Dirty $ecret of pols' ethics resistance
The New York Post by FREDRIC U. DICKER - April 25, 2011
Two key insiders are acknowl edging a long-suppressed, ex plosive truth: Many top lawyer/legislators are paid huge sums of money by special-interest clients who are interested only in buying influence at the Legislature. "That's why many of the legislators really don't want an ethics law, even as they claim they do," one insider, with more than 10 years' experience dealing with the Legislature's leadership, told The Post. "The truth is that many of the lawyers/legislators do virtually nothing for their money and are only hired so the clients can gain access to their influence with their committees and their leaders. "If those lawyer/legislators have to disclose who their clients are and how much they're being paid, the media will ask, 'OK, Senator, OK, Assemblyman, what kind of work have you done to deserve that kind of money?' And they don't want to answer that," the insider continued. A second highly knowledgeable insider with strong Senate ties said Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau), whose party holds a slim, one-vote majority, was resisting the comprehensive ethics law backed by Gov. Cuomo out of fear that several GOP senators won't seek re-election if the size of their legal fees becomes public. "Skelos worries that some will leave the Senate rather than disclose, and that that will cost him his majority," said the second source. Cuomo is gearing up for what may be his biggest battle yet with the Legislature, whose two leaders, Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), are paid unspecified sums for unspecified work by two highly influential law firms. Skelos works for Ruskin Moscou Faltischek on Long Island, which represents clients before public agencies and has a lobbying arm. Silver works for Weitz & Luxenberg, a massive personal-injury firm. Among the prominent upstate Republicans with lucrative law practices are Senate Finance Chairman John DeFrancisco and Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Chairman Michael Nozzolio. fredric.dicker@nypost.com
No surprise that the police are fixing more than just parking tickets. But what I don't understand is why all the corruption in the Courts has been ignored for all these years?
ReplyDeleteWhere is the outrage when judges and politicians fix cases and take kickbacks?
"Heard on Tape: Cops Trying to Fix Domestic Violence and DWI Raps
April 26, 2011
Murray Weiss reports the NYPD ticket-fixing scandal involves more than traffic violations"
While it's good this guy is reporting this, it does seem that this reporting is not very objective. It seems that he is excusing and rationalizing this behavior. While those being caught up in this may have done many good things, it still doesn't mean that they aren't dirty. People who murder and steal could be considered basically good people, but that doesn't meant that they should be excused for crimes they commit. And people who are employed by the citizens of the State don't get any free pass for breaking the laws or their Oaths of Office.
"They are great people, and fantastic cops and public servants. The public cannot fully know how much they sacrifice for the good of this city and what they have done, and risked.
For their careers to now hang on such a tenuous thread is tragic. Let's hope reason prevails. And that only "meat-eaters," as those who were on the take were once called in another police scandal, are the only ones severely punished or deserving of a chopping block."
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/20110426/manhattan/heard-on-tape-cops-trying-fix-domestic-violence-dwi-raps#ixzz1KdAU4jxu
Its good that Dicker is reporting about what is holding up ethics reform in Albany. But Dicker is still shilling for Cuomo making it look like ethics reform is so important to Andy.
ReplyDeleteIf it was important to Andy, it would have and should have ( important terms ) been the first Order of Business when he arrived in the Governor's Office. It would have come before he got his Budget.
In fact, having Disclosure by the "Representatives" of all their Special Interest money absolutely should have been done so the Public can see what and who these Reps are really shilling for while making a budget.
Andy may have some of the worst problems of all of them with all the Wall Street and Goldman Sachs and AIG connected lobbyist money.
And what about the likely hundreds of complaints to Andy's Office as NYAG involving the corruption in the courts?
His office was specifically asked to investigate upstate Columbia County's case in Matter of Anthony JJ with young boys being locked in Foster Care for 10 years on harmless anti-psychotic drugs paid by Medicaid and issued against the will of the parent when the Expert Report saying the children should have been returned to the family years before was "systematically" and "deliberately" kept out of proceedings and court records and this Expert was hired by the Court itself.
In fact, his NYAG Executive Office Counsel to the AG Henry "Hank" Greenberg was specifically asked to investigate as well. Hank previously came from Greenberg Traurig's Albany office before taking the job with Andy and had been recruited after Andy beat Jeanine Pirro. Yet, nothing from the NYAG.
So Dicker's story is a good start but misses alot of what has been going on and not going on in this alleged "ethics reform" movement in Albany.
Fred Dicker is shilling for Cuomo and reports nothing from this blog. The only ethics reform Cuomo would support would be to weaken present ethics laws and/or to remove what should be criminal prosecutions to become ethics complaints. Cuomo financed his campaign with lawyer contributions from lawyers involved in his AG court actions. Fred Dicker is the Fox guarding the chickens and Dicker sleeps in Cuomo's lair.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the outrage when judges and politicians fix cases and take kickbacks?
ReplyDeletethey "fix" each other, some think it is funny!
The media seems to just recently print articles about "some" NY State court corruption, but exclusively on their terms and without allowing any public input or additional insider information.
ReplyDeleteThis gentle approach has an agenda..which may or may not be an attempt to quell anarchy in this country.
We will just have to ask the FBI if they have devised a plan to leak somethings and pray that the little junk revealed, will satisfy the informed bloggers of all social networks to believe that the American court setup of whitewashing their own multiple and felonious crimes..is being handled, but just takes additional time...something Americans are done with.
We shall see where the media across this state and country, desires to take their sudden court corruption revelations, but most certainly the long awaited sun shining from the presses does not support....the arrival of our allusive summer!
agree on the Dicker analysis as Fox guarding Henhouse -
ReplyDeleteLook at these comments Cuomo's spokesperson just made saying the oversight bodies and laws are already good enough????
"Cuomo, who campaigned on a promise to enact an ethics law to end Albany’s notorious “pay to play” environment, has a spoken agreement with his appointees not to accept funds or spend money from their political accounts, according to two appointees. Cuomo believes state laws governing gifts and how campaign funds are spent — both long criticized as weak by good-government groups — are enough.
“Campaign accounts are governed by the Election Law and the Public Officers Law, and the relevant oversight bodies provide guidance on individual circumstances,” said Cuomo spokesman Richard Bamberger in a written statement.
http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2011/04/25/news/doc4db486d3dce92652477857.txt
Re; John Sampson
ReplyDeleteHow much is senator John Sampson being paid as a lobbyist?
Were are the rest of the hearings?
What about some changes?
ITS CALLED A 'LIMITED HANGOUT'
ReplyDeleteA TECHNIQUE THAT MUST BE USED WHEN THE EVIDENCE IS TO GREAT TO BE IGNORED.....
IT IS USED TO ASUAGE YOUR FALSE BELIEF THAT....IT CANT BE POSSIBLE THAT EVERY AGENCY AND AGENT IS TOTALLY IREDEMIBALLY SATANICALLY CORRUPT.....
BLOGGING WILL GET YOU NOWHERE
To the above..I must disagree that blogging will get you nowhere.
ReplyDeleteIt may not force the hand of the politicians or corporations..but it can certainly influence the public who will be the salvation of reform...when it gets to the point of pure despair...which is assuredly very soon.
Information is always power..so don't ever walk away..that is what the powers want you to do...keep telling it... however..whatever..wherever...whenever!
Fred Dicker and his media cronies want to control the conversation. Fred wants you to believe Cuomo is trying to do something about corruption. Does Fred Dicker remember the AEG scandal with Sampson and the rest of the gang believing they had Cuomo in the bag. Is it dementia,Fred? Report about where the AEG scandal prosecution is headed, Fred. Putting up a sign "No Foxes Allowed" will not help the chickens, Fred.
ReplyDeleteI left names numbers to Mr. Dicker Last year, I was just happy to hear that Ethics reform is on its way, but Mr. Dicker Suddenly stopped. I recently wrote to Expose corrupt, with details about Nassau County. Guess they want to be scooped before anyone else. Too bad Mr . Dicker Then no one will read your worthless columns anymore. I used to really like you too. Shame on you for not reporting!
ReplyDeleteWhat did happen to the Senate Commitee Judicial hearings On Ethics. Change the board her would like to see updated info?
ReplyDelete