PARKING METERS ARE A GATEWAY ETHICAL VIOLATION

Parking meters are a gateway ethical violation

I hate to say: I told you so, but I TOLD YOU SO!

I told you Janet DiFiore had a problem.

The first example of it was her insistence on parking in front of the J-JOKE building. She couldn’t be bothered with putting coins in the parking meter.

When I flagged this, some people said: “Aw, come on. It’s not a big deal. Why are you picking on her?”

Those people (and DiFiore herself) missed the point: If you’re the top ethics enforcement officer in the state, you need to set an example and obey all the laws.

But even after her scofflaw status was revealed, DiFiore continued to park in the same spot without feeding the meter. She kept on doing it, even though there is a public parking lot right across the street.

This said something about her – not only does she have an air of entitlement, she’s defiant, too.

Now comes a story in the New York Post that she has a major nanny problem. It’s the same syndrome -- entitlement and defiance – all over again.

Who in public life, in this day and age, has a nanny problem? Isn’t it well established that you have to play by the rules because someone is going to check? If you’re not going to do it because it’s the right thing – do it out of self-preservation.

But DiFiore’s nanny problem is special. She didn’t just forgot to file proper employment forms – that’s the sin of omission that tripped up prominent people in the past. She actually appears to have engineered a scam. According to the Post, she is alleged to have prevailed upon county officials to pay welfare to her nanny. This is at the same time the nanny is working in her house.

Is that ethical? Is that legal?

We’re not talking about some trailer park broad here (with all due respect to trailer park residents and broads). We’re talking about the woman who serves as both Westchester County DA and chair of the J-JOKE.

We’re not talking mistake in judgment here. This isn’t: “Oops, I forgot to put a quarter in the parking meter.”

This speaks to a person’s character and suitability for a position of trust and authority.

This is a reflection on ethics enforcement and law enforcement.

I wonder if she disclosed the liability on her financial disclosure report?  I don’t know because J-JOKE has not released those reports to me although I FOILed them on May 16^th.  I wonder if this is a coincidence?

I also wonder how the State Police that did her background check missed this.  Or did they?  Can you imagine a nannygate and a troopergate in one scandal?

This is when we find out whether the powers that be in this state care whether JCOPE is J-JOKE or not.