabone Motther
All internected with Gollup
Darral Fox 
Gollup works with Nussbaum and Vicky Snech Queens currier 10 newspapers

Gallager show up at xmas party
Cottage industry 

Hornak Worked With Another Employee of the BOE In A Political Consultant Firm Who Office Was Raided By the FBI

In April of 2012 True News reported that Hornak was working with Steven Graves who office at the BOE was raided by the FBI as part of their investigation of corruption in the purchase of the new voting machines.Hornak also worked worked with Jay Golub and with accused BOE briber Steven Graves on the Victor Babb City Council Campaign.  Sources: Queens GOP Leader Facing Major Corruption Charges Resigns(NY1)


Bottom Feeder Golub work with Democratic Consultant and Newspaper Publisher Mike Nussbaum
Mike Nussbaum approached Queens Jewish person Matthew Silverstein who was looking to run for office and suggested he run in the 6th before BOE employee Jeff Gottlieb entered the race. MENG CONSULTANT NUSSBAUM, A HISTORY OF VOTE-SPLITTING.. * A Secret Pact Broken, A Candidate Shunned From The Ballot (Queens Politics)  GSP's Jay Golub ran the petition drive to get Jeff Gottlieb to get on the ballot to split the Jewish vote to help Meng.  Gottlieb dropped out after a NYP story came out that he set his apartment on fire.Cowering inferno. Gottlieb still works at the Board of Election. Lancman Blasts ‘Sham Candidacy Of Long-Time Party Hack’ (NYO)



Hornak A BOE Employee Was Illegally Working As A Consultant to Halloran
BOE Head of Machines Illegally Paid by Halloran
Robert Hornak who at the same time he was working at the Board of Elections was illegally getting paid by Councilman Dan Halloran through his consultant company Lexington Public Affairs. It is illegal for BOE employees to run a consultant company.  Hornak is Executive director of Queens County GOP.  His former boss and pal in the Queens GOP party was Vincent Tabone until he quit yesterday after getting arrested the day before


Gallagher

The Perv political consultant lobbyists Dennis Gallagher lives with the bottom feeders in his own dark pool

Perv pol lands Qns. lobbyist gig (NYP) Disgraced ex-Councilman Dennis Gallagher now works with a Queens consultant who’s under attack for trying to strong-arm GOP candidates into hiring him, The Post has learned. 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, a Sunnyside-based firm run by Jay Golub. 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.”* The Councilman and the Crooked Building Consultant (Village Voice) * Former boss confirms that Pinky(Gallagher) sold porn(Queens Crap) * Dennis Gallagher’s New Calling (NYO) * Judge Throws Out Rape Indictment of New York City Councilman(NYT) * 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)

Queens Permanent Underground Government
Tribune Newspaper Owner Nussbaum Interconnected With Queens GOP Political Consultants  . . . Nussbaum works with GSP Consultants Now Call Cottage Consultants Who Also Have Ties to GOP Queens Boss Phil Ragusa, Vinny Tabone and Robert Hornak

Steve Graves who was just caught shaking down City Council candidate Sonny Hahn to hire him in exchange for GOP Queens Boss Phil Ragusa endorsement, also worked as a consultant for GSP. He was also removed in handcuffs from the BOE after the FBI raided his office and computer for attempted bid rigging of the voting machine contract. Graves worked for the BOE as the Help America to Vote Act Representative.  Disgraced ex-Councilman Dennis Gallagher works as a lobbyist for Golub's GPS in to a recent NYP article.  Because of his criminal record of sexual harassment which lost him his council seat, his name does not appear on candidate finance forms.  But everyone in Queens politics knows that Gallagher has a close working relationship with Nussbaum, GSP's Jay Gottleib and Vicky Schnepps the owners of the Queens Courier.  Some think the unnamed political consultant who Graves was trying to get $1.25 million for in his kickback BOE deal to deliver the voting machine contract was Gallagher.

 _____________________________________________________________________________
Catsimatidis Takes Sides in Ongoing GOP Civil War


On September 14th, 2013 True News Was First to Tell You That There Was A Major Effort by  Republican District Leaders to Dump Queens GOP Boss Phil  Ragusa

We Now Have the Letter They Are Sending Ragusa Demanding He step Down
At the meeting the leaders agree to send a letter to cox asking for the removal of the Queens GOP County Leader for corrupt activities. The other day Republican activists — including veteran consultant E. O’Brien Murray — called for Queens County GOP chairman Phil Ragusa to step down. They are going after the corruption of the former VP of the party and Vinny Tabone who was arrested last week for trying to sell the ballot line to Malcolm Smith who was also arrested. Over 20 State Committee Members Attend Coup d'etat asking Cox to Dump Ragusa and Make Former Congressman Bob Turner County Leader
Letter Demanding Ragusa Resign
The most recent letter follows reported first in True News of several missives in which current GOP mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis and former Republican elected officials rallied to Ragusa's defense and accused Ulrich and team Lhota of grandstanding politics.




Hon. Phil Ragusa, Chair
Queens County Republican Party
24-55 Francis Lewis Blvd
Whitestone, NY 11357
Dear Chariman Ragusa
    We the undersigned members of the Republican State Committee, respect and appreciate your many years of service to the Republican Party in Queens County.
    We are concerned about the future of our party.  The latest public corruption scandals have called into question in your ability to lead our party during these very difficult times.  For the good of the party, we are asking you to step down as Chairman.
    We believe that the only way to bring lasting peace and unity to Queens GOP is to elect former Congressman Bob Turner as out new county leader.  We understand that decisions like these are not east to make, but we trust that you will put the best interest of our party about all other considerations and resign your office.
The Letter has been signed by 16 Queens State Committee leaders in the following districts 23(2), 24, 27(2), 28(2), 29, 30, 31(2) 32(2), 35, 38(2)  
Catsimatidis Claims Support of Cox Who Son is Married to Catsimatidis Daughter 

He has my full support and confidence. I have spoken to State GOP Chair Ed Cox and he shares my view that management by revolution is not the way of the GOP. Change is made at the September reorganization meeting and he supports the fact that the district leaders of Queens County, at the time of the election, will make their choice. Councilman Ulrich activities; his name calling and twisting of the truth are disgraceful and are symptomatic of of someone who lacks the maturity and experience to lead. If you would like to discuss this situation please feel free to email me at jacny@aol.com. Sincerely, John Catsimatidis

The end of Estelle Cooper(Queens Crap)

From the Queens Courier: Former Queens Parks Commissioner Estelle Cooper passed away over the weekend, according to Sinai Chapels in Fresh Meadows. The 82-year-old Whitestone resident, who was indicted in July on grand larceny charges for allegedly stealing over $50,000 from a nonprofit conservancy group she helped start, was facing up to 15 years in prison if she had been tried and convicted. More on Cooper's corruption * Queens GOP Leader Accountant PhilRagusa Loses Track of Some Non Profit $$$ (True News)

More on the Queens GOP Civil War(True News)



 BOE

The Board of Elections is the Headquarters of the Organize Crime Party Bosses
NYPIRG listings showed that Sheinkopf had the third largest increase in compensation between 2008 and 2009, while Levy was ninth. Schlein was on the opposite side of the voting machine competition, representing the losing company that’s now suing. One source said Schlein was working with John Haggerty, the Republican consultant under indictment for stealing a million in campaign funds from Mayor Bloomberg and a recent top aide to Carl Paladino. Haggerty, who was said to have periodically appeared at the board, did not file as a lobbyist on the deal. A lobbyist working with Sheinkopf and Levy for ES&S, Anthony Mangone, was arrested by the feds on unrelated bribery charges the day after the January board decision. Jay Savino, the Bronx Republican county leader who nominated Foglia to be the party’s commissioner on the Board of Elections, shares an office suite with Mangone and has already been subpoenaed in the case, just one more way these incestuous circles swirl. Foglia says his relationship with Savino is “cordial.









 ________________________________________________________________________________
Smith


Bronx GOP boss who took bribe in Malcolm Smith case has long list of corruption(NYDN)
Joseph (Jay) Savino, the chairman of the Bronx County Republican Committee, took a $15,000 bribe in a plot to get state Sen. Malcolm Smith on the ballot for New York City mayor. He also doesn't live in the Bronx, was subpoenaed in connection with a federal probe into bidding on voting machines and has dined out on Bronx GOP funds.

RELATED: DAN HALLORAN'S FOES GET THE LAST LAUGH(NYDN)
His arrest in the Rockland town of Congers on corruption charges could mark the end of a dubious political career. The 45-year-old lawyer saw his father, a former Republican city councilman from the Bronx, sent to prison in 1985 for tax evasion and for illegally possessing a machine gun and three pistols with silencers.





Smith Wanted to Use Matching Funds As A Slush Fund
Smith had no chance of winning, he likely had his sights on the Campaign Finance Board’s 6-to-1 fund matching. As a mayoral candidate, he could get a maximum match of $1,050 for each $175 donation.
The Smith Campaign Slush Fund
Smith blew $2M in elex cash (NYP) State Sen. Malcolm Smith blew through more than $2 million in campaign cash over five years — bunking at ritzy hotels, dining at four-star restaurants and even traveling to China, campaign- finance records show.  The lavish spending included a November 2011 junket to China, where Smith and his entourage forked over $1,148 to stay at the Beijing Grand and about $2,500 for other lodgings.

That same month, the one-time Democratic Senate leader shelled out more than $1,000 at four of the city’s top steakhouses — Ben Benson’s, Capital Grille, Bobby Van’s and Smith & Wollensky. FBI agents yesterday served a subpoena on Smith’s Queens office as the senator stayed out of sight.*The king of Queens graft(NYP Ed) Smith has been linked to so many dubious schemes the FBI must have had an entire branch on his tail: Bid-rigging for the Aqueduct racino. Co-founding a Katrina charity that saw nearly $30,000 vanish. Diverting campaign funds for lavish personal trips and meals. Even opening (and then ruining) a Queens charter school in what appears to be a plot to boost home sales for a developer and big-time donor.* Jim Dwyer: “You could drag Malcolm A. Smith out of bed at 6 in the morning, and he’d still look like a million dollars.”


 Sen. Malcolm Smith (Queens) tried to pay off GOP officials to put him on this year’s Republican mayoral ballot. 








Savino/Halloran/Tabone Took $$$ From More Than One Candidate
Both Have Earned This Years Elmer Gantry Award 

The Queens Crooks Sold Their Line to John Catsimatidis But they Pulled An Elmer Gantry and Also Tried to Sell Their Line to Smith
Two Republican leaders and Halloran allegedly took payoffs in return for helping Smith get a place on the ballot, even as one of them, Queens GOP operative Vincent Tabone, was serving as a top aide to another mayoral hopeful, John Catsimatidis.



Savino Bronx


Bronx GOP boss adds to list of corruption(NYDN)Joseph (Jay) Savino, the chairman of the Bronx County Republican Committee, took a $15,000 bribe in a plot to get state Sen. Malcolm Smith on the ballot for New York City mayor. He also doesn't live in the Bronx, was subpoenaed in connection with a federal probe into bidding on voting machines and has dined out on Bronx GOP funds.Savino, the chairman of the Bronx County Republican Committee, maintains a Bronx voting address but is listed in the federal complaint unsealed Tuesday as living in Rockland County.* Through the arrest of Bronx Republican Party Chairman Joseph Savino, federal investigators brought attention to an organization that operates on the margins of city politics, with the County doing little to advance Republican politics in New York City, the Journal writes: * Bronx Republican Party: ineffectual yet powerful and also, allegedly, corrupt:
 
The BOE Scanner's Lobbyists Mangone and Bronx Boss Savino are Law Partners

In 2007 DOI Knew About Savino Involvement In FBI Probe of the BOE Voting MachinesA few years back, the Westchester lawyer Anthony J. Mangone, law partner of Jay Savino, the Bronx Republican leader, earned a cool $100,000 lobbying the board on behalf of a voting machine company, Election Systems and Software. In 2010, the board gave the company a $50 million contract. The next day, federal prosecutors indicted Mr. Mangone in an unrelated bribery case. Mr. Mangone has pleaded guilty and is talking with investigators. Mr. Savino received a subpoena two years ago.Bronx GOP Chairman Jay Savino, and his deputy and NYC Board of Elections Commissioner (the guy who Savino got the job for at the BOE) J.C. Polanco, were hit with Federal subpoenas, as part of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s investigation into political corruption, in Westchester and in New York City. Here is a compilation of stories that ran in the New York Post, The Daily News and The Gothamist in 2010. In 2010, Savino and others were subpoenaed in connection with a federal probe into bidding on voting machines.Anthony Mangone, 37, of Purchase faces up to 45 years in jail when he is sentenced  for conspiracy, bribery, extortion and tax evasion. But his sentence is expected to be a fraction of that in exchange for his cooperation in two ongoing probes in which he is involved  New York City's Board of Elections. According to the Post-”the subpoenas were sent ‘all over the place,’ said one source.” “Another source said Bharara began focusing on the voting-machine contract after indicting Anthony Mangone, a politically connected lawyer, for allegedly bribing a former Yonkers city councilwoman to switch her vote on two development projects. Mangone, who has ties to the Queens Republican Party, was one of several lobbyists hired by ES&S.” Guilty Westchester attorney Anthony Mangone will help feds in two seperate probes(NYDN) * Bronx GOP Chairman Jay Savino will reportedly resign his party post in the near future. 


When Scandals Combine
The Selling of the GOP Ballots Line, BOE Contracts Under Investigation and AEG Had Many of the Same Players
Bronx Republican Leader Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara has been investigating the aqueduct deal all year, as he has the simultaneous $50 million voting machine contract awarded by the city election board to a company, Election Systems & Software (ES&S), also represented by Sheinkopf and Levy. NYPIRG listings showed that Sheinkopf had the third largest increase in compensation between 2008 and 2009, while Levy was ninth. Schlein was on the opposite side of the voting machine competition, representing the losing company that’s now suing. One source said Schlein was working with John Haggerty, the Republican consultant under indictment for stealing a million in campaign funds from Mayor Bloomberg and a recent top aide to Carl Paladino. Haggerty, who was said to have periodically appeared at the board, did not file as a lobbyist on the deal. A lobbyist working with Sheinkopf and Levy for ES&S, Anthony Mangone, was arrested by the feds on unrelated bribery charges the day after the January board decision. Jay Savino, the Bronx Republican county leader who nominated Foglia to be the party’s commissioner on the Board of Elections, shares an office suite with Mangone and has already been subpoenaed in the case, just one more way these incestuous circles swirl. Foglia says his relationship with Savino is “cordial.”



* The New York County Republican Party had a somewhat awkward fundraiser last night where chair Dan Isaacs began the evening by reading a statement assuring the audience he wasn’t about to be arrested.



Dan Halloran's foes get the last laugh(NYDN)*  Three donors to Councilman Dan Halloran, who appear to be the "straw donors" described in a federal complaint against him, also gave heavily weeks earlier to alleged co-conspirator Sen. Malcolm Smith, Crain's Insider reports * At a press conference yesterday, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin defiantly refused calls to leave office and vowed to “restore my good name” in the face of corruption and bribery charges against her and Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret, The Journal News reports:
Shoulda known he was trouble (NYP)They should have just Googled the guy. A simple Web search would have shown state Sen. Malcolm Smith and City Councilman Dan Halloran that they were getting into bed with a shady developer who lost a $126 million lawsuit over * Ballot Bribe Informant Is Developer in $113M Debt: Sour(NBC)










Ragusa

GOP Queens Leader commissioner voted to approve $90 million to purchase ES&S scanners that do not work for runoff elections. According to True News tipster Phil Ragusa has been paid over 50,000 from ES&S last year in a two month period. True News Has Confirmed From A Current Top Executive That BOE warehouse employee Phil Ragusa the nephew of the Queens GOP leader is on the payroll of ESS as A Paid Consultant. That means that grandson Ragusa was paid from the same voting machine vendor that his grandfather's BOE commission approved after a battle of the lobbyists for which machine the BOE would buy. Grandson Ragusa was paid $1800 by a day by ES&S at the same time we was on the BOE payroll. On one 4 day pay period Grandson Ragusa was paid over $9000 for 4 days work on and hourly rate that would have taken two weeks to reach the $9000 bill.  * BOE Scanner Vendor Paying Grandson of Queens GOP Leader Payoff for A Pay to Play Contract(True News)

True News Has Also Learned 
Grandson Phil Ragusa lives in Long Island and use his father address in Queens to quality for the BOE job. According to True News Tipster the address used is his father's Biagio Ragusa.  Who retired in 2012 after 20 years of service at the Queens warehouse, and his son, Phil, ended up getting that job

True News: Why Did NYC BOE Spend $90 Million on Scanners That  Queens GOP Leader Accountant PhilRagusa Loses ... - True News

___________________________________________________________________________________
The BOE is A Political Tool of Marty Golden

Council Control of the BOE Led to Petition Shredding
There is evidence that since the City Council shake up Of the Board of Election’s commissioners, the Board has become more corrupt. The board is now being run by several key council members and their political pals. Led by Councilman James Oddo the 4 GOP members of the council now have more power than the GOP county leaders.  They have picked the new GOP bosses in Staten Island, the Bronx and are along with Senator Golden trying to dump the Brooklyn GOP leader.
With the help of the council GOP gang of 4 Senator Golden push out GOP chairman Craig Eaton guy at the BOE and replaced him with his supporter Simon Shamoun.  Now Golden is trying to use his control of the BOE to drive out Brooklyn GOP county leader Eaton.  Since Shamoun took over at the BOE, employees put in the job by Eaton have experienced constant threats of losing their jobs.   Shamoun bullied most of the Eaton job holders to join Golden slate running against Eaton.  Getting a patronage job at the BOE has often been described as the last stop.  Meaning, that board workers have problems finding jobs. Not the Donald Trump independent type.  

The Great Petition Shredding BOE mystery
On July 19th at around 11PM, a 20 page volume of Brooklyn GOP county leader Craig Eaton slate for the 46th Assembly District was shredded by BOE employees.  Political observers have never heard of petitions being destroyed during the BOE review process. Safeguards are supposed to be in place to protect the BOE petitions in the procession of the board.  There is a strong buzz going around that BOE employees overheard Golden and Shamoun trash talking that they wanted Eaton’s petitions gone.  Shamoun mother is on the Golden slate opposing the petitions that were destroyed.  Board safeguard rules state that every time a petition is handled that includes making copies of them, there must be jointly controlled by both a GOP and Democratic employee of the BOE.   

Shredding Golden Brooklyn GOP Take Over
What the BOE is telling the interested parties that the petitions were handled by only the democratic employee, Gregory Jackson.  The BOE says that Jackson told another democrat to copy them and that employee thought Jackson said shred them.  Another source said that the petitions were signed out by a GOP employee David Annarummo who was supposed to be the co supervisor with Democratic Jackson. David mother Clorinda is the co-leader with Shamoun in the 46th Assembly District. David is also on the Golden slate head by his mother running against Eaton in the 46th AD.  The BOE has not explained why their petition sign out rules were violated. An election lawyer for one of the other slates who is trying to get to the bottom of why the Eaton petitions were destroyed was working on a court subpoena for Shamoun at the last BOE meeting. 

The BOE is the Center of the Fight for Party Control, Not A Place Where Fair and Competent Elections Are Run
 One of Golden’s supporters noticed his work and texted Shamoun who along with the other 10 commissions was running the Brooklyn hearing which determines which petitions are good.  Once he got the text Shamoun left the meeting without explanation.  Could it be that Simon Shamoun, an attorney and a public official, was trying to avoid personal legal service of some sort?  That would be unseemly to say the least. One suspects that there are a few very specific subpoenas out there in connection with giving testimonial evidence in Brooklyn Supreme Court concerning the irregular handling of petitions at the Board of Elections leading to an alleged shredding of a volume of signatures and the substitution of a photocopied volume in its place.  Today's session before the Hon. David Schmidt should be very interesting. A subpoena was later served on BOE counsel Steve Richman for (a) specific BOE witness(es).

Update: According to a Gadfly in the Golden camp senator Golden side was so scared about the lawyer for opposing side pursuing the subpoena business they stipulated that the two candidates thrown off by ballot by Shamoun's motion at the commissioners hearing (before he absconded) to sustain the Clerks report were to be reinstated to the ballot.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Haggerty is A Free man


Haggerty’s attorney, Paul Shechtman, filed a stay application on his client’s behalf following Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman’s decision last month that the high court will take up his case. Bail was set at $300,000 cash, which Haggerty had already paid back in 2011.
Haggerty, as you’ll recall, was convicted of stealing $750,000 worth of Mayor Bloomberg’s money that was contributed via the billionaire mayor’s foundation to the state Independence Party during the 2009 New York City mayor’s race and intended to pay for an Election Day voting security program that never materialized. * The New York Daily News’ Ken Lovett reportsIndependence Party goes along with GOP scheme to dodge campaign finance laws, insiders allege New York Independence Party has gotten major cash influx from state Senate GOP in arrangement questioned by political insiders.The state Senate GOP committee and REBNY in the last six months of 2012 donated a combined $464,000 to the Independence Party. Independence Party, or GOP annex? * Indictment Over Bloomberg Campaign Funds (NYT)




 

Giuliani Vs. Cox
Preacher A.R. Bernard weighs run for mayor(NYDN) State GOP chairman Ed Cox urges the Rev. A.R. Bernard, pastor at Christian Cultural Center, to enter into already crowded field. Cox move to Bernard after Lhota meet with Supermarket billionaire Catsamitidis yesterday.  Although. Catsamitidis said yesterday that he would spend up to $20 million to win the mayor's office there is a lot a internet buzz that he will drop out for Lhota.   Other say that since Cox and Catsamatidis are in-laws there is no way in the world he is getting out of the race.  Cox who hates Giuliani because he will push out of the 2000 U.S. Senate race by him before he got sick and drop out.  * Up Close: NYC Mayoral Campaign(WABC) (Video) Three Republican county chairs about the upcoming race for mayor in New York City and their Meeting Next Week.  Dysfunctional Political Parties Blood Feud Giuliani Vs. Cox Vs County Leader Looking for $$$ and Control The political leaders all have an agenda and not of it includes needs of the public



 _____________________________________
Cats GOP Bottomfeeder Civil War

Catsimatidis Wants to Own the NYC GOP
Catsimatidis clan gave over $19K to aid Michael Grimm’s challenger(NYP)
The in-laws of state GOP chairman Ed Cox are trying to knock off the only Republican congressman in New York City – Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm, The Post has learned. Billionaire supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis and his family have pumped $19,800 into the campaign of Grimm’s Democratic challenger, Brooklyn Councilman Domenic Recchia, campaign records show.


 Golden


Joe Hynes leaves the Democratic reservation, officially | Capital ...

 You could write about the decline and fall of Marty Golden: starting and losing a civil war in his own county's GOP, running two staffers for Council and seeing them both blown away; convincing Hynes to run as a Republican and seeing that blow up in his face; and of course, the Lhota disaster.






Sen. Marty Golden Endorsed Lhota Trying to Destroy Brooklyn GOP Chairman. Puts Out A Story That Eaton was Backing Smith. Craig Eaton Backed Catsimatidis.


There is evidence that since the City Council shake up Of the Board of Election’s commissioners, the Board has become more corrupt. The board is now being run by several key council members and their political pals. Led by Councilman James Oddo the 4 GOP members of the council now have more power than the GOP county leaders.  They have picked the new GOP bosses in Staten Island, the Bronx and are along with Senator Golden trying to dump the Brooklyn GOP leader. With the help of the council GOP gang of 4 Senator Golden push out GOP chairman Craig Eaton guy at the BOE and replaced him with his supporter Simon Shamoun.  Now Golden is trying to use his control of the BOE to drive out Brooklyn GOP county leader Eaton.  Since Shamoun took over at the BOE, employees put in the job by Eaton have experienced constant threats of losing their jobs.   Shamoun bullied most of the Eaton job holders to join Golden slate running against Eaton.  Getting a patronage job at the BOE has often been described as the last stop.  Meaning, that board workers have problems finding jobs. Not the Donald Trump independent type.* Golden: Reveal Identity Of County Chairman No. 1(YNN)





Ulrich
 
BOE GOP Party Leaders Coup De Tar, The GOP Councilmen Now Run the Board
City Council Eric Ulrich Got His Revenge on Queens GOP leader Charles Ragusa this week by knocking out Board of Election Commissioner Judith Stupp.  Ulrich is mad at Ragusa for putting up a primary opponent Juan Reyes against him and not helping him in the general fix polling places in the storm damaged areas of his district to open.  Those areas messed up on election day were the heart of Ulrich district. Ulrich and his fellow GOP councilmen discovered that the BOE commissioners were appointed without following the rules of the state election law. They used the illegal appointments to cut out the party leaders and appoint their own GOP board commissioners in Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island. 


If Ulrich Wins Against Addabbo Expect Him to Be County Leader Next Year With the Help of the Haggerty Family

Ulrich wins 70% - 30% primary, set to face Addabbo in November In 2012 Reyes was put up to run by the Queens GOP - formed a GOP club in Forest Hills Jewish center that that first act of business was to elect Reyes to the State Senate.  Bart Haggerty is running Ulrich campaign. If Ulrich wins expect a team of him Haggerty and Ognibene to run and win enough district leaders to capture the party from Phil RagusaUlrich is looking revenge and justice for the attack mailers accusing him of being a communist, a gay employer and a flip flopper who he blames GOP party VIPS Robert Hornak and Vincent Trombone for writing them.* In 2013 Catsimatidis paid for  a $15,000 mailing attacking Ulrich.  Ulrich defeated his opponent Lue Simon by 2%. Team Ulrich tried to take down Regusa


Team Ulrich which is also trying to dethrone Ragusa from his GOP Party Position is expected to back a candidates other than Catsimatidis in the GOP primary for mayor. Vinny Tabone is on the payroll of Catsimatidis' supermarkets.*




Staten Island

The SI GOP is Being Rolled for Quinn
Conservative Leader Boro President James P. Molinaroi Has Endorsed Quinn 
Former Staten Island BP/Rep. Guy Molinari complains that the NYC GOP is “in shambles.” Molinari dumped Lhota a couple of weeks, ago the first of a series of hidden developments that has broken apart the SI GOP. It is said that Molinari' move helped Carrion and Quinn  
Was the Conservative Leader's Endorsement of Liberal Quinn an Effort to Save his Girl Friend's Job?

It seemed odd that Borough President Jim Molinaro the head of SI's Conservative Party would endorse the only gay candidate running for mayor Quinn.  Did Molinaro endorse Quinn to secure his girlfriend's continued employmentIn 2011 just days after complaining that lucrative government pensions will bankrupt the city and state, Borough President James Molinaro said he had "absolutely nothing" to do with helping to secure a high-paying city job and pension for his long-time companion after she lost her post at a state agency. Staten Island BP James Molinaro says he had nothing to do with companion's $110G job (SI Advance)



Quinn Uses Their BOE to Blow Up City's GOP
Missed by the NYP is the commissioners Coup D'etat at the Board of Elections  is lite the GOP Civil War. Team Quinn's is using a scandal which could have been blamed on the speaker and the council for not doing its job under the election law to confirm BOE commissioner to wreck the city's GOP 



.NY Political Parties for Sale: Ballot Corruption(True News)




GOP $cores Mike’s party favors(NYP)
Republican leaders are still reaping the dividends — $230,000 to be exact — of their decision allowing Mayor Bloomberg to run on the GOP ballot line in 2009. Records show that the mayor made another round of generous contributions to the city’s five Republican county committees this year, in some cases accounting for nearly 100 percent of their “housekeeping” account collections over the last six months. The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island committees each received $50,000 in March, while Manhattan took in $30,000. A source said that the Brooklyn GOP, which has yet to file its latest campaign forms, also received $50,000.
Initially, some balked on the grounds he had abandoned the party in 2007 and was back only for the sake of political expediency.But to help grease the skids, he delivered $375,000 to the five county housekeeping committees that year. Since 2009, he’s contributed $815,000.

For 12 Years Bloomberg and His DOI Has Covered Up Corruption
 The Post’s Michael Benjamin debunks Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s innocence with regard to the corruption in New York City politics, saying he’s “playing the game, even as he denounces it” Mike’s Dirty Hands. “(Mayor) Bloomberg seems to think he has nothing to do with the corruption of city politics, when he in fact has played the game like a master — even while staying inside the bounds of the law.”

Catsimatidis never endorsed Joe Lhota
Republicans Joe Lhota and John Catsimatidis Just Can't Get Along ...



Brooklyn Young Republicans Beat Up on Catsimatidis
 
Catsimatidis: Money Can't Shut Everyone UP
Catsimatidis lost his temper at a Brooklyn Young Republicans event on Sunday, yelling and swearing at individuals who publicly questioned his policy ideas and the media blew it up into full pages story, the Daily News reports: * John Catsimatidis Holds Contentious Court in Brooklyn(NYO) *
Catsimatidis Loses His Cool in Brooklyn( Bull Shit Video)




More Rot in Albany(NYT Ed) A convoluted bribery plot over a spot on the New York City mayoral ballot exposes the worst in the state’s political culture.The Times writes that now is not the time to give up on cleaning up Albany, and a good start would be repealing the law that give party leaders the right to allow outsiders to run in primaries in New York City* The NYT suggests some changes to prevent this from happening again, and calls for the resignation of elected officials ensnared in this mess, “starting with the sleaze-spattered Mr. Smith.”



___________________________________________________________________________________
The BOE is A Political Tool

Council Control of the BOE Led to Petition Shredding
There is evidence that since the City Council shake up Of the Board of Election’s commissioners, the Board has become more corrupt. The board is now being run by several key council members and their political pals. Led by Councilman James Oddo the 4 GOP members of the council now have more power than the GOP county leaders.  They have picked the new GOP bosses in Staten Island, the Bronx and are along with Senator Golden trying to dump the Brooklyn GOP leader.
With the help of the council GOP gang of 4 Senator Golden push out GOP chairman Craig Eaton guy at the BOE and replaced him with his supporter Simon Shamoun.  Now Golden is trying to use his control of the BOE to drive out Brooklyn GOP county leader Eaton.  Since Shamoun took over at the BOE, employees put in the job by Eaton have experienced constant threats of losing their jobs.   Shamoun bullied most of the Eaton job holders to join Golden slate running against Eaton.  Getting a patronage job at the BOE has often been described as the last stop.  Meaning, that board workers have problems finding jobs. Not the Donald Trump independent type.  

The Great Petition Shredding BOE mystery
On July 19th at around 11PM, a 20 page volume of Brooklyn GOP county leader Craig Eaton slate for the 46th Assembly District was shredded by BOE employees.  Political observers have never heard of petitions being destroyed during the BOE review process. Safeguards are supposed to be in place to protect the BOE petitions in the procession of the board.  There is a strong buzz going around that BOE employees overheard Golden and Shamoun trash talking that they wanted Eaton’s petitions gone.  Shamoun mother is on the Golden slate opposing the petitions that were destroyed.  Board safeguard rules state that every time a petition is handled that includes making copies of them, there must be jointly controlled by both a GOP and Democratic employee of the BOE.   

Shredding Golden Brooklyn GOP Take Over
What the BOE is telling the interested parties that the petitions were handled by only the democratic employee, Gregory Jackson.  The BOE says that Jackson told another democrat to copy them and that employee thought Jackson said shred them.  Another source said that the petitions were signed out by a GOP employee David Annarummo who was supposed to be the co supervisor with Democratic Jackson. David mother Clorinda is the co-leader with Shamoun in the 46th Assembly District. David is also on the Golden slate head by his mother running against Eaton in the 46th AD.  The BOE has not explained why their petition sign out rules were violated. An election lawyer for one of the other slates who is trying to get to the bottom of why the Eaton petitions were destroyed was working on a court subpoena for Shamoun at the last BOE meeting. 

The BOE is the Center of the Fight for Party Control, Not A Place Where Fair and Competent Elections Are Run
 One of Golden’s supporters noticed his work and texted Shamoun who along with the other 10 commissions was running the Brooklyn hearing which determines which petitions are good.  Once he got the text Shamoun left the meeting without explanation.  Could it be that Simon Shamoun, an attorney and a public official, was trying to avoid personal legal service of some sort?  That would be unseemly to say the least. One suspects that there are a few very specific subpoenas out there in connection with giving testimonial evidence in Brooklyn Supreme Court concerning the irregular handling of petitions at the Board of Elections leading to an alleged shredding of a volume of signatures and the substitution of a photocopied volume in its place.  Today's session before the Hon. David Schmidt should be very interesting. A subpoena was later served on BOE counsel Steve Richman for (a) specific BOE witness(es).

Update: According to a Gadfly in the Golden camp senator Golden side was so scared about the lawyer for opposing side pursuing the subpoena business they stipulated that the two candidates thrown off by ballot by Shamoun's motion at the commissioners hearing (before he absconded) to sustain the Clerks report were to be reinstated to the ballot.



New King of  BOE

Marty Golden Gets His Puppet Commissioner to Vote for SI Dem Ryan

 NYC board of elections votes 6 to 3 with one absence to name Michael Ryan of Staten Island its new executive director. SI GOP commission Simon Shamoun the with dems *  The New York City Board of Elections chose Staten Island Democrat Michael Ryan as executive director, winning the support of the board’s five Republicans and one Democrat after a long vacancy, the Daily News writes:


NYT Holds Catsimatdis' Grocery Store Against Him
In endorsing in GOP primary, the NYT takes a shot at the way runs supermarket chain Gristedes. * Oh my. NYT on Catsimatidis: "We won’t take him seriously until he shows he can do that at Gristedes."NYT says of Cats pledge to make NYC clean and well run: "We won’t take him seriously until he shows he can do that at Gristedes." Ouch. Did Cats sell a NYT edit board member sour milk? Or was there a mess in aisle 3 that offended? Give the NYT edit board credit for humor. :) * Is NYT accurate when it says Catsimatidis "likes to call his fund-raisers 'friend-raisers.'"? Does Cats have fund-raisers? * Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis released a new ad attacking his rival Joe Lhota for referring to Port Authority police officers as “mall cops” featuring a retired PAPD inspector, the Daily News writes: http://nydn.us/12ExNRH


Bloomberg's Gave Us Same Political Party Gangs of NY
Dump Manhattan GOP Leader Isaacs Movement  Begins
 Republican Party activists said Manhattan Republican Chairman Dan Isaacs is no longer viable to lead after he considered a bribe offer in an undercover FBI tape but Isaacs said he “never accepted any retainer,” the New York Post reports: http://bit.ly/1bS2ZPU







Instead of Cleaning Up New York's Political System Bloomberg the Businessman Paid the Crooks Millions to Run on Their Party Lines and Traded Jobs and Cash for Political and Lobbyists Support - The Real Legacy
 Another Criminal Party Leader Running Campaigns

Manhattan GOP leader Isaacs responds after transcript shows him entertaining $30G(NYP) bribe Manhattan Republican Party Chairman Dan Isaacs entertained a thinly disguised bribe offer from an undercover FBI agent posing as an associate of Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith, according to a transcript of taped conversations. one of his fellow diners that day, Republican City Councilman Dan Halloran, was indicted for allegedly accepting bribes to help Smith get on the GOP ballot in the mayor’s race. Update John Catsimatidis Defends Manhattan GOP Chair After Investigation Report

Issacs Dumping On His Guy Catsimatidis
In the transcript, Isaacs offers what could be construed as put-downs of Republican mayoral candidates John Catsimatidis — whom he is backing.        “ I think Malcolm is a much better candidate than John in the general election. And I’d love to see Malcolm be our nominee,” Isaacs says.

Is Catsimatidis Saying When A Party Selling A Party Ballot Line It is Ok to Take A Bribe As Long As is Done Legally?
“There’s two ways to look at the conversation,” he argued, suggesting that Mr. Isaacs could have simply directed any cash offers legally to the party’s campaign committee. “If I was a Manhattan chairman and I was there, I’d have said to the person: ‘You want to contribute to the party?’ Which is 100 percent legal. ‘Contribute to the party.’ Right?”


Good-government group Common Cause in its patented “Moreland Mondays” took a look at so-called “soft money” contributions from the mega-rich and corporate interests that provide unlimited funds to the aptly ”housekeeping” accounts.  The organization found that soft money has skyrocketed in recent years.Between 1999 and 2005, donors provided $46.7 million to committees for the state parties and the Legislature.

How GOP Leader Isaacs' Bribe When Down
From FBI Transcript - The undercover says he’s “willing to retain” Isaacs for business projects as they discuss helping Smith cross party lines.  At one point, the agent says he is prepared to fork over $15,000 before and $15,000 after Smith gets on the ballot.  Isaacs responds, “Look, as an attorney, I am always looking to do work. OK? So that goes without saying. And I hope and expect that I’ll be able to do stuff. You use Jay?” — a reference to Joseph “Jay” Savino, a former Bronx GOP leader indicted for accepting bribes in the Smith case.  The undercover says “yes,” he’s paying Savino. It wasn’t clear for what Savino was being paid. “I want to do the same thing. Because I’m in business as an attorney to make money,” Isaacs is quoted as saying.  “If I can hire you now, I’d love to,” the undercover responds.  The undercover tells Isaacs he has “three, four holding companies . . . And just bill me for 10 hours. I don’t care, whatever it is . . . To be honest, send me an invoice.”

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Cats Never Got It
After Spending $4 Million Dollars, $169 Dollars A Vote Cats Blames His Loss On A Video Few Have Watched
Cats blames election loss on YouTube vid(NYP)
The video, which the Gristedes boss says is filled with lies, was viewed by just 231 people as of 12:30 pm Friday. Catsimatidis lost to Joe Lhota in Tuesday’s GOP primary by about 6,700 votes. Video “Grocery Employees United.” (Has 5000 viewers not the 231 the NYP Says)





GOP Party Wars Go on in Brooklyn and Queens 
"Joe Lhota says he wants to unite the Republican Party as he heads into the general election. If that's true, he will tell his key operatives (like Marty Golden) to cease their efforts to remove Brooklyn Republican Chairman Craig Eaton from his party position." Gerry O'Brien


 


___________________________________________________________________________________
John Haggerty Bloomber II



The state Court of Appeals will hear an appeal from John Haggerty, who was convicted of stealing $750,000 from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 2009 re-election campaign, State of Politics says









Buzz Team Cats Trying to Undercut Lhota
 Former Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis said that he’s suspicious of Lhota’s primary victory and promised to conduct a full investigation, while also saying he’s in no hurry to endorse Lhota, the Daily News reports: If I did endorse him, would he appreciate it?…Deep down inside, I feel like he doesn't like me" — John Catsimatidis




 4/15/2013
 _____________________________________________________________________________
Queens GOP Civil War Catsimatidis Vs Lhota

Hand to Hand Combat Over Control of the Queens County Chair Endorsement of Catsimatidis

State GOP Cox Trying to Get Queen's GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa to Resign for Rigging the Endorsement of John Catsimatidis.  Stacked Endorsement Meeting With BOE Employees That He Appointed. The group opposing Ragusa is asking for an investigation of court filing about BOE commissioner Judith Stump appointment. There has not been a real executive meeting in 18 months in Queens county.


Does the Arrest of Vinny Tabone Put the Queens GOP in Play for Lhota?



11:00AM Saturday
Team Lhota Attacks Queens GOP Boss
Over 20 State Committee Members Attend Coup d'etat Meeting Saturday to Dump Ragusa and Make Former Congressman Bob Turner County Leader
At the meeting the leaders agree to send a letter to cox asking for the removal of the Queens GOP County Leader for corrupt activities. The other day Republican activists — including veteran consultant E. O’Brien Murray — called for Queens County GOP chairman Phil Ragusa to step down. They are going after the corruption of the former VP of the party and Vinny Tabone who was arrested last week for trying to sell the ballot line to Malcolm Smith who was also arrested. Queens GOP Executive Director Robert Hornak Quits Board Of Elections After Shakeup(TU) * What About the Sworn Papers Filed in Court by Ragusa to Save His BOE Commissioner?(True News)

6:30PM Saturday
Queens County Chair Catsimatidis?
Catsimatidis React to the Queens GOP Leaders Call for  Leader Ragusa to Resign by Sending Out A Letter to County Leaders Defending and Demanding the County Leader Stay in Office    
Dear District Leader:
This afternoon it came to my attention that Councilman Eric Ulrich has been calling Queens District Leaders, spreading disinformation in a cynical, self serving attempt to take control of the Queens County Republican Party. Character assassination is his weapon of the day. Sadly, after what has happened over the past two weeks, the last thing our Republican Party needs is infighting. It ultimately is self destructive action that serves no real purpose other than to further cloud the public view of the GOP. I want leaders of the Queens GOP to know one plain and simple truth; Phil Ragusa is a good and honest man. 

Catsimatidis Claims Support of Cox Who Son is Married to Catsimatidis Daughter 
He has my full support and confidence. I have spoken to State GOP Chair Ed Cox and he shares my view that management by revolution is not the way of the GOP. Change is made at the September reorganization meeting and he supports the fact that the district leaders of Queens County, at the time of the election, will make their choice. Councilman Ulrich activities; his name calling and twisting of the truth are disgraceful and are symptomatic of of someone who lacks the maturity and experience to lead. If you would like to discuss this situation please feel free to email me at jacny@aol.com. Sincerely, John Catsimatidis

Sunday Another Letter in Support of GOP Boss Ragusa from:
Serphin R. Maltese, Former New York State Senator 
Frank Padavan, Former New York State Senator
Anthony Como, Former New York City Councilman
Hon. Michael J. Abel, Former New York City Councilman
 Maltese, as I've reported, was on hand for Catsimatidis' City Hall steps kickoff. He is joining the billionaire's campaign as a paid consultant handling outreach to Queens veterans and senior citizens.
I don't think Padavan has formally endorsed anyone in the primary yet, but he -- like a slew of pols on both sides of the aisle -- has been the beneficiary of Catsimatidis' political largesse in the past. State records show Padavan's re-election committee received a $5,000 Catsimatidis donation in May, 2010.

Catsimatidis Continues the Bloomberg Tradition of Buying the GOP Line
One possible white knight is billionaire John Catsimatidis, who is running for mayor on the GOP line and has been generous to many politicians over the years. Records show he and his firms have ponied up $311,700 to the local GOP since 2009, or less than half what Bloomberg has provided.

Catsimatidis Buy$ 3 GOP County Leaders
182G in Fat Cats donations (NYP) That’s a lot of green apples! Billionaire supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis has pumped more than $182,000 into the city’s county Republican committees — and now has three of the five GOP leaders’ support in his mayoral bid.
The contributions from the candidate and his Red Apple Group and United Refining companies date back to 2006, though most came in the last few years. Manhattan GOP Chairman Dan Isaacs and Kings County Republican boss Craig Eaton said there was no connection between Catsimatidis’ contributions and their support. Catsimatidis spokesman Rob Ryan also denied a link.

CM Golden Looking for #1
Pay to Play Ballot Line Corruption Starts GOP Civil War
Malcolm ignites GOP war(NYP) The city Republican Party is at war with itself in the wake of the Malcolm Smith corruption scandal, sources said yesterday. State Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) is maneuvering to oust Craig Eaton as the Kings County Republican chairman. In the wake of the Malcolm Smith corruption scandal, state Sen. Martin Golden is hoping to oust Craig Eaton as the Kings County Republican chairman, while Republican activists are calling for the Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa to step down, the New York Post writes:  Pemberton responds in an email, "I come to Florida after New Year’s Eve and return usually in April or May." Usually? Golden backs Joe Lhota for mayor, while Eaton supports John Catsimatidis.* Golden hungry for answers — but could get Eaton!(Brooklyn Paper)

Sen. Marty Golden Endorsed Lhota Trying to Destroy Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton Who Backed Catsimatidis Today
Was Eaton Pay to Playing With Smith? Golden Wants to Know

 

 

Political bribery arrests shake the Bronx GOP(Bronx Times)







4/5/2013

Catsimatidis Continues the Bloomberg Tradition of Buying the GOP Line 
One possible white knight is billionaire John Catsimatidis, who is running for mayor on the GOP line and has been generous to many politicians over the years. Records show he and his firms have ponied up $311,700 to the local GOP since 2009, or less than half what Bloomberg has provided.


4/4/2013
BOE Head of Machines Illegally Paid by Halloran
Robert Hornak who at the same time he was working at the Board of Elections was illegally getting paid by Councilman Dan Halloran through his consultant company Lexington Public Affairs. It is illegal for BOE employees to run a consultant company.  Hornak is Executive director of Queens County GOP.  His former boss and pal in the Queens GOP party was Vincent Tabone until he quit yesterday after getting arrested the day before

Hornak Also Worked for An Employee of the BOE Who Office Was Raided By the FBI

In April of 2012 True News reported that Hornak was working with Steven Graves who office at the BOE was raided by the FBI as part of their investigation of corruption in the purchase of the new voting machines.Hornak also worked worked with Jay Golub and with accused BOE briber Steven Graves on the Victor Babb City Council Campaign.  Sources: Queens GOP Leader Facing Major Corruption Charges Resigns(NY1)

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
What About the Sworn Papers Filed in Court by Ragusa to Save His BOE Commissioner?

Is DOI, the DA or the AG investigating if the papers were real or forged?  Robert Hornak the director of machines for the Board of Election testified in sworn statements to the court that  the Queens leadership executive committee members met and voted Nov. 1 to reappoint Stupp, and that on Nov. 3, Ragusa signed a certificate saying so. That information was to have been mailed to the City Clerk and City Council on Nov. 19 -- although apparently neither envelope ever arrived. Hornak sworn statement said he mail the papers to reappoint Stupp on Nov. 19. to the executive committee.Ognibene said the gathering at which the organization members supposedly agreed -- having met at Dante's Caterers on Nov. 1 -- to re-nominate Stupp would have coincided with "GOP night," which is more of a cocktail party than a formal party proceeding. "I don’t know if there was ever a notice" of such a meeting, Ognibene continued. "I think they looked back and said, 'Where we all together where we can say we did this?'"

4/3/2012

Halloran/Tabone Took $$$ From More Than One Candidate

Both Have Earned This Years Elmer Gantry Award 

The Queens Crooks Sold Their Line to John Catsimatidis But they Pulled An Elmer Gantry and Also Sold the Line to Smith
Two Republican leaders and Halloran allegedly took payoffs in return for helping Smith get a place on the ballot, even as one of them, Queens GOP operative Vincent Tabone, was serving as a top aide to another mayoral hopeful, John Catsimatidis.




City GOP bigs calling for ouster of Savino, Tabone after Smith bribe scandal(NYP)

What About the Sworn Papers Filed in Court by Ragusa?
How does this tie into the City Council Coup with the Commissioners At the Board of Elections? More


Wow!!!!!!! This is bigger than just the Mayor shit, they are gonna use Malcolm to go after bigger fish.....like Rev Flake, Carl Andrews, Eric Adams, John Sampson, etc....

___3//2013________________________________________________________________________________
NYC's GOP Being Murdered

True News Wags the NYP On NYC's GOP Civil War
But only True News Explains Who Started the War and Why
City GOP fears death of party(NYP) Republican insiders say that the New York City Republican Party is in shambles, engulfed by infighting and weak leadership that could damage any hopes the party’s nominee has at winning the mayoral race Among the party troubles: * It has become irrelevant in Manhattan and The Bronx, where there is not one elected Republican. * GOP presidential candidates raise millions of dollars from Manhattanites, but the New York County committee is virtually broke. * The Queens GOP is bitterly divided. Two of its veteran state senators were defeated in recent years, and it no longer has any representation in that body. * A civil war is brewing in the mighty Staten Island GOP. County Chairman Bob Scamardella announced his resignation last week after a dispute with elected officials, particularly its borough-president candidate, Councilman James Oddo. * Brooklyn’s party is splintered. Chairman Craig Eaton, Sen. Marty Golden and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis are all backing different mayoral candidates. 
The SI GOP is Being Rolled for Quinn
Conservative Leader Boro President James P. Molinaroi Has Endorsed Quinn 
Former Staten Island BP/Rep. Guy Molinari complains that the NYC GOP is “in shambles.” Molinari dumped Lhota a couple of weeks, ago the first of a series of hidden developments that has broken apart the SI GOP. It is said that Molinari' move helped Carrion and Quinn  


Quinn Uses Their BOE to Blow Up City's GOP
Missed by the NYP is the commissioners Coup D'etat at the Board of Elections  is lite the GOP Civil War. Team Quinn's is using a scandal which could have been blamed on the speaker and the council for not doing its job under the election law to confirm BOE commissioner to wreck the city's GOP




GOP Chairs Shocked By Gambling At Ricks Place
NYC GOP Chairs: We Knew Nothing Of Alleged Malcolm Smith Primary Bribe Conspiracy
How Much money did the GOP Chairs Take From Bloomberg? Three of the four unindicted NYC GOP chairs say they had no idea about the primary bribe conspiracy. The fourth, Manhattan Chairman Dan Isaacs, isn’t saying anything at the moment.
1/29/2013
BOE Queens GOP Coup De Tar
City Council Eric Ulrich Got His Revenge on Queens GOP leader Charles Ragusa this week by knocking out Board of Election Commissioner Judith Stupp.  Ulrich is mad at Ragusa for putting up a primary opponent Juan Reyes against him and not helping him in the general fix polling places in the storm damaged areas of his district to open.  Those areas messed up on election day were the heart of Ulrich district.
Queens GOP Party Not Smart Enough to Save Their No Show Jobs and You Wonder Why the BOE is So Fuck Up
The way the revenge unfolded is another example of just how dumb Team Ragusa is.  In short Ragusa, Vinny Tabone and BOE director of purchasing Robert Hornak did not file the reappointment papers for Stupp with the city council.  Ulrich filed his own papers for his pick for Queens GOP commissioner Michael Michelle and got it passed right under the nose of Team Ragusa.  Michelle was  sworn in as BOE commissioner before Team Ragusa could get court papers to stop it. Ragusa appointees at the BOE including Hornak are in a panic that they will get fired.  Phil Ragusa a family relative of the GOP leader, Robert Baltronie Jr., Maria Lynch, Gerald Bordello are all part of Team Ragusa whose jobs are in danger if Team Ragusa does not stop Michelle commissioner appointed.  * NYC Board of Elections Gives Foreign Aid(Gotham Gazette)

A Mayor Candidate Buys Support With A Lawyer?
The buzz was last night that Mayor candidate John Catsimatidis sent over election lawyer Lawrence Mandelker to help Team Ragusa recapature its GOP commissionership chair. So now we have a candidate looking for GOP party leaders endorsements paying for a lawyer to save that party leaders ass.  Team Ulrich which is also trying to dethrone Ragusa from his GOP Party Position is expected to back a candidates other than Catsimatidis in the GOP primary for mayor. Vinny Tabone is on the payroll of Catsimatidis' supermarkets.John Catsimatidis Is All Over The Mayoral Race Like a Cheap Suit (NY Mag)

Perv Ex Councilman Works for Queens Pols . . . Where are the Women's Groups?

Women Activists Has Claimed That Pols Not Taking Sexual-Abuse Seriously Has Led to An Increase In That Crime

Perv pol lands Qns. lobbyist gig (NYP) Disgraced ex-Councilman Dennis Gallagher now works with a Queens consultant who’s under attack for trying to strong-arm GOP candidates into hiring him, The Post has learned. 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, a Sunnyside-based firm run by Jay Golub. 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.”* The Councilman and the Crooked Building Consultant (Village Voice) * Former boss confirms that Pinky(Gallagher) sold porn(Queens Crap) * Dennis Gallagher’s New Calling (NYO) * Judge Throws Out Rape Indictment of New York City Councilman(NYT) * 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)

 3/7/2013

Was the Conservative Leader's Endorsement of Liberal Quinn an Effort to Save his Girl Friend's Job?

It seemed odd that Borough President Jim Molinaro the head of SI's Conservative Party would endorse the only gay candidate running for mayor Quinn.  Did Molinaro endorse Quinn to secure his girlfriend's continued employment?  In 2011 just days after complaining that lucrative government pensions will bankrupt the city and state, Borough President James Molinaro said he had "absolutely nothing" to do with helping to secure a high-paying city job and pension for his long-time companion after she lost her post at a state agency. Staten Island BP James Molinaro says he had nothing to do with companion's $110G job (SI Advance)


Estelle Cooper Treasure and Co-Leader Ragusa Did Nothing to Embarrassment the GOP?
“One of the questions we ask candidates is, ‘Have you ever done anything that would be an embarrassment to you or the Republican Party?’” Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa said of Smith’s bid. “I don’t think he could pass that test.” * Cooper Indicted On Grand Larceny Charges - Queens Tribune ...




The end of Estelle Cooper(Queens Crap)

From the Queens Courier: Former Queens Parks Commissioner Estelle Cooper passed away over the weekend, according to Sinai Chapels in Fresh Meadows. The 82-year-old Whitestone resident, who was indicted in July on grand larceny charges for allegedly stealing over $50,000 from a nonprofit conservancy group she helped start, was facing up to 15 years in prison if she had been tried and convicted. More on Cooper's corruption * Queens GOP Leader Accountant PhilRagusa Loses Track of Some Non Profit $$$ (True News)


Queens GOP committee accused of scheduling vote on SImchat Tora to suppress Jewish vote (NYDN)

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GOP Party Wars Fight to See Who Runs the BOE

The Brooklyn Republican Party’s leadership fight earlier this week was a little wild. “It’s a lynch mob here!” incumbent chair Craig Eaton yelled out at one point, over the noise of audience members chanting “Sham!” after Mr. Eaton’s allies rejected 300 proxy votes against him. “You are a nasty son of a bitch!” an anti-Eaton club chair yelled out at another moment.

Update Bob Turner Not Conceding Queens GOP Leadership Fight(NYO)


Brooklyn and Queens Party Elections Headed to Court
Both Ragusa and Eaton Won By Not Accepting Opposition Proxies
"I don't to Count Opposition Proxies" Queens Boss Ragusa
Bob Turner Loses Bid to Take Over Queens GOP(NYO)
An acrimonious vote on Friday ended with Mr. Ragusa capturing 52 percent of ballots, which are cast by district leaders and state committeemen. Mr. Turner, who had been touted by supporters as the candidate who could finally topple Mr. Ragusa, fell short of expectations, garnering about 48 percent.
After the election of Boss Ragusa his flunky Robert Hornak was seen at the BOE asking for a certified list of Queens GOP state committee and county committee winners.  Meaning the the list that Ragusa used to say in power was not accurate and incomplete
BOE Employees Supporting Golden people reportedly collecting proxies in Grim's congressional office During Office Houses
DOI alerted that BOE employees in Brooklyn collecting Golden proxies during office hours  Update: Craig Eaton wins reelection as Brooklyn GOP party chair with 441 votes to Tim Chocrane's 335. Chocrane to challenge Craig Eaton's reelection in court, claiming 565 valid proxies to Eaton's initial 478 (338 after count) * Eaton opponent was Tim Cochrane, Golden's candidate. * Members screaming between themselves... Chanting: "There's a motion on the floor." * But Tim Cochrane, whom Golden, YRs and reform GOPers backed, had 500+ votes. Eaton camp voided nearly half. *   After all, he who calls the convention, controls the convention.

  


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.

 

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
Bad Campaign Team, Bad Time for the Northeast GOP
Lhota Circular Firing Squard
Republicans: Joe Lhota's Bid For NY Mayor Strategically Baffling, "Painful" To Watch(NYDN)
After winning the GOP primary, Lhota waited — some say wasted - 17 days before making his first big policy pitch, a 33-point plan to power up the economy. It offered a clear contrast to Democrat Bill de Blasio's platform. Some days, Lhota himself is barely visible. On Saturday, 17 days before the election, he had no events on his public schedule until a 6 p.m. fundraiser in Chinatown, all but eliminating the opportunity for “free” media coverage.* ABC News' Jon Karl Asks Ted Cruz 'How Much do Your Colleagues Just Despise You Right Now' (VIDEO)* Lhota Calls Republican Party Critics Of His Campaign Are ‘Empty Vessels’


Lhota Kicking the GOP Also
Lhota’s Republican problem(NYP) The Post’s William McGurn suggests that Lhota stop stressing the disagreements he has with the national Republican Party, and contrasts his campaign to his former boss, Rudy Giuliani: Purely as a policy matter, that disagreement is to be expected. A blue-city Republican is not going to hold the same social positions as a red-state senator. But a blue-city Republican candidate also has to be the upstart. That means he needs to present vision that sharpens differences, not blurs them.* Judge Rejects Bid by PAC to Raise Large Sums for Lhota(WSJ)
GOP’s Latino Outreach(YNN)







Daily News Reporter's Blinders Hurts There Mission
The DN has written many eye opening editorial about the Board of Elections corruption and or incompetence.  Yet they have missed a great opportunity today in reporting on an ongoing civil war in the Queens GOP by leaving out the fact that once faction uses the BOE as a jobs program for it members and according to an FBI investigation a cash cow for their members consultant business. FBI launches probe into Queens GOP, consultants (NYP)Steven Graves who was given his job at the board by the Phil Ragusa faction of the Queens GOP had his office raided by the FBI and was forced to resign from the BOE early this year because he was trying to bribe a contractor.  

4
4
The Queens GOP is Run More Like A Criminal Organization Than A Political Party
He was replaced by Ragusa with Robert Hornak who was quoted by DN report Lisa Colangelo supporting Juan Reyes for state senate against Eric Ulrich who is supported by the Haggerty, Ognibene and Dan Halloran faction of the party. We still do not know the name of the lobbyist who Graves was trying to get a million and a half from the contractor for.  Was it a member of GPS which does a lot of work for the Rafgusa faction and for the Queens Democratic Machine by splitting the Jewish vote in the 6th congressional district. Is this intended to hurt Dan Halloran part of the anti Ragusa faction, who is running for congress in the same district? Haggerty has been convicted of ripping off Bloomberg so either side is not without it criminal faction.  Haggerty Guilty of Grand Larceny and Money Laundering - NYTimes.  There is also the story reported the other day in True News and other news blogs of a Minority Senior Woman Former BOE Manager, Set Up,  Forced Out, By White Controlled Queens GOP, also involving Robert Hornak.  This story of corrupting at the board has only been covered on by the blogs.  The old media acts an enable of corruption in New York's political parties and the BOE by not showing how the parties use the board to stay in power.






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