Politics & Government

Corruption Scandal Rocks Both of NY's Major Parties

High-ranking Democrats and Republicans charged in federal investigation of efforts to buy Republican Party nomination, rig public land deal.

Both of New York State's major political parties today were rocked by scandal as federal prosecutors revealed corruption charges that included an effort to buy the Republican nomination in the New York City mayoral race and broker an illicit land deal that would directly benefit a suburban mayor.

FBI agents today arrested a high-ranking state Senator from Queens, a New York City councilman who is an ex-cop, the Republican Party chairman from Bronx, the GOP No. 2 man in Queens and the mayor and the deputy mayor of the Village of Spring Valley in Rockland County.

The impact of the Bronx party boss' arrest was also felt in Westchester, where he has a law firm in White Plains, and in Rockland, where he has a home and has been the subject of a long-running dispute over his hiring by the Town of Clarkstown to provide legal services.

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"Today is another sad and disappointing day for every New Yorker who hasn’t yet given up on the dream of honest government," said Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "The charges we unseal today demonstrate, once again, that a show-me-the-money culture seems to pervade every level of New York government."

Bharara described the charges revealed today as "an unappetizing smorgasbord of graft and greed involving six officials who together built a corridor of corruption stretching from Queens and the Bronx to Rockland County and all the way up to Albany itself."

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State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Westchester, said this afternoon she found the allegations "deeply disturbing."

"The alleged activity represents an unacceptable and outrageous violation of the public trust for which there should be no place in our government," she said. "I agree wholeheartedly with United States Attorney Preet Bharara that public corruption is a problem for all New York citizens that must be confronted and rooted out.” 

At the heart of the scandal: Powerful state Sen. Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, who is accused of seeking the New York City's mayor's seat through bribery of political officials in the Bronx and Queens. The bribery, according to a 28-page federal complaint based on a confidential witness and undercover FBI agents, included efforts by Smith to support a corrupt land deal involving the Spring Valley mayor and deputy mayor.

The six elected and political officials arrested today were to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in White Plains this afternoon following their arrests this morning on charges including bribery, extortion, and wire and mail fraud.

Here are the players in the scandal:

Smith: He's chairman of the Independent Democratic Conference in the state Senate and represents a district in Queens. He was elected to the Senate in 2000 and has been repeatedly re-elected. He has been Senate minority leader, majority leader, president pro tempore and acting lieutenant governor under former Gov. David Patterson. 

Smith serves on the Senate Transportation Committee and is vice chairman of the Finance Committee.

NYC Councilman Daniel J. Halloran: He was elected to the City Council representing a section of Queens in 2009. A former New York City police officer, Halloran ran for Congress in 2012.

Joseph "Jay" Savino: Chairman of the Bronx County Republican Party. He is an attorney with a firm in White Plains and he has a home in Congers. His hiring by the Town of Clarkstown as outside council to handle property tax court cases sparked controversy in the town, with the appointment coming under scrutiny by local residents who questioned Savino's qualifications. Today, Clarkstownsevered its ties with Savino.

Vincent Tabone: Vice Chairman of the Queens County Republican Party. 

Noramie Jasmin: Mayor of Spring Valley. She became mayor in 2009 and was hailed as the first Haitian woman mayor in New York State.

Joseph Desmaret: He has been Spring Valley's deputy mayor since 2009.

"All told, $80,000 in cash was promised or paid to Bronx Republican party leader Joseph Savino and Queens leader Vincent Tabone," Bharara said. The cash was designed to have them obtain documents that would give Smith, a Democrat, the Republican Party's cross-endorsement in his bid for mayor.

Bharara said that Smith also promised - to businessmen who turned out to be undercover agents - to direct $500,000 in state funding to support an illicit real estate project in Spring Valley. The complaint goes on to allege that Noramie Jasmin and Joseph Desmaret – the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Spring Valley – corruptly approved the sale of the property in Spring Valley at the request of the undercover agent and the cooperating witness. Desmaret accepted more than $10,000 in cash bribes in exchange for his vote in favor of the sale.

In exchange for her vote, Jasmin allegedly demanded to be a secret, part-owner in the company that purchased the property from Spring Valley. The property was supposed to be for a community center.


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