Saturday, March 25, 2017

The Making of A New Puppet Council Speaker 2017














At least seven NY lawmakers may run for City Council (NYP) At least seven state lawmakers are eyeing City Council seats in 2017. Queens Democratic Assemblyman Francisco Moya is raising money to challenge Corona Democratic Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras in what could be a key race, political sources said. Ferreras is a leading candidate for speaker, but Moya’s potential challenge signals that the Queens Democratic Party has other ideas over who should succeed Melissa Mark-Viverito. Sen. Bill Perkins is running to replace Harlem Councilwoman Inez Dickens, and Bronx Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj is running to replace Councilman Jimmy Vacca. East Harlem Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez is preparing to run for Mark-Viverito’s seat, sources said. Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim is raising money to explore a citywide office such as public advocate or comptroller, a source close to Kim said. And Brooklyn Assemblyman Peter Abbate plans to run for the seat Bay Ridge Councilman Vincent Gentile is leaving, sources said. Bronx state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. is “95 percent of the way there” toward declaring to run for the seat left by Councilwoman Annabel Palma.














New York City Girds for Political Brawl Over Looming Speaker Vacancy (NYT)  Feb 15, 2017 - New York City's Council speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, ... With all the political focus in New York City trained on the 2017 mayoral race, there ...

Multiple City Council Members Already Laying Groundwork for ...(NY1) Jun 23, 2016 - ... term as city council speaker runs through January of 2018, the race to succeed ...Manhattan Councilors Ydanis Rodriguez, Mark Levine, and Corey Johnson; ... laying the groundwork for a race that will occur in fall 2017.


New York City Council speaker's race: Not all the news that's fit to print ...
Feb 23, 2017 - The protection of the First Amendment comes with responsibility. Feb. 16, 2017, The New York Times published an article entitled “New York ...
The Most Important NYC Campaign You Don't Know About Is Well ... (Village Voice)

The New York City Council has always been a little bit like high school. There are ... Friday, January 6,2017 at 11:25 a.m. ... Here are the caveats about any speaker's race: All the action occurs behind closed doors and the public has no say.
NYC council speaker's race expected to be spirited | SmartBrief
NYC council speaker's race expected to be spirited. 2/16/2017. Term limits prevent Melissa Mark-Viverito, speaker of the New York City Council, from keeping ...


The City Council speaker race is in full swing (NYP)  The top contenders to become the next City Council speaker are beginning to emerge, days after campaign-finance filings revealed what kind of war chests each will bring into battle.  Front-runners include Councilmembers Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Corey Johnson, Mark Levine and Jimmy Van Bramer — all of whom have raised $200,000 or more each for their campaigns.  Ferreras-Copeland (D-Queens), the council’s Finance chair, is viewed by many insiders as the favored choice as a successor by current Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Mayor de Blasio, and has raised $325,635 so far for her run.  But Ferreras-Copeland has burned through $284,000 of that and could be facing a credible challenge from Assemblyman Francisco Moya.  “Money matters, for sure, but as long as people pass the threshold of being able to fund their [campaign] operation and give some money to other council members, it’s not the only thing,” one member said, citing the importance of already-formed relationships.  Johnson (D-Manhattan) has raised $291,310. Van Bramer (D-Queens) has raked in $387,228, and Levine (D-Manhattan) has collected $211,270.  Councilman Robert Cornegy (D-Brooklyn) is also considered a viable option by several council insiders, but has not yet submitted fund-raising numbers to the Campaign Finance Board.  Of those, Van Bramer has by far the most cash on hand — about $300,000. But Van Bramer, like Ferreras, doesn’t enjoy the support of Queens Democratic boss Rep. Joe Crowley, who will undoubtedly play a role in who gets the job.  The Queens and Bronx Democratic machines are expected to whip votes together. Still unclear is what role the Brooklyn party will play.  Other members considering a run include Vanessa Gibson (D-Bronx), Donovan Richards (D-Queens), Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) and Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn).



How Power Brokers From County Leaders, Lobbyists, Developers and the Mayor Make the Council Speaker Into A Puppet

The NYT Leaves Out the Role of the UFT, Developers PACs and Lobbyists Like Advance Group Which Was Fined by the CFB In Electing Current Council Speaker, Pitta Biship, MirRam Group, Berlin Rosen

New York City Girds for Political Brawl Over Looming Speaker Vacancy (NYT) The focus on the coming mayor’s race overlooks the back-room deal-making over another powerhouse position in city government, the City Council speakership. But that outcome represented a break from recent tradition, in which the county leaders of the Bronx and Queens have teamed up to back a speaker candidate from Manhattan. In exchange, Council members from those boroughs expect to get chairmanships on key committees such as finance and land use.  For the borough leaders, it is an alliance of convenience. The Bronx, for instance, would not back a Queens candidate — and vice versa — because that would concentrate too much power in the other borough. But a Manhattan candidate is seen as palatable to both, partly because the Manhattan Democratic machine is relatively weak.  But this year’s contest offers additional intrigue in the form of Mayor Bill de Blasio; what role he will play is an open question.  In the last race, the mayor intervened immediately after his election, helping tip the balance in favor of Ms. Mark-Viverito over Councilman Dan Garodnick of Manhattan. Mr. de Blasio used his influence as the first Democratic mayor in two decades to support a coalition of liberal Council members, many of them also newly elected, that backed Ms. Mark-Viverito. * The looming January New York City Council Speaker vacancy is already swathed in all the bare-knuckled, backroom intrigue of old-time New York, with observers wondering what role de Blasio will play, The New York Times reports. * New York City Girds for Political Brawl Over Looming Speaker Vacancy (NYP) The focus on the coming mayor’s race overlooks the back-room deal-making over another powerhouse position in city government, the City Council speakership

The Lobbyist's Shadow GovernmentHow the Advance Group Conspired to Steal the 2009 and 2013 ElectionBerlin Rosen and de Blasio One NY PAC Slush Fund Lobbyists Berlin Rosen Takes Over NYC Government








NYP Right the Council Speaker de Blasio's Puppet Speaker Distracts From the Real Problems 
But It is the Media and Community Leaders Job to Bully the New Council Speaker Be Responsible For Solving the Real City's Problems 
Why no council speaker should give a ‘state of the city’ speech (NYP) This lame tradition of council speakers giving such a yearly speech was started by Peter Vallone when he thought he had a political career beyond City Hall; it turned out he didn’t. His successors, Gifford Miller and Christine Quinn, kept it up — and also failed to win higher office. But Mark-Viverito continues the practice, even though she has no obvious hopes to move up. Indeed, part of the introduction to her speech was a “What’s Next” video making light of her future prospects.  And that silly video set the tone for her equally silly remarks about resisting Washington. The speech hit all the predictable progressive beats and applause lines:  1.  Cooperation with federal immigration authorities? Resist! 2.  Free birth control! Comprehensive sex ed!  3.  Dismiss warrants for low-level offenses committed 10 or more years ago!   Now, look: New York leaders will surely have plenty of gripes with Washington in the months ahead — but Mayor de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo will inevitably lead those fights. Wouldn’t it be nice if the council had its eye on less sexy issues?

The Daily News is Ducking the Low Advance Fine and No Criminal Investigation Means Nobody is Watching the Watchmen
The Daily News Reported That People Close to de Basio Sent Cash to Advance Run NYCLASS
Bill at the trough (NYDN Ed) De Blasio's conversion on horse carriages coincided with a rush of campaign cash. This is the curious story of how a self-described skeptic of the ban in 2007 became, by March 2013, a man who pledged to “ban the horse carriages in Central Park within the first week on the job.” In 2007, then-City Councilman de Blasio declared himself “skeptical” of a bill seeking to ban the carriages. In January 2008, the checks began arriving — and, presumably, the reeducation of the politician got underway. Wendy Neu, a longtime animal rights advocate who would later become a NYCLASS board member, gave $1,000 to de Blasio’s campaign for public advocate.Before long, more checks from Neu, NYCLASS co-founder Stephen Nislick and others started rolling in.Conversion complete? Not quite.


The Daily News Broke the Story That Advance Illegally Worked On Mark-Viverito Speakers Race Says Nothing Today
EXCLUSIVE: City Council Speaker candidate Melissa Mark-Viverito may have violated city ethics rules(NYDN)  Mark-Viverito, an East Harlem councilwoman, accepted unpaid assistance from the Advance Group, a prominent lobbying firm working to further her candidacy (Daily News 11/27/2013) * New York City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito’s ties to the consulting firm Advance Group may be hurting her candidacy for speaker

More on the Daily News





Real Estate and the UFT are the Two Main Controller's of the State's Election System

NYT's 485 Word Story of the CFB Fine Latest Move By Paper to Empower Consultant Lobbyist 









Powell When He Was Writing News Broke the News That the Advance Group Was Being Investigated Advance Group President Scott Levenson is no longer listed as the NYCLASS political director on the firm's website. In Campaign, Cash Flowed Circuitously - NYTimes.com Advance under investigation * In Campaign, Cash Flowed Circuitously (Powell, NYT)





True News: Following Covered Up in CFB And AG Fines and How It Effects Campaigns and Governing
1. The UFT PAC Paid Advance Through the Fake Illegal Group Strategic Consultants Inc. $370,000 and More Than $4 Million in City Campaigns 
The Daily News and Good Government Groups In 2013 Blamed the UFT for the Strategic Payment Cover Up 
UFT under fire for apparently trying to hide identity of consulting firm(2013 NYDN)The city’s powerful teachers union is under fire from good-government groups for apparently trying to hide the identity of a consulting firm it was using to boost union-backed candidates.  "The listing of the phony firm, 'Strategic Consultants, Inc.,' in campaign filings, obscured that Advance Group was being paid both to promote candidates for the United Federation of Teachers' independent political action committee, and working as the main campaign consultant for several of those same candidates."


2. Red Horse Like Advance Worked for the UFT PAC United for the Future
Clients in 2013 Who Received United for the Future Mailings and Red Horse work for:
James Vacca, Helen Rosenthal, Annabel Palm, Daneek Miller,  Antonio Reynoso,  Ritchie Torres

Red Horse In Addition to Working for 2 DAs and Two DA Candidates, Works in Dozens of Other Races




3. In the 3rd Council District Advance's Candidate  Krukland Received NYCLASS Mailing and Her Opponent Also Got PAC Mailings From UF PAC Also Controlled by Advance

The Lobbyists Consultants Work With Each Other Sometimes Against Their Own Candidates Interests

The Advance  group was paid by democratic candidate Yetta Krukland $28,000 and the IE NYCLASS that Advance paid for $30,000 in mailings to promote Yetta Krukland.  The UFT PAC which Advance Was Working for United for the Future funded Krukland Opponent Corey Johnson. Krukland fired Advance during the campaign. Advance Also Worked for Ydanis A Rodriguez who was funded by the United for the Future PAC Which Advance Worked for



4.  The Advance Group PAC NYCLASS Funded Council Speaker Mark-Viverito and Worked In Her Campaign to Become Speaker
The Advance Group also has faced a city Conflicts of Interest Board probe into free help it provided New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. The status of that probe is unclear.
Campaign Finance Board Votes on Penalty for The AdvanceGroup, Inc. - The New York City Campaign Finance Board today determined that The Advance Group, Inc., committed violations and assessed penalties totaling $15,000 for those violations. The Board determined that The Advance Group, acting as agent for an independent spender and two of its campaign clients, cooperated in expenditures reported to be independent. This substantial penalty sends a clear message that the Campaign Finance Board will vigorously enforce coordination between outside groups and candidates that violates the law. These violations strike at the very heart of our campaign finance program. When a consultant’s actions make it impossible for their clients to comply with the law, the Board will hold the consultant accountable. The facts in this matter are clear. The Advance Group arranged mailers for one client, NYCLASS, which promoted the election of two of their campaign clients. CFB staff notified The Advance Group that such expenditures would be violations, yet the expenditures went forward.  In addition, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is announcing today a $10,800 penalty against the Advance Group. Combined, our two agencies are penalizing The Advance Group $25,800. I want to thank Attorney General Schneiderman and his staff for their assistance on this matter


Advance's Yedin Who Was Push Out as Manager of McMahon DA Campagn Was Involved With the Speaker Race After Advance Said it Was No Longer Involved With Mark-Viverito 
Staten Island DA Race Fallout McMahon campaign manager resigns amid consulting firmfines (SI Advance) *  McMahon Campaign Manager Resigns Over Political Consulting Group Fine(NY1) * McMahon campaign manager resigns amid consulting firm fines SILive.com  Politicker Reported That Advance Was A Crucial Player In the Seddio Deal After the Advance Group Left the Speakers Race

CFB Ignores That Fact That Their Fine On  Mark-Viverito Came From An Illegal Account
Melissa Mark-Viverito fined over consulting payments connected to re-election (NYP) Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito was whacked by the city’s Campaign Finance Board Thursday after her 2013 campaign committee failed to show $3,000 in consulting payments were connected to her re-election efforts. The board fined her campaign $750 for a payment made to consultant Brendan Kelly on Nov. 16, 2013 — nearly two weeks after the general election that put Mark-Viverito back into her East Harlem/Bronx council seat. At the time, Kelly was a lead strategist on Mark-Viverito’s bid to become council speaker — a race she won in 2014 with Mayor de Blasio’s backing. Illegal to Use the 2013 Campaign Account to Pay for the Speaker Race Under city election rules, Ms. Mark-Viverito was not allowed to spend money from her 2013 campaign account for the speaker race. She was also not allowed to spend money from a "transition committee" meant to pay only for inauguration activities. And she was likewise not allowed to yet set up a new 2017 campaign committee with the city Campaign Finance Board. Instead, on Nov. 5, she set up a 2017 campaign committee for an as-to-be-determined city office, according to the state Board of Elections, and then spent on the speaker race.  Mark-Viverito spent big on speaker race (CrainsNY) Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito got a boost in her speaker campaign by spending nearly $80,000 in recent months.


5. The UFT is A Client of Berlin Rosen and Worked for the Following Candidates Funded By the UFT PAC United for the Future
Corey Johnson, Mark Levine, Ydanis A Rodriguez, Austin I Shafran, Rory Lancman, Elizabeth S Crowley, 
Richards Donovan, Stephen T Levin, Kirsten J Foy
de Blasio Using PAC Lobbyists Consultants To Get Around the Elections Law and Control Elections and the Press



Savino Advance is Fine But PACs Who Skirt State Campaign Finance Donation and Spending Limits if Their Efforts are Not Coordinated With a Campagin is Bad?
Sen. Diane Savino stands by her consultants (NYDN) Sen. Diane Savino is sticking with her longtime political consulting firm after The Advance Group was hit with fines last week for helping an anti-horse carriage group avoid contribution limits in supporting City Council candidates in 2013. “They’ve been my consultants for my entire career,” said Savino, a Staten Island Democrat who has paid The Advance Group nearly $900,000 since first being elected to the Senate in 2004. “I have no concerns about their ability. They’ve settled the issue.” Savino said the larger issue that needs to be addressed is the the continuing fall out of the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that allows political action committees to skirt state campaign finance donation and spending limits if their efforts are not coordinated with a campagin. "We're going to continue to run into these kinds of problems," she said.
The NYCLASS PAC Caper to Steal the 2013 Mayoral Electionis Now Being Put to Sleep
Horse-Carriage Fight Politics 
How the Advance Group Conspired to Steal the 2009 and 2013 Election
CrainsNY on the Advance Groups Double Dipping
Media Cover-Up of NYCLASS, Other Citizens United PACs,  MayorOne NY PAC
Who Watchers the Watchman, Lobbyists, Grand Jury, AG - DAsConflict of Interests With NYPD and Elected Officials
The UFT Coup d'é·tat Of NYC Election System and Democracy



The Daily News Which Investigated the Advance Group Ducks Comment the CFB AG Parking Ticket Fine 
In 2014 the Daily News repored that the FBI was investigating donations to NYCLASS from men closeto Mayor de Blasio that may have been used toward anti-Christine Quinncampaigners    On May 21, lawyer Jay Eisenhofer gave $50,000 to NYCLASS, the animal rights group leading the crusade to ban carriage horses. Ten days later, on May 31, NYCLASS gave an equal amount — $50,000, to the anti-Quinn group. On June 1, NYCLASS received another large donation, this time for $175,000. It came from UNITE HERE! — a labor union headed by John Wilhelm. Two days after that, on June 3, NYCLASS sent the same amount, $175,000, to the anti-Quinn campaign. The issue? Both Wilhelm and Eisenhofer have long-standing ties to Bill de Blasio, one of Quinn’s Democratic rivals in the mayoral campaign. Wilhelm is de Blasio’s cousin — and a prolific fund-raiser for him. Wilhelm raised $6,950 for de Blasio’s 2009 race for public advocate and $80,000 for de Blasio’s successful campaign for mayor. * EXCLUSIVE: FBI investigating claim Christine Quinn was threatened for refusing to support carriage horse ban during the mayoral race (NYDN) *Consulting firm head hired by de Blasio for Central Parkcarriage industry review was early supporter of NYCLASS (NYDN)



The Daily News and Good Govt Groups Who Said UFT PAC Illegally Funding Advance Now are Silent
Getting Away With Fixing Elections
UFT under fire for apparently trying to hide identity of consulting firm(NYDN)The city’s powerful teachers union is under fire from good-government groups for apparently trying to hide the identity of a consulting firm it was using to boost union-backed candidates.  "The listing of the phony firm, 'Strategic Consultants, Inc.,' in campaign filings, obscured that Advance Group was being paid both to promote candidates for the United Federation of Teachers' independent political action committee, and working as the main campaign consultant for several of those same candidates."







The Media Ducking the Low Advance Fine and No Criminal Investigation Means Nobody is Watching the Watchmen
The Daily News Reported That People Close to de Basio Sent Cash to Advance Run NYCLASS
Bill at the trough (NYDN Ed) De Blasio's conversion on horse carriages coincided with a rush of campaign cash. This is the curious story of how a self-described skeptic of the ban in 2007 became, by March 2013, a man who pledged to “ban the horse carriages in Central Park within the first week on the job.” In 2007, then-City Councilman de Blasio declared himself “skeptical” of a bill seeking to ban the carriages. In January 2008, the checks began arriving — and, presumably, the reeducation of the politician got underway. Wendy Neu, a longtime animal rights advocate who would later become a NYCLASS board member, gave $1,000 to de Blasio’s campaign for public advocate.Before long, more checks from Neu, NYCLASS co-founder Stephen Nislick and others started rolling in.Conversion complete? Not quite.


The Daily News Broke the Story That Advance Illegally Worked On Mark-Viverito Speakers Race Says Nothing Today
EXCLUSIVE: City Council Speaker candidate Melissa Mark-Viverito may have violated city ethics rules(NYDN)  Mark-Viverito, an East Harlem councilwoman, accepted unpaid assistance from the Advance Group, a prominent lobbying firm working to further her candidacy (Daily News 11/27/2013) * New York City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito’s ties to the consulting firm Advance Group may be hurting her candidacy for speaker
Why is the Campaign Finance Board Only Looking At 1199 SEIU and Not the UFT Illegal Coordination With the 2013 de Blasio Campaign?
De Blasio’s 2013 campaign committee under investigation (NYP) The Campaign Finance Board has been looking into possible violations by Mayor de Blasio’s 2013 campaign committee for coordinating operations with powerful Local 1199 SEIU — his most important supporter. Board officials asked the de Blasio campaign to account for a host of “coordinated” activities described in an Oct. 10, 2013, City & State magazine interview of Local 1199 political director Kevin Finnegan, documents obtained by The Post show.  The interview raised red flags at the board because the campaign had paid the union only about $19,000 at that point. Unpaid coordinated campaigning violates regulations because it circumvents spending limits. A de Blasio lawyer wrote to the board 15 days later, claiming the article contained “significant” errors. “Virtually all of the 1199 activities . . . were not in any way coordinated with the de Blasio campaign,” the lawyer wrote. City & State’s publisher said the magazine stands by its reporting, which stemmed almost entirely from an on-record Q&A with Finnegan. Local 1199 shelled out roughly $200,000 in independent expenditures for de Blasio’s mayoral run in 2013, records show.





Berlin Rosen Worked With the Advance Group for the Two Councilmembers Fined By CFB
Two City Council members were slapped with fines Wednesday for taking off-limits contributions from animal rights group NYCLASS, which bankrolled Mayor de Blasio's mayoral campaign for his pledge to ban horse-drawn carriages. Council members Laurie Cumbo (D-Brooklyn) and Mark Levine (D-Manhattan) have to pay back money they were given by New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets because they shared the same political consultant — the Advance Group — as the anti-carriage group. One ambiguity is that Ms. Mark-Viverito was not running in an election regulated by the city Campaign Finance Board, but rather in a leadership race within the council. City council members fined over money from anti-horse carriage group(NYP)Two city council members were slapped with hefty fines for accepting prohibited campaign contributions from a group at the center of the Central Park horse carriage brouhaha. Freshman member Laurie Cumbo (D-Brooklyn) was fined $7,868, and newbie Mark Levine (D-Manhattan) was fined $8,686 by the city’s Campaign Finance Board for accepting over-the-limit funding from a “prohibited source.” The board found that the funding source for both campaigns – New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Street (NYCLASS) – was too intertwined with the candidates’ consultant, The Advance Group (TAG).Campaigns are prohibited from coordinating with third-party groups that make “independent” expenditures. Yet TAG president and lobbyist Scott Levenson was political director for NYCLASS, and both groups shared the same office space. Councilman Rodriguez was also a client of the Advance Group and got mailing from Advance's PAC United for the Future and was not fined by the CFB



An operative with the controversial Advance Group, Jonathan Yedin, who has been working in Brooklyn Democratic Party politics for more than a decade and belongs to Mr. Seddio’s political club. Though Ms. Mark-Viverito eventually stopped taking free advice from the Advance Group, Mr. Yedin remained a crucial  player in the brokering of the deal, sources said.  Inside Melissa Mark-Viverito’s Road to Victory(NYO) * Melissa Mark-Viverito Lobbyist Firm Never Quit, Continued Lobbying Despite Investigations * More on the Advance Group Under Investigation  * Melissa Mark-Viverito Drops Advance Group for Speaker Bid(NYO) Ms. Mark-Viverito insisted today that this was not the case but out of an “abundance of caution,” the relationship would end. Melissa Mark-Viverito Drops Advance Group for Speaker Bid - Blogs(TU) * Melissa Mark-Viverito Lobbyist Firm Never Quit, Continued Lobbying Despite Investigations *EXCLUSIVE: City Council Speaker candidate Melissa Mark-Viverito may have violated city ethics rules(NYDN) Mark-Viverito, an East Harlem councilwoman, accepted unpaid assistance from the Advance Group, a prominent lobbying firm working to further her candidacy (Daily News 11/27/2013)

The CFB and Conflict of Interests Board Continue to Cover-Up Advances Involvement in Advances Illegal Work for Mark-Viverito in Her Speakers Race Campaign
The Conflicts of Interest Board probe, which was reported earlier this year, stems from a complaint made over forbidden pro-bono work Mark-Viverito received in late 2013 from The Advance Group. An official at the Conflicts of Interest Board declined to comment on the status of the case.


The AG and the DAs By Not Enforcing the Election Law Has Enabled Lobbyists and Special Interests to Legalize Bribery Though PACs
PACs are A Crime on the Book Because Prosecutors Who Look the Other Way
The CFB determined under its rules that the Advance Group’s work on behalf of both Council candidates and the supposedly “independent” anti-carriage PAC really amounted to illegal coordination between the campaigns and NYCLASS. The board properly fined Cumbo and Levine. And its crackdown on the out-of-bounds campaign spending by NYCLASS has done the city a huge favor, by providing a badly needed glimpse into the big money play that successfully swung the 2013 city elections. Using funds from donors that included UNITE HERE — a union chaired by Mayor de Blasio’s cousin John Wilhelm — NYCLASS slimed mayoral rival Christine Quinn into oblivion.Now the FBI is probing the funding of the attacks on Quinn, and de Blasio’s flip-flop that led to his vow to ban the horses. The CFB needs to stay vigilant, making every effort to hold NYCLASS, the Advance Group and sponsored candidates to account for their actions in the 2013 campaign. Among the others benefiting from NYCLASS spending was Melissa Mark-Viverito, who took free services from the Advance Group in her successful bid to become City Council speaker.





Almost the Entire Council is Infected With PACs That Advance Worked for 31 of the 51 Members, Including the Speaker
Candidates Funding By Advance's NYCLASS PAC: Yetta Krukland (Advance Client), Councilman Mark Levine (Advance Client), Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo (Advance Client)
Candidates Funding By Advance's United for the Future PAC: Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Inez Dickens (Advance Client), Corey Johnson (Berlin Rosen Client) (running against Advance client Yetta Krukland), Mark Levine (Advance Client), Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo Councilman Ydanis Rodríguez, Paul Vallone (Mercury Client), Rosie Mendez, Councilman Andrew King, Councilman James Vacca (Red Horse Client), Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson (Red Horse Client), Councilwoman Annabel Palma (Red Horse Client), Councilman Costa Constantinides, Mark Weprin (Hudson TG), Councilman Daneek Miller (Red Horse Client), Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (Hudson TG), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (Berlin Rosen Client), Councilman Richard Donovan (Berlin Rosen Client), Councilman Eric Ulrich, Councilman Antonio Reynoso (Red Horse Client), Councilman Brad Lander, Councilman Mathieu Eugene (Advance Client), Councilwoman Inez Barron, Councilman Jumaane Williams, Councilman Alan Maisel (Brandford), Councilman Mark Treyger (Hudson TG), Councilwoman Debra Rose (Brandford), Councilman Steven Matteo, Councilman Robert Jackson (Boro President Candidate), Councilman Vincent Ignizio

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Sunday, March 5, 2017

de Blasio Lobbyist Law Firm Makes Millions Off of City Hall Works in the Mayor's Criminal Case for Free


de Blasio Lobbyist Law Firm Makes Millions Off of CityHall Works in the Mayor's Criminal Case for Free (True News)
The Pay to Play Conflict of Interests of de Blasio'sCriminal Law Firm in the Federal and State Investigation That Also Lobby's Himfor Developers











Anyone Who is Not Outraged Does Not Protest Our Corrupt Play2Play Mayor Who Spends $11.6 Million of City Money on Lawyers is Not A Real New Yorker But A Low Life Sheep 
New Yorkers and the Once Great NYC Media Have Tuned Into Sheep NYC NEEDS A MARCH ON CITY HALL TO RESTORE THE DIGNITY OF IT CITIZENS AND THE DEMOCRACY OF ITS GOVT
de Blasio Legal Fees Paid for by the City to DefendAgainst Federal Investigation $10 Million


Last Night on NY1 de Blasio Said He Did Not Know Any of the Work His Law firm Did! Not Only Did He Know He Took Court Action to Help His Lawyer Lobbyists Kramer Levin
De Blasio denies conflict with using law firm that lobbies his administration (NYDN)  de Blasio said there’s no conflict in his use of a law firm that also lobbies his administration on behalf of private clients.  “My experience with this firm is as someone receiving legal services from them — for which they will be fully compensated,” de Blasio said of the firm Kramer Levin Naftalis and Frankel, which is representing him in a series of investigations into his fund-raising tactics.  “I don’t know any of the other work they do. I don’t experience any of the other work they do,” he said on NY1’s “Road to City Hall.” “I just don’t see any such challenge or conflict.”  In addition to its legal practice, Kramer Levin has a lobbying unit — whose earnings surged to $3 million for lobbying the city last year, the same year the firm was hired by the mayor.  De Blasio has not yet paid his legal bills and plans to raise donations to do so. He has refused to rule out taking legal defense money from donors with business before the city.  The mayor said he’s sure his officials would not give special treatment to lobbyists for the firm that represents their boss.

All the Daily News Had to Do Was Link to a 2016 Article by the Daily News to Show That Not Only Did the Mayor Know About Kramer Levin Lobbying Work, His Law Dept Filed an "Amicus Brief" in Support of His Law Firm Who He Has Not Paid Client

Team de Blasio Files Amicus Brief Again A Judge Who Stopped A Developer Client of Kramer Levin Because of A Toxic Site
Deputy mayor says city isn't taking sides in spat between PS 163 parentsand developer (NYDN, April 27th 2016)  The city’s lawyers jumped to defend the developer of an Upper West Side nursing home in court independently from City Hall because of a technicality in the case — and not because of the mayor’s ties to the law firm for the controversial project, officials said Wednesday.  First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris, the number two official at City Hall, said the mayor’s office was completely unaware that the law department was filing papers in Jewish Home Lifecare's legal bid to construct a 20-story nursing home on W. 97th St.  The nursing home — which is being sued by parents who claim the construction will harm kids in neighboring P.S. 163 — is repped by Kramer Levin, the law firm where Mayor de Blasio’s lawyer Barry Berke is a partner.  Berke is defending de Blasio in the federal investigation into his fund-raising.  Zachary Carter, the Corporation Counsel for the city's Law Department, said his office weighed in independently after a judge said the environmental review process didn’t take into account the impact on the school.  De Blasio has not yet paid his legal bills and plans to raise donations to do so. He has refused to rule out taking legal defense money from donors with business before the city.  He also said that the amicus brief the city filed wasn't to support the developer in its fight with parents over construction noise, but because the judge's ruling that the environmental review process wasn't adequate could negatively impact other projects. * De Blasio Throws Support Behind Controversial JHL Nursing Home Project (DNAINFO) De Blasio's Office of Sustainability is seeking to overturn a Dec. 9 decision that blocked Jewish Home Lifecare's construction of the 20-story nursing home on West 97th Street, next to elementary school P.S. 163 and a residential complex.


If the Daily News Reporter Durkin Checked Her Own Papers She Would Have Noticed A Rivington Deed Change 1199 Connection to Kramer and Levin Jewish Home Lifecare Developer Client 
Rene Kathawala, whose children attend P.S. 163 and an attorney for the parents suing, called the city’s meddling “political” and noted another possible explanation: the powerful health care union 1199 SEIU United Health Care Workers.  The union is a major de Blasio backer, writing a $250,000 check on March 2, 2015, to Campaign for One New York, the group de Blasio set up to support his pet projects like pre-K.  With its members working at many JHL facilities, 1199 became a vocal supporter of the W. 97th St. project, testifying to the BSA in support of it. (NYDN)









On April 27, 2016 Real Deal Reported Kramer Levin's Berke Was the Lawyer for the Jewish Home Lifecare Development Two Days Later Real Deal Said Another Lawyer Was Handling the Case On May 6th the Daily News Reported That Berke Was the Lawyer for Both the Development and the Parking Lot That Was Part of the Project 
In a fight with Public School 163 parents — an Upper West Side school fighting to stop the owner of a toxic lot and developer who want to put a nursing home nearby — Kramer Levin represented both the owner of the W. 97th St. parking lot, PWV Owners LLC, and Jewish Home Lifecare, the nursing home group that wants to build the 20-story facility. (NY Daily News, (May 6th 2016) * Judge Says More Environmental Review Needed on UWS NursingHome (Manhattan Express)  According to Marty Rosenblatt, a neighbor who arranged for expert lead testing on the site, the mayor’s favor for the JHL project may stem from his close relations with Kramer Levin Naftalis and Frankel LLP, a law firm that represented JHL in the past and currently represents Joseph Chetrit, a real estate developer with a big investment in the 97th Street development being approved. In late 2011, Joseph Chetrit partnered with Larry Gluck of Stellar Management, who owns the parking lot on West 97th Street that would be replaced by the nursing home, to complete a land swap deal for JHL’s current campus on West 106th Street, which like the West 97th site is between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. Many observers believe Chetrit, a well-known developer, plans to construct a tall luxury condo development on JHL’s former campus.  Kramer Levin, Rosenblatt noted, represented JHL on the nursing home project during its appearances before the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals in 2015. (Manhattan Express)




















The NY Post Says The Fact That de Blasio Has Not Paid His Law Firm and They Are Lobbying Him for Their Clients Sets Up Some Shady Ways
The idea that the law firm is, in effect, extending him credit is troubling enough, since that can be seen as a “favor” — just as any lower-than-usual rates it charges would be. But how can a mayor up to his eyeballs in corruption probes try to keep such key info secret, especially when he insists he has done nothing wrong?  What makes the secretive deferred-payment deal particularly problematic is that the law firm, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, also lobbies city agencies on behalf of clients with business before the city. So de Blasio may return those favors in some shady way. (NYP)









Federal Rat Rechnitz Attended Fund Raiser At Kramer Levin Office in 2013
By Dec. 3, 2013, weeks before Mr. de Blasio took office, Mr. Rechnitz was sitting in a conference room packed with other potential donors at the Midtown law firm Kramer Levin. There, according to a person who also attended the meeting, the mayor spoke to the group before leaving the room. Those in attendance were then asked for contributions. (NY Times)

Kramer Levin Pushing Tall Building On Two Bridges Community and Protesters
Waterfront Developers Reject Demand for Longer CommunityEngagement Process (DNAINFO) Developers bringing three massive residential developments to the Two Bridges waterfront have rejected a demand from neighborhood representatives to allow more time for community engagement before the city kicks off its official review of the projects' anticipated impact, stating they believe it would be "counterproductive."  Kramer Levin Lobby for Two Bridges Associates Limited Partnership City Planning, Department of (DCP), City Planning Commission (CPC), Mayor, Office of the (OTM), Borough President - Manhattan, NYC Council Members, Community Boards * Out of the mouths of attorneys: Kramer Levin’s leaders onland use, rezoning (Real Deal) 

  Kramer Levin, whose real estate condo practice is co-headed by Jay Neveloff and Jonathan Canter, took the top spot in 2015, with seven projects valued at $7.3 billion, up 73 percent year-over-year.

Neveloff A Trump Attorney Runs the Real Estate Department for Kramer Levin
For those in the industry who lack close ties to Trump, there are numerous potential middlemen that could help gain access, sources say. One is Trump’s attorney Jay Neveloff, who heads the real estate department at Kramer Levin. Asked for comment, Neveloff said he is certain Trump will not be susceptible to special interests (Atlantic Yard Review).













List of Kramer Levin Clients That They They Lobbied de Blasio's City Hall List in Formation 

137 Centre Street, LLC
Roseland Development Associates, LLC
VIDEO: Roseland Ballroom Being Gutted to Make Way forApartment Tower
The Shubert Organization, Inc., Seaver Realty LLC, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, DH VERNON LLC. Lenox Terrace Development Associates  Lenox Terrace ResidentsFighting Against Proposed Commercial Rezoning (DNAINFO), Urban Strategic Partners, LLC, The Core Club 55th Street LLC, Douglaston Development, SJC 33 OWNER 2015, LLC, MIP One Wall Street Acquisition LLC, The Archdiocese of New York, South Street Seaport Limited Partnership, NY 70th St. LLC, Design Center Inc., 94th Street Property TIC, 172-174 East, LLC,   DH VERNON LLC, 771 Washington Street Investor LLC, 458 LLC, 137 Centre Street, LLC, Graduate Center Foundation Housing Corporation LIC, YWA-Amsterdam LLC, 21E12 LLC, 245 Fieldston LLC, RFR Holding Corp, MIP One Wall Street Acquisition LLC, DiamondRock Hospitality Limited Partnership for the benefit of DiamondRock NY LEX Owner, LLC., 249 W 28th Street Properties, LLC, Brickman 95 Morton LLC, The Archdiocese of New York, FPG Cobble Hill Acquisitions, LLC



Kramer and Levin is Pushing A Toxic Lot According to Judge Lobis Development On the Upper West Side
De Blasio’s law firm also represents controversial UWS developer he backed (Raw Deal, April 27, 2016) Kramer Levin is working on both the mayor’s corruption probe and Jewish Home Lifecare’s nursing home project The law firm aiding Mayor Bill de Blasio in his fight against a federal campaign finance investigation is also working with Jewish Home Lifecare, the developer of a controversial 20-story nursing home on the Upper West Side, which de Blasio has supported.The firm is working with JHL on its 97th Street project, in which the developer hopes, among other things, to dig up a lead-tainted parking lot adjacent to P.S. 163. Residents have fought the project for years. It passed an environmental review last year, but that review was vacated by the New York Supreme Court in December.  The developer is seeking to overturn that ruling. De Blasio’s office filed an amicus brief on that case in March. “That is an example of where the relationships bump into one another and it would be best to keep them apart,” *  Suit linked to mayor’s campaignc ontroversy could disrupt land-use rules (Real Deal April 29, 2016) The mayor’s office filed a friend of the court brief in favor of the developer, Jewish Home Lifecare, setting off accusations that de Blasio simply wanted to help out the law firm representing the developer, Kramer Levin. The firm is also representing de Blasio in the federal investigation into whether he funneled contributions to candidates in the 2014 state Senate election to avoid contribution limits. City officials told the website that Kramer Levin attorney and longtime de Blasio ally Barry Berke wasn’t involved in the lawsuit, though the firm does represent the developer in other matters. Greenberg Traurig is representing the developer in the lawsuit. The city’s brief claimed that the lawsuit could “upset the consistent and predictable process developed over decades by the city for reviewing potential environmental impacts of projects and programs throughout the city.” The brief argued that Supreme Court Justice Joan Lobis’ ruling in favor of the parents and students would “insert an arbitrary threshold for adequacy into the environmental review process.”  The appeals court is slated to hear the case in June

The Council Speaker Was Helped By the Nursing-Home in Her 2009 Campaign
Nursing-home associates donate to Mark-Viverito’s re-election (NYP)  Nearly two-dozen associates of an upper Manhattan nursing home donated to a City Council member’s re-election campaign after she got the facility a unique exemption from local construction rules.  A total of 17 trustees, four staff members, an associate and a lobbyist for Jewish Home and Hospital — many of whom don’t live in the city, let alone uptown — contributed to Melissa Mark-Viverito’s 2009 council campaign, online records show.  Their combined $7,825 in donations made up 10 percent of the total that Mark-Viverito — currently the front-runner for council speaker — raised for the race.  Many of their grants were matched with public funding at a rate of 6 to 1, making them worth much more.  While there’s no evidence Mark-Viverito’s campaign solicited the contributions, the donations all came after she got the nursing home the right to construct a building at 120 W. 106th St. that would exceed the height limit under a rezoning plan.  It was the only facility to get a carve-out after the center, now known as Jewish Home Lifecare, spent $100,000 on lobbying directed at council and community-board members.




True News Had Today's Daily News Story About de Blasio's Law Firm Making Millions Lobbying City Hall and Representing the Mayor For Free Two Weeks Ago 
Law firm's lobbying unit sees big income boost after deBlasio hires its attorneys for his corruption probe defense (NYDN) The same year Mayor de Blasio hired Kramer Levin Naftalis and Frankel to represent him in corruption probes, the law firm’s lobbying unit suddenly started raking in bigger bucks.  By the end of 2016, Kramer Levin reported receiving more than $3 million in revenue from its activities lobbying the city.  That put Kramer Levin on the Top 10 lobbyist list for the first time since 2013, the last year of the Bloomberg administration, when the firm reported $1.7 million in lobbying revenue.  In the last two years, Kramer Levin has reported lobbying the Office of the Mayor on behalf of dozens of clients, usually developers seeking zoning changes or tax breaks. In 2016 the firm made $3 million by pressing de Blasio’s team for 30 clients. The firm actually lobbied on behalf of more clients in 2015 — 39 — but made less money, under $2 million, records show.  Neither the mayor nor the law firm would discuss the figures, which were made public last week by the city clerk’s office. Both have said in the past that the firm keeps the two activities separate, so there’s no conflict.The mayor first revealed in March 2016 that Kramer Levin partner Barry Berke, a prominent criminal defense lawyer, would represent him personally in investigations that were then beginning to surface in public.Berke had sponsored a fund-raiser for the mayor at the firm’s office in 2013, and then served as de Blasio’s campaign treasurer in 2014.  His job was to steer the mayor through the shifting waters of investigations by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics (J-COPE).  Bharara is examining whether de Blasio and his team did favors for donors to the mayor’s now defunct nonprofit, Campaign for One New York. The Daily News found that at least $3 million of the $4.3 million he raised came from people doing business with his administration.  Some of Kramer Levin’s clients have donated to the campaign, including DDG, a developer who wrote a $10,000 check to the mayor’s group eight days after the city Bureau of Standards & Appeals approved a zoning change for his proposed Tribeca luxury condo.



Last month, de Blasio revealed he’s been getting legal bills from the firm since last year, but they’ve agreed he can defer payment until he sets up a fund-raising committee to pay what he owes.  It’s unclear how large the tab is from the high-priced firm because de Blasio has refused to disclose the amount. His press secretary, Eric Phillips, did not respond to questions about the status of the legal defense fund or whether de Blasio has begun soliciting donations.  That means that for the last year, a law firm that regularly lobbies the mayor’s office on behalf of private sector clients was effectively representing the mayor for free.  Good-government watchdogs have criticized the whole arrangement, noting that de Blasio will face even more conflict-of-interest issues if he seeks donations from entities whom do business with the city.  De Blasio has said there is no conflict because Kramer Levin is able to keep its lobbying of his office separate from its representation of him.  And the mayor promises to disclose donations, though he wouldn’t commit to avoiding the solicitation of entities that do business with the city.
de Blasio Lobbyist Law Firm Makes Millions Off of CityHall Works in the Mayor's Criminal Case for Free (True News)
The Pay to Play Conflict of Interests of de Blasio'sCriminal Law Firm in the Federal and State Investigation That Also Lobby's Himfor Developers




de Blasio Hoist By His Own Petard on Paying His Lawyers 

De Blasio's plan to pay for legal defense is illegal, board rules (NYP) The city’s Conflicts of Interest Board dealt a major blow to Mayor de Blasio on Wednesday — ruling that his plan to form a legal defense fund to pay for legal bills was against the law. “The board has concluded that contributions to legal defense funds are no different from gifts directly to the public servant,” wrote board chair Richard Briffault.  That means donations to a legal defense fund are limited to $50 per individual — except for family members, who can contribute as much as they want. Hizzoner had earlier announced that he would form the fund and seek donations from supporters to pay for hefty legal bills resulting from separate state and federal probes into his fundraising. While not mentioning the mayor by name, the board issued the ruling after it “received requests for advice from public servants to help establish legal defense funds.” Both the Manhattan DA’s office and the US Attorney’s office announced earlier this month that the mayor would not be charged as a result of their investigations. But de Blasio still faces huge legal bills, since his lawyers have been working for months to get him off the hook.  Comptroller Scott Stringer had advised the mayor to seek guidance from the board on how to structure the defense fund — but it was unclear whether de Blasio requested the ruling.  De Blasio’s camp previously put out a statement saying “no taxpayer dollars will be used to fund the Mayor’s individual compliance with these reviews.”  The legal expenses of mayoral aides who were also under investigation are being covered by taxpayers to the tone of $11.6 million. Last month, de Blasio said the legal defense fund was his only option to pay the legal since he’s not rich. “We have to do that. It’s the only way,” the mayor said at the time. “I inform you again that I am not a billionaire like my predecessor. There’s no way I can possibly cover these fees personally.” He hasn’t disclosed what he owes.* De Blasio Stymied in Attempt to Pay Legal Fees With Donations (NYT) A city agency capped donations to the mayor’s planned legal defense fund to cover legal bills he incurred during inquiries into his fund-raising practices.* DeBlasio’s legal defense fund-raising suffers blow as city board rules eachdonation cannot exceed $50 (NYDN) * De Blasio’s price to pay for his fundraisingescapade (NYDN Ed) * It is poetic justice that to pay the lawyers who defended his unethical scheme of raising money in massive sums, de Blasio will have to go begging, collecting less than $50 at a time, the Daily News writes.   * It is poetic justice that to pay the lawyers who defended his unethical scheme of raising money in massive sums, de Blasio will have to go begging, collecting less than $50 at a time, the Daily News writes.  * De Blasio should just bite the bullet and send taxpayers his legal bill (NYP Ed) * In the wake of the city Conflicts of Interest Board decision limiting donations to de Blasio’s legal defense fund to $50 per person, the mayor has no choice but to bite the bullet and charge the taxpayers, and he might as well admit it, the Post writes.
de Blasio Lobbyist Law Firm Makes Millions Off of CityHall Works in the Mayor's Criminal Case for Free (True News)
The Pay to Play Conflict of Interests of de Blasio'sCriminal Law Firm in the Federal and State Investigation That Also Lobby's Himfor Developers

de Blasio Under Investigation for Pay to Play Will Not Commit to Banning His Legal Contributions From People Who Do Business With the City
De Blasio cagey about details of his legal defense fund (NYP)  de Blasio on Tuesday would not commit to banning contributions from people who do business with the city when he launches a legal defense fund to deal with multiple investigations. He also wouldn’t say whether he’ll take Comptroller Scott Stringer’s advice and seek guidance from the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board on the proper structure of the fund.  “We will set up a clear standard that is fair and avoids a conflict, but I am not going to go into details because that will take a lot of work and a lot of hours to figure out what is the right way to do things,” he told reporters at an unrelated press conference in Manhattan.  The mayor has also said he has yet to pay a single bill to his lawyer, Barry Berke at Kramer Levin, even though he was retained in April.  Republican mayoral candidate Paul Massey has seized on that arrangement in calling for an investigation — and he hit de Blasio again Tuesday at a press conference outside City Hall. “Bill de Blasio is corrupt and New Yorkers deserve to know how deep the rot is at City Hall,” said Massey, a real estate executive. “It’s not a rumor or an accusation, it’s a fact.”  The mayor has insisted that he followed legal guidance in all of his fundraising efforts, which are under investigating by the US Attorney and the Manhattan DA







de Blasio Refuses to Disclose How He Will Pay His 

Lawyer Lobbyist Kramer and Levin

On Fake News NY1 Last Night de Blasio Was Not Asked One Question About the Corruption Investigation or How He Will Pay His Lawyers 
de Blasio declined to provide details about the legal defense fund he plans to set up amid state and federal investigations of his administration and fundraising activities, saying the parameters have yet to be finalized
De Blasio won't give details on legal-defense funds (NYP) Mayor de Blasio declined to provide details Tuesday about the legal-defense fund he plans to set up amid state and federal investigations of his administration and fund-raising activities.  Asked at an unrelated press conference in Brooklyn how the fund would work and whether he’d impose donation limits, Hizzoner said the parameters have yet to be finalized.  De Blasio was also asked whether such a fund would open him up to criticism that he’s relying on donations to pay for the legal defense of investigations into his prior fund-raising.  “It’s the only way — it’s a perfectly well-established mechanism — it’s the only way to put together the resources to pay for something like this,” he said.The mayor has committed to disclosing the donors to such a fund, which government watchdogs have warned could be on shaky ethical ground.   City taxpayers have chipped in as much as $11.6 million for the defense of mayoral aides who have been caught up in the probes, while the mayor’s 2013 campaign committee has paid $283,000 to defend campaign workers.





Stringer Calls for Conflict of Interests Board Review of the Mayor's Legal Defense Fund

City Controller Scott Stringer says Mayor de Blasio needs Conflicts ofInterest Board to clear legal defense fund (NYDN)  Mayor de Blasio should get conflict-of-interest clearance from the city over his plan to raise legal defense funds, city Controller Scott Stringer said Wednesday.  Last March, de Blasio retained Kramer Levin Naftalis to handle three investigations of his fund-raising tactics. The firm — which regularly lobbies City Hall — deferred payment until he forms a committee to raise funds to pay what he owes.  

Stringer, who Wednesday declined to say whether he’ll run against de Blasio, said the mayor needs the Conflict Of Interest Board to sign off on this fund.  “The mayor has to spend time figuring out the way to ensure that there is no perceived or potential conflict of interest with a lobbying firm that is also the law firm working on the mayor's behalf,” Stringer said.  The mayor’s press secretary, Eric Phillips, took a shot at Stringer, saying it’s impossible to know if COIB advice is necessary because the fund isn’t yet formed.  “There are not even prospective protocols to sort through, much less solicit legal or regulatory guidance on,” he said. “The controller has earned a reputation for not knowing what he's talking about because of criticism just like this.”* De Blasio backs law firm in fight over tainted land nearschool (NYDN)



GOP Mayoral Candidate Sents Letter to Feds and Manhattan DA to Investigatge de Blasio's Legal Fund
Paul Massey demands probe of de Blasio's legal representation (NYP) Republican mayoral candidate Paul Massey is formally demanding the Manhattan DA US attorney probe Mayor de Blasio’s legal representation, describing it as “an arrangement no ordinary person or business entity could secure.”  Massey, a real-estate developer, sent letters to District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and US Attorney Preet Bharara on Friday.  Massey requested the offices “determine whether a thing of value, an illegal campaign contribution, or a failure by the mayor to pay lawfully rendered bills represents a violation of criminal law, the New York City Charter, or New York State ethics laws.”  De Blasio, who’s facing investigations by Vance and Bharara over his fund-raising, is using the law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel to represent him, but has not yet paid any of its bills. His spokesmen refused to say whether the mayor signed a retainer agreement with the firm last week, but said de Blasio plans to set up a legal-defense fund to pay the bills.  Government watchdogs have also criticized the arrangement because of the relative lack of scrutiny legal defense funds receive.  Unlike a campaign account, such funds are not subject to disclosure requirements.  More than a week ago, de Blasio spokesman Eric Phillips issued a “fact sheet” that offered a vague outline of how payments would be handled.











de Blasio Counting On Deep Pocket Contributors to CONY PAC Under Federal Investigation That He A Target Of To Also Pay for His Legal Bills 
Is de Blasio Using Tax Payer $$$ to Pay for His Aids Lawyers to Keep Them From Ratting On Him?
De Blasio’s dubious plan for paying his lawyers (NYP Ed)  It’s come to this: Mayor de Blasio says he’ll do fund-raising down the line to pay the lawyers representing him in all those corruption probes into . . . his fund-raising, and possible favor-selling.  He’s spending $11.7 million in public funds on outside lawyers for several top aides also caught up in the investigations. But for the cash for his own attorneys, the mayor now says he’ll handle things through a legal defense fund or a future fund-raising event.  To which, presumably, the usual fat cats will give, with the usual expectation (at least) of return favors down the line. So the public can still end up paying . . .  It boggles the mind. The mayor seems to think he can convince US Attorney Preet Bharara that everything was kosher. But if that doesn’t work, he just might blame one of those aides.  Could that be top confidante Emma Wolfe? The Post’s Michael Gartland reports she’s been noticeably absent from key City Hall meetings for four months. Political intrigue aside, de Blasio’s Campaign For One New York was set up to operate outside of city campaign-finance rules. That meant it could — and did — accept money from people doing business with the city, who didn’t exactly suffer from having written big checks.  Which raises the next big question: Will such people be banned from donating to a legal-defense fund? That could get tricky — since it sure looks like the mayor is going to need a lot of deep-pocketed “supporters.”
de Blasio Legal Fees to Be Paid for by the Same Deep Pocket Developers That Funded CONY Now Under Federal Investigation







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