New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have long had a cozy political relationship.
But in the face of a growing corruption scandal linked to de Blasio, Clinton may be scrambling to distance herself soon.
The Associated Press is reporting that after a successful attack on corruption in New York’s state government, the hard-charging federal prosecutor in Manhattan appears to have set his sights on New York City.
Over the past few weeks, a series of loosely related public corruption investigations coordinated by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara have spilled into public view, with targets including high-ranking New York Police Department officials, the union representing city jail guards, and the political fundraising activities of several people with ties to New York City’s mayor.
Already an embarrassment to the nation’s largest police department, it remains unclear whether the widening probes could do damage to City Hall.
So far, nine police officials, including four deputy chiefs, have been transferred or stripped of their guns and badges as internal affairs detectives and FBI agents examine whether officers accepted gifts and trips from businessmen in exchange for police escorts, special parking privileges and other favors.
And in recent weeks, the evolving probe has turned to campaign financing practices that have long been scrutinized by good government groups.
An animal welfare group that has been lobbying de Blasio to ban carriage horses from city streets confirmed Friday that it had received a subpoena from federal prosecutors seeking documents related to its fundraising efforts for a nonprofit group created to advance the mayor’s policy agenda.
After a criminal referral to prosecutors from the state Board of Elections office, other subpoenas sought records related to hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations solicited by the mayor’s campaign that were rerouted to upstate Democrats running for the state Senate.
Separately, federal agents operated a wiretap that captured the conversations of two businessmen, Jona Rechnitz and Jeremy Reichberg, who were friends with two top police officials and served on de Blasio’s inaugural committee in 2013 and contributed to his campaign, two law enforcement officials said.
Investigators want to know whether they have been offered any official favors in exchange for donations, according to the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss an ongoing case.
De Blasio, a Democrat, has not been accused of any specific wrongdoing and his campaign organization has said it operated within the laws. His campaign lawyer, Laurence Laufer, on Sunday wrote a letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press, to the Board of Elections, accusing the group of selective, politically-motivated enforcement and leaking confidential investigative material to the media.
The developments have created the perception that a city that was thought to have rid itself of everyday corruption might be slipping back into the bad old days.
“If you can find a corrupt mayor of New York City, holy moly, that’s a big prize,” said Jennifer Rodgers, a former federal prosecutor who now heads the Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity at Columbia Law School.
Several parts of the multifaceted probe had their origins in an FBI investigation of suspicious financial transactions involving a Harlem liquor store.
Campaign financing wasn’t on FBI agents’ minds in 2013 when they were alerted to a series of large transfers and deposits in multiple bank accounts held by a small wholesale liquor business in Harlem, the law enforcement officials said.
Ultimately, investigators concluded that a Harlem restaurant owner was using the accounts to run a $12 million Ponzi scheme, in which Rechnitz and Reichberg were investors.
The investigators continued to scrutinize the finances of the businessmen, who have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the mayor’s campaign and advocacy efforts. Authorities also learned that the pair had cultivated a relationship with Norman Seabrook, the powerful head of the 9,000-member jail guard union, and Phillip Banks III, formerly the top-ranking uniformed officer at the police department. The men all visited Israel together in 2014.
A federal subpoena issued to the union last year and reviewed by the AP has sought records detailing the flow of funds from Seabrook’s union into a company controlled by Rechnitz, JSR Capital, and into other businesses.
A lawyer for Banks declined to comment. Seabrook and a lawyer for Rechnitz didn’t return messages. Calls to numbers listed for Reichberg rang unanswered.
Wiretaps in that probe led to a broader examination of the cozy relationship between high-ranking police and the city’s Orthodox Jewish community, the officials said.
In a related case, a member of a neighborhood patrol in an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn was caught in a wiretapped conversation bragging that he had used connections in the NYPD to get over 150 gun licenses for people without required background checks, according to court papers charging him last week with bribery and conspiracy.
Bharara, the federal prosecutor, has been mum on the details of the investigations, but vowed in a recent speech to continue his efforts, in both state and city government.
“Executive offices in government,” he said, “are far from immune from a creeping show-me-the-money culture that has been pervading New York for some time now.”
Hillary doing what she is good at (CORRUPTION).
Right, Chuck Parsons??? Isn’t there ENOUGH evidence now and from the past that this broad should be indicted, if for nothing else, for LIEING to the Senate Committee, at least 3 times??
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are in a bar. Donald leans over, and with a smile on his face, says,
“The media are really tearing you apart for That Scandal.”
Hillary: “You mean my lying about Benghazi?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “You mean the massive voter fraud?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “You mean the military not getting their votes counted?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “Using my secret private server with classified material to
hide my Activities?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “The NSA monitoring our phone calls, emails and everything else?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “Using the Clinton Foundation as a cover for tax evasion, hiring cronies, and taking bribes from foreign countries?
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “You mean the drones being operated in our own country without The Benefit of the law?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “Giving 123 Technologies $300 Million, and right afterward it declared Bankruptcy and was sold to the Chinese?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “You mean arming the Muslim Brotherhood and hiring them in the White House?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “Whitewater, Watergate committee, Vince Foster, commodity deals?”
Trump: “No the other one:”
Hillary: “The IRS targeting conservatives?”
Trump: “No the other one:”
Hillary: “Turning Libya into chaos?”
Trump: “No the other one:”
Hillary: “Trashing Mubarak, one of our few Muslim friends?”
Trump: “No the other one:”
Hillary: “Turning our backs on Israel?”
Trump: “No the other one:”
Hillary: “The joke Iran Nuke deal? ”
Trump: “No the other one:”
Hillary: “Leaving Iraq in chaos? ”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “The DOJ spying on the press?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “You mean HHS Secretary Sibelius shaking down health insurance Executives?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “Giving our cronies in SOLYNDRA $500 MILLION DOLLARS and 3 Months Later they declared bankruptcy and then the Chinese bought it?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “The NSA monitoring citizens’ ?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “The State Department interfering with an Inspector General investigation on departmental sexual misconduct?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “Me, The IRS, Clapper and Holder all lying to Congress?”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “Threats to all of Bill’s former mistresses to keep them quiet”
Trump: “No, the other one.”
Hillary: “You means taking the $145,000,000.00 from Putin for the Uranium Bribe ? “
Trump : “ No the other one .”
Hillary: “I give up! … Oh wait, I think I’ve got it! When I stole the White House furniture, silverware and china when Bill left Office?”
Trump: “Darn – I almost forgot about that one”.
Everything above is true. Yet she still gets the Democratic votes. Could there be that many stupid people in this country?
Does anyone understand this??? If not, I think we’re doomed!
Great post Juan and all accurate. To answer your question — Yes, looking at the people backing her, I’d say there are that many stupid, corrupt on the take people in this country.
Juan Two Three,
That made my day!!!!!
OH MY!!!! So true, and you know when you’re a liar….it’s really hard to figure which one is hurting you!!!!
In this case….THEY ARE ALL HURTING HER…..I thought she was supposed to be smart….looks good and stupid to me!!!
It seems some (most?) people born after 1960 have lost some of their elders moral values and history.
I could not have said this any better myself —“Great Post” and all true but you left out one her lesbian lover her chief Deputy love __Huma to busy playing sex games to send aid to the four Americans that died in Benghazi—her response stand down I’m to busy right now and why she is allowed to run is the most crooked government in history–during the time Obama was making his famous play ball with his putt putt which was also a crooked fraud campaign and they both blamed it on a video and a protest which was neither only lies just a plain out planned terrorist attack ..I saw the movie the 13th hour Benghazi and now I’m reading the book which goes into more detail than the movie as to what happen..this attack could have been prevented had they sent the help that was needed instead of the stand down order.just about everyone in government has become crooked,all need to be exposed for their corruption but if it was one of us peons you can bet we would be the first to go to jail we are corrupted and did wrong.this is what elected politican’s has become
You gathering the perfect example of all the evidenace of what Hillary Clinton committed the scandle criminal and wrongdoing since she and her husband Bill running the President office….
The Clinton family are nothing but trouble and problematic one after the other for 8 years and then Hillary taking over Bill spot and she created even more problems with the Government Official and being Secretary of State…..She can and WILL do much more damage our country and perhaps destory America by giving more Executive order (Like Obama) and taking in POWER and dismantle America as she follow Brack Obama Example….. I really like to see Civil War in our own country and start Killing each other…., because, this is what going to happen. That way I will know the right truth and say I told you so….. I may not be right…..?, But I never wrong.
At least she hasn’t abused young boys under her care like some politicians on the other side of the political divide have done. Oh wait … no doubt the Republican smear machine will accuse her of that too along with all the other fabricated items of Juan Two Three’s voluminous list.
And at least Russia’s Putin hasn’t recommended her – she’d clean his slate soon enough !
By clean Putin’s clock, did you mean steal it from the Kremlin? As to not abusing boys, she doesn’t like them enough to abuse them, besides she’s too busy abusing Bill’s harem.
I think we are doomed anyhow Cruz annoucing his VP before even being placed in the race for the Presidency. If Hillary gets elected and not arrested this country as a whole has already lost.
Birds of a feather flock together. There is not enough jail space for all the corrupt politicians that should be in jail, including Obama.
Do we still have a CONSTITUTION ? It appears that corruption rules ! The whole DEM. party is corrupt . SO WHAT !!!!! Who has the balls to do anything like file charges and prosecute ? People are scared to do or to say anything. It is like the people are OK with this idea of outlaw politics. People like to be associated with scum bags such as the Clintons or are they afraid they will have an ACCIDENTAL fatally. The Clintons, DeBlasio, Bloombergs and others are corrupt slime, like this is a status thing to say , YES ! I voted for ………… It won’t save your life if they don’t like you ,,,,,, you’re dead meat !!!!
The entire Clinton family have proven to the world that they are Super-Predators operating in the name of the American people. This family of Super-Predators should be brought to heel for tainting the American brand. The rapist, ex-President, Bill “Shit-House” Clinton & Hillary Rotten Clinton along with Webster Hubbell’s daughter, Chelsea, should be tried in a court of law for swindling the American people., the proof is in the Audit of the Clinton Foundation. The Children Fund. These predatory Clintons are a fecal stain on the Continental American Flag, the flag without the gold border. Long Live The Continental American Constitution and the Law-of-the-land
Jesus preserve us, more Demo-cockroaches popping up! Are these the people you want to govern?
Preet, don’t forget the NYS office of court administration and the corrupt buying of judgeships and high paying nonjudicial jobs in NYC
When you’re a “Total A _ _ hole” you only associate with like minded people – makes perfect sense to me.
The democrats are the scum of the earth and are in bed with Satan. They all need to be executed. NOW!!
HAHAHAHA — Can’t wait to see the ending of this story. deblasio is certainly not above corruption with his dealings with clinton and obozo.
Hillary has a talent for hanging with the wrong crowd. Part of the reason is that Bill and Hillary Clinton are the wrong crowd. I’m always amazed to read the stories of the rampant corruption among Democrat politicians. Many of these same politicians claim to be looking out for the people. In reality they are only looking out for themselves. The politicians are great at pandering to gullible voters but the Democrats never fixes anything. The only lives that are ever improved by Democrat rule are the lives of the politicians and their cronies.
When Trump gets in office they will all get a free orange jumpsuit wardrobe free with free meals and lodging. Time to change the way things are do in this great country. Remember that he has 4 years and if he doesn’t do what he says we can put in someone else. It’s up to us And this is a start.
Imagine that! A Democrat big-city mayor involved in a corruption case! And some friends of the Clinton crime family may also be involved!
Add some extra cells to the jail, boys.
When is she going to Jail for all the CORRUPTION? Only those in Government can get away with what she did.The laws don’t apply to those in Government. Do as they want show you CORRUPTION in Government. Wealthy People run Government the way they want to and get away with what they want to. Those in Government should be accountable for what they do. The laws should apply to them just like ever day American People like us that the laws apply to. Government is so corrupt Wealthy people getting more Wealthy on the back of the working American People.
Yeah Jeff it’s too bad that the government changed the way democracy was supposed to be. It started out good at the beginning. We the people for the people. Now it’s we the government for the government. Screw the people as bad as we can and get away with it. Greedy bastards.
If she distance herself it won’t be because she’s any better. She’s just as corrupted. Two peas in a pod. Oh, I’m sorry three peas in a pod. I forgot about slick Willie and I don’t use the term loosely. The only reason she wants to distance her self is so that people might not connect them as both being corrupted. I pray to God that she doesn’t win the presidency. God help us if she does.
They all make me sick! Time to rid our administration, the whole damn works, especially the democruds!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDbCwFm1Cmo
How could anybody like them?
Wow! Both he and his demon wife are as corrupt as they come!
Some of this I knew about but,
I had no idea of the depth and the scope of their corruption!!
Now we know why they are trying to stop Trump so bad!
He might put the Clintons prison for good
This should be put on TV and pass it on all over the U.S.A.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDbCwFm1Cmo