PRESS
RELEASE
FROM:
CARL P. PALADINO
FEBRUARY
25, 2011
In
the 2010 New York gubernatorial debate AG Andrew Cuomo declared, “If
you break the law, you will go to jail.” Well, I don’t think so.
NYC
Mayor Bloomberg’s personal financial advisor and Assembly Speaker
Shelly Silver’s fundraiser Steve Rattner bribed a relative of a
state official and Henry "Hank" Morris, bagman for
disgraced State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, to obtain $150 million in
state pension funds for investment. Despite his admission that
Rattner took the Fifth Amendment 65 times while being questioned by
his office, Cuomo gave Rattner immunity from criminal prosecution to
testify in the Grand Jury. In December 2010, Cuomo civilly sued
Rattner. Cuomo and Rattner then created the illusion of acrimony
between them to set up the press and people for the fix.
On
his last day as AG, Cuomo as prosecutor, judge and jury settled with
Rattner for a $10 million fine {one tenth of his annual income) and a
five-year prohibition from dealing with the Comptroller, allowing him
to continue to bribe other state officials. The quid pro quo appears
to include Bloomberg's endorsement in the election and future
considerations from Sheldon Silver.
The
pay-to-play pension fund probe also snared multi-million dollar
lobbyist Patricia Lynch a/k/a the "bag lady", former top
aide and confidant to Sheldon Silver. Lynch bought "preferred
access" to the Comptroller with gifts, favors and campaign
contributions enabling her steer State Pension fund investments to
her clients.
New
Yorkers didn’t know Lynch was under investigation until Cuomo,
again playing prosecutor, judge and jury, announced in December that
he settled for a $500,000 fine and a five-year ban from dealing with
the Comptroller's office allowing her to offer "gratuities"
elsewhere in State Government. Shelly Silver was the first to
endorse Cuomo after he announced.
For
our shallow press it was a one-day story. No one questioned a
process that allows one person to make such ominous decisions without
scrutiny. To this day the public does not know the facts of the Lynch
case.
Cuomo’s
career as a fixer started at HUD when, over the objection of the HUD
Inspector General, he let Andrew Farkas skate on criminal charges and
jail time with a penalty equal only to the amount he stole. Cuomo’s
quid pro quo was a $1 million “consulting fee” from Farkas after
he left HUD.
Hevesi,
the sole trustee of the $130 billion Public Employee Pension Fund,
and the most trusted officer in State government took over $1 million
in known bribes for investing heavily in corrupt investment firms.
The investigation netted many conspirators, with Hevesi at the top of
the food chain.
Needing
an election boost candidate Cuomo made a plea deal where Hevesi would
serve no jail time in return for his "cooperation" with
prosecutors. The New York Law Journal boldly wrote: [see Paladino
for the People website], and later altered on their website, that
Cuomo’s Hevesi deal required no jail time. Hevesi pled guilty
October 7, 2010 and awaits sentencing now scheduled for March 10,
2011.
The
AGs "sentencing recommendation" and the pre-sentence
probation report have not yet been submitted. This is Hevesi's
second felony conviction. Considering the facts known to the general
public, Hevesi, as with Hank Morris, was undercharged with an E
instead of a C felony. To recommend no jail time for “cooperation”
from the man at the top of the food chain is a travesty beyond
comprehension. What could he possibly be cooperating with if he was
the central target of the investigation? Last week Hon. Lewis Bart
Stone, JSC, sentenced Hank Morris who took over $19 million in bribes
to the maximum 4 years for an E-Felony. He will be out in only 16
months.
AG
Schneiderman must ask Judge Stone to reject the plea and recharge
Hevesi with a C felony to make an example of the man who so boldly
violated the public trust and to send a clear message to other state
officials who might be tempted.
Charles
Rangel received a little slap on the wrist from Nancy Pelosi and then
mocked Congress. Cuomo arbitrarily gave him a pass on clear evidence
of fraud and income tax evasion after attending a party in Rangel’s
honor and getting caught trying to sneak out the back door.
Cuomo
rejected the Inspector General’s referral of the Aqueduct scandal
where leaders of the State Senate and other officials took bribes.
The matter embarrassed Cuomo. His revenge was swift. On January 1,
2011 he replaced the man who so bravely went after the
establishment's corruption with the Deputy Attorney General who
handled the Rattner, Lynch, Hevesi and Morris “deals”.
All
pigs are equal but some pigs [like Rangel, Rattner, Morris, Lynch and
Hevesi] are more equal than others. Why? Just connect the dots. They
are complicit with the parasitic ruling class, became careless gaming
the system, got caught, know too much and might weaken in the face of
imprisonment and seek to spill the beans on others in the friends and
family club. Cuomo fixes the deal and in return gets endorsements
and money from club members at election time for keeping the boys out
of jail and the establishment and status quo alive and well in
Albany.
Cuomo
has breached the authority of his office, his oath of office and the
public trust.
Remember,
"If you break the law, you will go to jail."
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