de Blasio's DOI Unexpectedly Going After BOE Corruption On Day One
Board to investigate duplicate voters
NYC Department Of Investigation Chief: Board Of Elections "Hostile" To Reform Recommendations (NYDN) The new head of the city Department of Investigation testIfied Friday that his staff has encountered "outright hostility" at the highest levels of the Board of Elections while trying to get the embattled agency to clean up its act. The Board has not been “anywhere near as cooperative” as necessary in responding to a 2013 DOI investigation that detailed nepotism, incompetence, inefficiency -- and even possible crimes, DOI Commissioner Mark Peters (pictured center) told a joint hearing of the City Council Government Operations and Oversight and Investigations Committees. Peters said DOI has referred several issues for possible civil prosecution, and said criminal charges are still possible. In describing "illegal" activity at the Board, Peters told the lawmakers, “I use the word deliberately. This is an ongoing investigation, so there are aspects of it I am not prepared to discuss."* Department of Investigation, Board of Elections Face Off at City Council (NY1) * Investigations chief briefs the Council on B.O.E. problems(Capital) * D.O.I. Report The report listed nepotism, violations of voter privacy, and a staff of untrained workers among B.O.E.'s most glaring systemic problems. D.O.I. released a list of 40 recommended changes to the agency, but according to Peters, the agency has been less than cooperative in implementing changes. Peters went onto say that nepotism at the agency was rampant and that in one case, a B.O.E. commissioner admitted to hiring his wife in order to obtain health benefits he was not entitled to receive on his own. According to Peters, close to 10 percent of the staff at B.O.E. is related to other employees of the board.
Political Analysis: New Guard Beginning to Evict the Old Tammany Guard From the BOE
As True News reported last December if the old machine led by Queens Boss Crowley lost the speaker's race that would be there last Hurrah in power. Well as they say elections have consequences and the newly empowered new guard has begun the process of pushing what is left of the old Tammany Hall out of their 100 year old home the Board of Elections. The new machine led by the mayor, speaker, WFP, Sharpton and election consultant lobbyists, the Advance Group, Berlin Rosen and Pitta Bishop Del Giorno as their elections victories for mayor, speaker and council races indicate have not only beaten the old machine but understand how to use and gain power.
It is a Family Affair At the BOE
Board of Elections Executive Director Michael Ryan tangled -- protractedly -- with Councilman Ritchie Torres of the Bronx about the definition of "nepotism," saying that just because members of the same family work at the same agency doesn't indicate de facto corruption. Torres countered that the agency -- which gives limited notice of job openings when it gives them at all and hires many of its full- and part-time workers through a patronage system linked to the county parties -- has an inarguably high degree of family relationships in its ranks.* Kate Taylor
DOI's Peters told councilmembers, adding that his agency had been received with "outright hostility"
BoE's Ryan re DOI: "I believe that that report does not
accurately reflect the reality when it comes to come certain of the
recommendations" * Sal Albanese
Council Has Oversight Powers Over BOE They Have Never Used to Demand Reform
SalAlbanese @SalAlbaneseNYC: @DNDailyPolitics It's hysterical listening to CM criticize BOE You would never think THEY have oversight & funding responsibility for agency
The Council Could Use Their Power to Confirm Board of Election Commissioner to Demand Reforms of That Corruption Institution. Quinn and a gang of 4 GOP councilmember used the power to confirm BOE commissioners to throw out GOP commissioner in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx. The result is that GOP party leaders patronage appoints to the BOE are being replaced by people from the councilmembers and their friends. Why is the media not demand that the next council speaker clean out the BOE and restore Democracy to New York City?* GOP Councilmen seize opportunity to appoint election commissioners in Queens, Brooklyn, overruling county party leadership (NYDN) More on the Panic Over the Council Illegal Appointed Commissioners * Ulrich campaign accuses BOE of obstruction (CrainsNY)* The City Council Is Responsible for the Corruption - True News
DOI Got to Be Kidding About the BOE
"We have made several referrals to civil authorities for violations of the law, that is ongoing," Department of Investigations commissioner Mark Peters told City Council friday. "There are aspects of this ongoing investigation that could lead us to criminal referrals, it's too early to tell at this stage."
10 Areas Where de Blasio's DOI Can Start Criminal Investigations
1. Head of Board of Elections Fired One Week Before Election (WNYC) * Sources at the Board of Elections say Gonzalez was fired over irregularities that initially appeared on the ballot of a special election in Queens for the City Council seat in the 28th district.*Election Board's "Bungle George" Gonzalez Was Mayor Bloomberg's Baby(Village Voice)* Gonzalez Firing, DOI Investigation, Could Ease Awaited Bloomberg BoE Power Play(CHN) (No Action by Bloomberg's DOI)
2. Why Did the City Spend $95 Million on Scanner That Don't Work? Bloomberg said the board’s real problem lay with the paper ballot and electronic scanner voting system it rolled out three years ago *Moving mayoral primary since scanners can’t handle a runoff does not compute(NYDN) * A Week Later, No End in Sight for Primary Vote Count(NYT) In 2010 Feds probing how Board of Elections choose flawed electronic voting(NYP) * Board Of Elections Pushes New Plan For Old Voting Machines During September Elections * Madness of the machines(NYDN Ed) * New York City Elections Are Becoming Ever More Costly(NYT)
3. The Daily News' Errol Louis reports today,
the behind-the-scenes battle between Election Systems & Software
and Dominion Voting Sytems(a/k/a Sequoia Voting) is being carried on by
highly-paid proxies, namely the city's most politically wired lobbyists.
Dominion/Sequoia's bid is being led by the estimable Stanley Schlein, who was Mayor Bloomberg's pick as chairman of the Civil Service Commission until he was found to be using the place and staff as his private law office. Not to be outdone, ES&S has its own congressional brother on its team, John "Sean" Crowley of Davidoff Malito law firm and brother of Joe Crowley, who is not only a congressman but also head of the Queens Democratic Party (a major plus, since Queens Dems have their own commissioner on the board) * The Village Voice, Tom Robbins delves into Stanley Schlein's record* Ballot Fixing involving a queens ballot by a Bronx power broker who is also the lobbyist on the losing vendor of the boards voting machines. (No Action by DOI) (No Action by Bloomberg's DOI)
4. The NYC Board of Elections suspended an employee
who’s also a top Queens GOP official, Stephen Graves, after he was
caught on tape soliciting a “finder’s fee” from a voting machine
contractor in exchange for recommending a particular lobbyist. Qns. elections official under fire for soliciting money from a contractor
(NYP) * Qns. elections official under fire for soliciting money from a contractor
(NYP)(No Action by Bloomberg's DOI)
5. 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. More * NYC Board Of Elections: Inquests & Invoices(NYDN) According
to True News tipster Phil Ragusa nephew has been paid over 50,000 from
ES&S last year in a two month period. That means that nephew
Ragusa was paid from the same voting machine vendor that his
grandfather's BOE commission approved after a battle of the lobbyists
for which voting machine the BOE would buy. Nephew 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 nephew Ragusa was paid over $9000 for 4 days work on
and hourly rate that would have taken two weeks to reach the $9000 bill. NYC Board Of Elections: Inquests & Invoices(NYDN) * From the NY Daily News: The name would naturally jump out at anyone who's interested in
Queens politics: Not only is Phil Ragusa the Queens GOP chairman, but
his nephew -- also named Phil Ragusa -- works for the Board as a
supervisor dealing with voting machines in the Queens warehouse. *Biagio Ragusa,
the brother of Queens Republican boss Phil Ragusa. He worked in a board
warehouse for 20 years before retiring recently. The job is now held by
his son, also named Phil Ragusa. (No Action by Bloomberg's DOI) 
6. A few years back, the Westchester lawyer Anthony J. Mangone,
who shared an office with 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. Former Bronx GOP Chairman Jay Savino pleaded guilty on corruption charges related to a failed scheme to let Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith run in the Republican primary for mayor. *Guilty Westchester attorney Anthony Mangone will help feds in two seperate probes
* 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, sources confirmed yesterday. In addition to the
Westchester case where Yonkers City Councilwoman Sandy Annabi and
former Yonkers Republican chief Zehy Jereis also charged, there is a
second into the selection of voting machines by New York City's Board of
Elections. Mangone represented the winning bidder, Election
Systems&Software, of Omaha, Neb. Political Parties for Sale: BallotCorruption
2009 Election Probe Emerges Again(WSJ) * Bronx GOP boss adds to list of corruption(NYDN) (No Action by Bloomberg's DOI)
7. The Feds are also investigating a Board Of Election (the cesspool of
political corruption) contract for new machines that Hank Sheinkopf was a
lobbyist for. Feds investigate switch by Board of Elections ... - New York Post * Voting Machine Smack-Down: Lobbyists Brawl(Village Voice) Also pitching hard for ES&S is the team of Hank Sheinkopf and Norman Levy. (No Action by Bloomberg's DOI) 8. Not to be outdone, ES&S has its own congressional brother on its team, John "Sean" Crowley of Davidoff Malito law firm and brother of Joe Crowley, who is not only a congressman but also head of the Queens Democratic Party * Sheinkopf took the 5th when asked questions by the NY former state Inspector General Joseph Fisch about the AEG scandal 
9. Queens GOP Chair Drops Case To Get Ousted Board Of Elections Commissioner Back To Work(NYDN) 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 * GOP Councilmen seize opportunity to appoint election commissioners in Queens, Brooklyn, overruling county party leadership (NYDN) More on the Panic Over the Council Illegal Appointed Commissioners * Tabone steps down as Queens GOP honcho amid corruption probe ...(NYP) * Queens GOP Chair Drops Case To Get Ousted Board Of Elections Commissioner Back To Work(NYDN)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.** Citizens Union sticks up for two GOP commissioners(CrainsNY) * rue News Told You On July 16th that the City Council Controls the Appointment of BOE Commissioner.
City Council Eric Ulrich
checked on the rules and found the council and BOE were not following
the state law on the appointments of commissioners. * The Voting Plan for the Flooded Out Polls Has Been Delayed By Political Infighting* Ulrich campaign accuses BOE of obstruction (CrainsNY) * Queens Republicans feud over Board of Elections appointment, John Catsimatidis endorsement(Queens Chronicle) (No Action by Bloomberg's DOI)
10. Board of Elections does nothing as hundreds of Bronx votes go missing(NYDN Ed) Ignores warnings of busted ballot scanner VOTE COUNTING in the fierce congressional battle between incumbent Charlie Rangel and his insurgent challenger Adriano Espaillat Board of Elections does nothing as hundreds of Bronx votes go missing(NYDN Ed) Ignores warnings of busted ballot scanner Why were the poll watchers reassigned in the Adriano Espaillat race to help Rangel? (No Action by Bloomberg's DOI)The Real Fight At the Board of Elections is About Control of the Ballot . . . Will the City Council Hearing Go Beyond Putting Lipstick On A Pig?
Voting Machine Smack-Down: Lobbyists Brawl - Village Voice B
Board of Election More Like Area 51
BOE Corrupt, Dumb and Now Nuts
“While the board has been a convenient foil for public criticism, it has at the same time been the victim of a funding scheme that seems to have been intentionally designed to cash starve the agency to accomplish some unknown and ultimately inconceivable goal,”
BOE ex. director Michael Ryan
Pooling their ignorance the BOE responds to a damming DOI report, Tries to BS the Council. BOE director Michael Ryan made the conspiracy-laden accusation as part of a pitch to secure a whopping $55 million in additional funding from the city’s coffers, even as his agency remains under investigation by the city.
A Tammany Hall Fixer Tries to Save the BOE for the Bad Guys
Michael Ryan is the latest secret agent sent
into BOE by the political machines and incumbent politicians in power to fight
off democracy. To clueless reporters he
looks like a professional knowledgeable man who knows what is wrong with the
BOE and knows how to fix it. Ryan was
the first to testify this week at the City Council on what is wrong with the BOE. His real secret mission is
to rescue the BOE from its incompetent corrupt self and preserve it gatekeeper
function of weeding out challengers to those in power. The county leaders who really run the BOE, who would
not as easily fool the media and public as Ryan, were not called to testify
at the council hearing.Board of Election's Corruption . . .
City Councilman Ben Kallos rips Board of Elections for dodging blame after probe revealed problems(NYDN)
Kallos
slammed the Board of Elections on Wednesday for dodging blame when
responding to a scathing Department of Investigation probe. Kallos had
told the board to hand in a plan on how it would fix problems
identified by the Department of Investigation. Instead, officials sent
in a response that dismissed most of department’s recommendations as
outdated.
More on Corruption at the BOE More 
Remember Long Lines Than in 2012 Election
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