The New York Post - EDITORIAL - January 11, 2010
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has long argued that the best way to clean up Albany is to vest in his of fice broad authority to investigate political corruption. Forget the hopelessly compromised "ethics" panels, in other words: A few well-targeted criminal probes -- with full power of subpoena -- are the best way to make things right. Well, now's his chance. Cuomo's office has subpoenaed a wide range of state Senate e-mails regarding Majority Leader Pedro Espada and his Soundview Health Center, the Bronx clinic that functions as the Espada family piggy bank. The AG's authority is narrowly focused; it comes from his probe into Soundview's possible misuse of public funds. Now Cuomo reportedly wants to know whether Espada used his position to steer cash toward the clinic. Um, is the Hudson wet? Fact is, if Cuomo can't unravel Espada's exceedingly brazen Soundview advantage-taking, he's going to have a tough time justifying a bid for wider powers. If he can, of course, it's even less likely that the Legislature would grant them -- but that's the sad lot of an aspiring Albany reformer. The problem certainly transcends Espada. Take Senate Democratic leader John Sampson. Barely had the gavel come down on former Majority Leader Joe Bruno's conviction for using his office to personal advantage when Sampson tossed a few feathers into his own nest. The Post's Brendan Scott reports that the Brooklyn Democrat last month locked up a gig as counsel to the politically powerful law firm Belluck & Fox. He'll be nicely compensated, no doubt -- but the details will be privileged information because of the lawyer-client relationship. And guess what: A founding partner at the firm, Joseph Belluck, just happens to be a board member at the state Trial Lawyers Association -- a key lobbyist for the tort bar. This, of course, is almost the same arrangement Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has with top tort-law firm Weitz & Luxenberg. Probably not a good year for tort reform in Albany, we'd guess: Clearly, the trial lawyers have covered their bases in both houses of the Legislature. Average New Yorkers come up with the short end of the stick. Meanwhile, Joe Bruno must be wondering why he never got a law degree. Pedro Espada, too. Alas, it'll be a cold day in hell before Sampson, Silver & Co. willingly give anyone the power to probe them. But if Cuomo can sort out Soundview, it will be significantly more difficult to justify denying him the authority to cast a wider net. That would be a good thing.
Don't count on Andy. He's too interested in becoming Governor. He'll never go against his supporters. And many of Cuomo's supporters are a very big part of the corruption problem. Sad, too bad....
ReplyDeleteHe'll never be half the man his father was....
ReplyDeletetime will tell on Andy.......
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the AG will investigate my complaints of criminal activiity.........
yeah Andy, we want wars! that is what happens when you do not investigate these lawyers!
ReplyDeletewars! wars! wars!
hate & anger!
CLICK HERE TO SEE A GOOD REVIEW OF WHAT CORRUPTION IS AND WHAT THE FBI DOES ABOUT IT !!!!
ReplyDeleteAndy Cuomo CANNOT address judicial corruption...because he has for the past 5 years, been madly and extensively "defending" judicial corruption with his own employed counsel and his double team co-counsel from OCA'S counsel's office....in my upstate federal lawsuit.
ReplyDeleteHe and his office appear to have influenced the higher court into granting a new and questionable lenghty stall,and that court has sought to keep me from any information relative to that present status...all because new information was served upon the AG'S office in Sept 2009, that appears very devastating to OCA.... if released. The service of additional information is not complete.
The AG will never, ever address judicial corruption nor will the Washington based DOJ... as these groups are all lawyers huddled together to protect their livlihoods, careers, and masters...the judges!
Anyone hoping for their interest in this crime that devastates our American citizens daily...needs to call their offices and pretend to seek help for any type of judicial crime...and see what always happens.
If you are lucky...one liar may cough up the phone number of neighborhood legal services..to placate you and send you on a forever lawyer infested goose chase.
Lawyers are not the answer to exposing and punishing judicial corruption...and that absolutely includes the FBI where many fall into that education, and are often being hired as operative experts.
Don't hold your breath.
ReplyDeleteAlong the lines of the above comments the NYAG Public Integrity Unit has issued Letters to several folks around the State complaining of Judicial related corruption.
ReplyDeleteAmazingly, the NYAG Public Integrity Unit says the Office does have Jurisdiction over "State Actors" and those acting "in concert" with "State actors" which would cover private lawyers and individuals rigging cases and fixing cases with Judges as Judges are "state actors".
So by the NYAG's own Letters the Office does not need more power on those cases, it just has to do the job.
Further amazing is that a very politically motivated NYAG failed to "recuse" his office from representing Judges and the OCA which could and should have been done under the requirements of the Public Officers Law such as Recusing from Defending in cases like Christine Anderson, the federal whistleblower, and the other related federal cases against the Courts and OCA.
That would have been both the correct legal move and politically wise move as it would have kept the NYAG "out of the fray" and on the "side of the people" and in cases where the Judge has Altered Transcripts, tampered with evidence, rigged or fixed cases the Judge would have had his or her own lawyer to defend instead of the NYAG.
Surprised to see that the NYAG did not see the Growing Snowball of Corruption issues headed right at the State but maybe there are other reasons why actions were taken. Anyway, the Post Story only applies to perhaps cases with legislators and for all the other cases like "state actors" etc, the NYAG already has power by his own letter admissions so anything else looks like a media smokescreen.
Andrew Cuomo made his choices, now, the voters can make their's. Andrew Cuomo could have done something about corruption in my federal action against Judge Kevin K. Ryan by doing his job as AG and telling his client, Judge Ryan, that he could not defend him and was forced by the duties of his office and ethic rules to report his corruption to both the federal judges and the Judicial Conduct Commission. BUT, Cuomo chose to defend the crooked judge. In that same action, Cuomo was aware that Darla Breckenridge was continuing to make false claims of privilege for a licensed professional in NY, when Cuomo had before him the official certifications of the NY Office of Professional that the Quack, Breckenridge, was not licensed in anything. Although, Breckenridge, through her attorneys, Phelan,Phelan&more was claiming professional privilege. Cuomo knew his duty was to prosecute the Quack, Breckenridge. Were Cuomo's choices compassion for crooked judges and lawyers and compassion for a Quack practicing psychology? Well, good now, Cuomo can see if that's what the voters wanted him to defend crooked lawyers, judges and quack psychologists? Time to vote your choice.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke. This is just more smoke and mirrors by our esteemed AG.
ReplyDeleteCuomo and his office have been presented with not just evidence of criminal activity by state employees, but all the relevant laws, codes, rules, cases and decisions, and still won't do anything.
The laws of the state are quite comprehensive and clear when it comes to crimes by our representatives. If Cuomo wanted to do something, he could have taken care of it long ago.
This is just another poor excuse for his failure to act. Watch, he will probably blame his inability to get anything done on this.
Yes, Andy what are you going to do? Are you going to investigate Bernadette E. Lupinetti, Esq. or the protection will continue at the expenses of children and families?
ReplyDeletethe best way to start to end corruption in NYS is for Andy to get out of office - NOW!
ReplyDeleteIn my 2 lawsuits against OCA in the past 16 yrs, I alleged as a STATE COURT EMPLOYEE...that OCA, THEIR EMPLOYEES OR A JUDGE, committed violations of the civil rights act, title vii and or several other civil o criminal acts...and I have supportive documentation and witnesses to supply to bolster.
ReplyDeleteThe NY state AG chose in both cases over this almost 20 yr period, to represent the state employee tht was "accused' of corrupt acts and in both cases and blatantly worked in conjunction with co-counsel John Sullivan,Esq of OCA'S counsel's office ... adding another set of lawyers to asssure that all accused corruption went unaddressed or buried!
MY federal case of 1993- 1997 was a very interesting, behind the scenes federal court settlement... in that I never agreed to 'any settlement ever" and was in the hospital having surgery at the time...medical records to support...and it was a worker's comp paid case, so OCA and my atty at that time, knew I was incapacitated the day of the sttlement!
I found out this judge removal federal court case was settled, when my mother in A NURSING HOME...called me 4 days after my surgery, stating my brother called her and said his office was discussing the case and she gave me the details of the entire settlement, from the newspaper.
My atty never called me or said why he settled that case without my consent, and to this day refuses to call me with the paperwork or federal court transcript that was prepared for the judge that day stating that I agreed to any settlement...who by the way, is the the judge on my case that is stalled in federal ct today.
This is the very first time I have told this story to anyone, because I feared that OCA would harass me unmercifully or fire me at that time..which they did for years anyway...or they would terrorize me for exposing such a tremendously illegal act against an American citizen...which they have terrorized me anyway, with proof already supplied to federal court in Sept 2009.
So...it appears that all state attys will only represent the accused criminals in a state v state employee case...so court corruption can function at all levels of judicial government.
I have a big eye OR TWENTY on this present so called pending case in federal ct today...and I am waiting TO VIEW the scam these robesters are prepared to reap upon me now!
I have informed sources to watch every angle
Americans..if the state and federal courts can settle a case when you are under anesthesia....tell me how this corruption can ever be more unbelievable?
By the way...some NY state court employees charged have hired top outside counsel because they didn't like the AG'S office, and they had these atty's completely paid for by order of the supreme court of NY state, including the judge who was removed, who continuously hired at least 4 top criminal attys, hoping for a happy result.
ReplyDeleteI HAD TO PAY FOR MY ATTY, AS THE VICTIM IN THE 1997 case, where I remained as a STATE employee for another 8 years ,until OCA felt the heat from the judge removal federal ct.... false settlement.... had subsided and any firing could be related to some made up work issues after 30 yrs..lollll, and for depositions in this pending case.
OCA's REPRESENTATION IS PAID FOR BY THE TAXPAYER FULLY AND ALWAYS.. TO KEEP THE CORRUPTION IN TACT AND FLOWING THROUGHOUT THIS STATE,so the funding for these crimes is .......amazingly siphoned from the very victims they terrorize!