I just got done listening to Ex Governor Patterson interview Casey Seiler of the Albany Times Union, and heard a truly startling admission, accusation and/or fabrication from the ex gov regarding Inspector General Joe Fisch, the disgraced ex executive director of the old Public Integrity Commission Herb Teitelbaum, the disgraced ex chairman of the Public Integrity Commission John Feerick and indictments.
You can listen here http://wor710.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=6031019 at the five minute mark.
Patterson claims Joe Fisch wanted to indict Herb Teitelbaum and two other PIC members for their role in troopergate but that Patterson talked him out of it in return for the entire PIC board resigning.
And while I certainly think that should have happened the IG doesn't have the power to indict and the governor when given the opportunity in 2010 to sign legislation that would have eliminated PIC and those members he had asked to resign vetoed it instead.
Combine those facts with Patterson's well deserved reputation for being willing to tell a white lie or two and you end up with a good story but not much else.
But it's not too late maybe JJOKE can listen to the interview and hold an emergency meeting to revisit the old PIC crimes and vote for a substantial basis investigation.
Oh wait I forgot JJOKE doesn't answer to that governor's pronouncements.
can you tell the difference between Rob Cohen and Cosmo Kramer?
monkeeys
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
JOKE calls emergency meeting
Another day another emergency JJOKE meeting.
A source deep inside government has leaked to the APOCALYPSE that an emergency meeting will be held shortly to vote to begin a substantial basis investigation into recent statements in the New York Times attributed to JJOKE commissioner Marvin Jacobs that "the governor’s warning that he might investigate on his own. . . .was “coercive and threatening,” ".
Ellen Biben, the JJOKE Executive Director, is expected to present compelling evidence collected by good government advocates Susan Lerner and Dick Dadey that Mr. Jacob's statement when combined with a recent press release attributed to the governor's office amount to a potential violation of the Public Officers Law.
In related news the Inspector General has begun an investigation to determine who from JJOKE leaked recent stories to the New York Post and the New York Times
Now if you believed the last three paragraphs could possibly be true than there is hope that JCOPE can restore the public's faith in integrity . . if you don't then it is time to get rid of the existing staff at JJOKE and start over.
A source deep inside government has leaked to the APOCALYPSE that an emergency meeting will be held shortly to vote to begin a substantial basis investigation into recent statements in the New York Times attributed to JJOKE commissioner Marvin Jacobs that "the governor’s warning that he might investigate on his own. . . .was “coercive and threatening,” ".
Ellen Biben, the JJOKE Executive Director, is expected to present compelling evidence collected by good government advocates Susan Lerner and Dick Dadey that Mr. Jacob's statement when combined with a recent press release attributed to the governor's office amount to a potential violation of the Public Officers Law.
In related news the Inspector General has begun an investigation to determine who from JJOKE leaked recent stories to the New York Post and the New York Times
Now if you believed the last three paragraphs could possibly be true than there is hope that JCOPE can restore the public's faith in integrity . . if you don't then it is time to get rid of the existing staff at JJOKE and start over.
Monday, September 10, 2012
JJOKE votes unanimously to investigate . . . .
JJOKE has announced that they voted unanimously to authorize a substantial basis investigation. Into who or what? we have no clue.
WOW that really restored the publics confidence in JJOKE.
Now because I am a competitive newsperson I want to report first on what JJOKE voted unanimously to investigate.
So in no particular order here you go based on prior leaks (we have to wait for tomorrow's news stories for the latest leaks) and good old fashioned investigative reporting
JJOKE is investigating . . . VITO LOPEZ
JJOKE is investigating . . . SHIRLY HUNTLEY
JJOKE is investigating . . . SHELDON SILVER
JJOKE is investigating . . . TOM DINAPOLI
JJOKE is investigating . . . TOM LIBOUS
JJOKE is investigating . . . THE ASSEMBLY
JJOKE is investigating . . . THE COMPTROLERS OFFICE
JJOKE is investigating . . . NAOMI RIVERA
JJOKE is investigating . . . ELLIOT SPITZER (for the use of the state plane to hook up with the whore)
JJOKE is investigating . . . JOE BRUNO (why not all those old legislative ethics cases are now fair game)
JJOKE is investigating . . . DARREN DOPP (once a punching bag always a punching bag)
JJOKE is investigating . . . HIRAM MONTSERRATE (if they can do sex abuse they can do domestic violance)
JJOKE is investigating . . . PEDRO ESPADA (this one is easy)
JJOKE is investigating . . . RAVI BATRA (you have to blame someone for the leaks and you can always blame the dead)
JJOKE is investigating . . . ME (not yet but I'm sure Biben would love to)
Lets see tomorrow which one gets leaked.
And in related news - JJOKE has announced that the narrow legal issue (Marvin Jacob's description) or complex legal issue (Mitra Hormozi's description) from the last meeting is actually just a "generic" issue.
JJOKE starting to look like the Godfather saga
I’m going to blame some
of the people in this room
Was it only me or was
Marvin Jacob channeling Vito Corleone during the latest JJOKE meeting.
For those of you who did
not see it Marvin interrupted the Chairwomen as she attempted to request a
motion to move into executive session as JJOKE usually does and made a motion
of his own . . . to do as I suggested several postings ago and hold the JJOKE
session in public. (it’s nice to know
someone at JJOKE reads the blog and yes Marvin when you take my advice I praise
you in the blog)
After some legal twists
and turns the Governor’s appointees with some republican help voted down
Marvin’s inspired motion and instead agreed to release the results of any vote
held in executive session.
I can’t wait does that
mean JJOKE is going to release ALL of its prior secret votes? Or only those
that the majority want to?
There is a fascinating
dynamic evolving at JJOKE it seems to me that Biben has lost control over a
significant block of support.
When you combine what was
said in today’s public session with what Ravi disclosed it seems clear to me
that what is going on is a dispute about what staff has done prior to
commission approval of a substantial basis investigation vote.
If I had to guess I’d
say the issue boils down to Biben sending litigation hold letters (as
disclosed by the NY Post) to the Assembly the AG and the Comptroller without a
commission vote. And at the last meeting
she got serious pushback on a request to move ahead with an investigation of
the Assembly. But that’s purely a guess.
After JJOKE releases its
vote we should be able to put some more pieces together.
And in case you are not
familiar with Vito Corleone in the original Godfather Vito meets with the other
mob bosses around an ornate conference table and tells them that he can forgive
people for the death of his eldest son Santino but if anything happens to his
son Michael he is going to hold some of the people in the room responsible and
that he will not forgive.
All I could think about
watching Marvin was that while he is unhappy about the leaks at JJOKE if it
happens again he is going to hold people at JJOKE responsible and that he will
not forgive.
All that is missing is a
dead fish.
Friday, September 7, 2012
WHAT CAN I SAY OTHER THAN I TOLD YOU SO
Is there any doubt that JJOKE needs to be replaced?
Just add Biben and DiFiore to the junk heap of digraced former ethics enforcers and move on and try again
A tweak here and a tweak there add some self serving BS from the goo goos about ethics reform unamimously pass legislation creating a new version of JJOKE hold a big press conference announce a national search for the "right" people and then declare a new day for ethics in Albany.
I'll rewrite the same blogs I've been writing for three years and we can all be shocked when it happens again.
ITS THE PEOPLE STUPID.
Just add Biben and DiFiore to the junk heap of digraced former ethics enforcers and move on and try again
A tweak here and a tweak there add some self serving BS from the goo goos about ethics reform unamimously pass legislation creating a new version of JJOKE hold a big press conference announce a national search for the "right" people and then declare a new day for ethics in Albany.
I'll rewrite the same blogs I've been writing for three years and we can all be shocked when it happens again.
ITS THE PEOPLE STUPID.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
JJOKE violates its own confidentialty rules
Accusations fly in latest JCOPE leak to the New York Post
Subpoenas should soon be flying in the probe of who leaked the fact that JCOPE voted to investigate Vito Lopez to the Post.
Someone associated closely with the State Joint Commission on Public Ethics leaked information on the fact that they had voted to open a formal investigation into alleged sexual harassment by the Brooklyn assemblyman — a step needed for the Post to report that the panel planned to send out subpoenas, The Apocalypse has learned.
Investigations are considered confidential and JCOPE isn’t even permitted to confirm publicly that a probe is under way the Post reported as part of its story based on the very same leaked information it reported as confidential.
The JCOPE leak of confidential information — which required someone with actual knowledge of the secret vote to provide it to a party outside the commission — occurred immediately after a special video conference of the commission, according to a source.
One JCOPE commissioner when informed of the leaking of confidential information stated that it was “disgusting”.
Other commissioners wondered if it would trigger a criminal probe by Albany County District Attorney David Soares.
This is not the first time that the New York Post has been the recipient of a leak from JCOPE regarding its investigations. As a result the New York Post is seen by many in Albany as receiving a head start in what has become known in media circles as “the race to the bottom” of Albany ethics scandals.
Many Albany insiders are questioning if certain JCOPE staffers and/or commissioners have themselves violated the Public Officers Law by leaking confidential information.
The good government groups who seemed to respond quickly to the Lopez scandal by filing a complaint with JCOPE have remained conspicuously silent regarding JCOPE’s own scandalous actions.
And that ladies and gentleman is how you play the media scandal game NY Post style.
Subpoenas should soon be flying in the probe of who leaked the fact that JCOPE voted to investigate Vito Lopez to the Post.
Someone associated closely with the State Joint Commission on Public Ethics leaked information on the fact that they had voted to open a formal investigation into alleged sexual harassment by the Brooklyn assemblyman — a step needed for the Post to report that the panel planned to send out subpoenas, The Apocalypse has learned.
Investigations are considered confidential and JCOPE isn’t even permitted to confirm publicly that a probe is under way the Post reported as part of its story based on the very same leaked information it reported as confidential.
The JCOPE leak of confidential information — which required someone with actual knowledge of the secret vote to provide it to a party outside the commission — occurred immediately after a special video conference of the commission, according to a source.
One JCOPE commissioner when informed of the leaking of confidential information stated that it was “disgusting”.
Other commissioners wondered if it would trigger a criminal probe by Albany County District Attorney David Soares.
This is not the first time that the New York Post has been the recipient of a leak from JCOPE regarding its investigations. As a result the New York Post is seen by many in Albany as receiving a head start in what has become known in media circles as “the race to the bottom” of Albany ethics scandals.
Many Albany insiders are questioning if certain JCOPE staffers and/or commissioners have themselves violated the Public Officers Law by leaking confidential information.
The good government groups who seemed to respond quickly to the Lopez scandal by filing a complaint with JCOPE have remained conspicuously silent regarding JCOPE’s own scandalous actions.
And that ladies and gentleman is how you play the media scandal game NY Post style.
NOW DIDNT THAT FEEL GOOD?
So the mighty JJOKE met to . . . well we don’t know why they met do we?
But an educated guess was that they met in response to the governor’s musing that an investigation of the Lopez gropergate scandal and related issues would be appropriate.
So after a 2 hour private meeting they . . . well we don’t know what they did do we?
But an educated guess was that they couldn’t agree on what to do.
You have to understand that there are three issues that are coming together to provide a perfect storm of ethics paralysis.
Issue 1 - JJOKE’s jurisdiction over sexual harassment or sexual abuse in the legislature or anywhere else is at best questionable. Sure you can allege as the goo goo’s did that sexual harassment violates section 74 (h) the infamous catchall that says don’t engage in acts that violate your public trust BUT there is no punishment for a violation of that section and there is no history of NY’s ethics agencies investigating sexual harassment claims using this jurisdiction. As a result you provide those members of the commission who do not want to get involved with several legitimate arguments to make in that secret meeting for why they are voting against authorizing an investigation by JJOKE . . . but of course the public doesn’t get to hear those arguments.
Issue 2 – JJOKE’s competency to handle a sexual harassment or sexual abuse investigation is at best questionable. They simply do not have the personnel trained or experienced to handle these types of investigations and there is a very good reason why that is so. JJOKE doesn’t do and isn’t supposed to do sexual harassment or sexual abuse cases (see issue 1). In addition I’ve come to the conclusion that Biben et al don’t have the chops to persuade, all they can do is chant the company line and execute someone else’s strategy and directions. As a result you provide those members of the commission, who do not want to get involved, an easy debate in that secret meeting for why they are voting against authorizing an investigation by JJOKE and Biben et al are not able to persuade thru logic a different outcome . . . but of course the public doesn’t get to see that debate.
Issue 3 – JJOKE’s secrecy results in an unfulfilling climax to a media cluster f*ck. JJOKE had the perfect opportunity to capture the news cycle. Everyone was there with cameras and microphones and notebooks at the ready and . . . nothing. Had anyone at JJOKE really wanted to make ethics sing and dance all they needed to do yesterday in the public portion of the meeting was make a motion to do this whole Kabuki dance in public, get a second for the motion and we would have been off to the races. Even a public vote for secrecy would have advanced the ethics debate and had the motion carried the Albany media would have had enough to write about over the next several weeks to make troopergate pale in comparison. Just watching JJOKE handle issues 1 and 2 in public would have been must see ethics and it would have prevented all those reporters from calling me to see what I had heard because they had nothing else to do. But noooooo once again JJOKE missed the mark and we are all left wanting something more.
When it comes to JJOKE wanting something more is the rule not the exception.
I’ve said it a thousand times it’s the people . . stupid.
And since the Times Union was kind enough to link to the blog I've reproduced the most recent story below since it is directly related to JJOKE
Accusations fly in latest JCOPE leak to the New York Post
Subpoenas should soon be flying in the probe of who leaked the fact that JCOPE voted to investigate Vito Lopez to the Post.
Someone associated closely with the State Joint Commission on Public Ethics leaked information on the fact that they had voted to open a formal investigation into alleged sexual harassment by the Brooklyn assemblyman — a step needed for the Post to report that the panel planned to send out subpoenas, The Apocalypse has learned.
Investigations are considered confidential and JCOPE isn’t even permitted to confirm publicly that a probe is under way the Post reported as part of its story based on the very same leaked information it reported as confidential.
The JCOPE leak of confidential information — which required someone with actual knowledge of the secret vote to provide it to a party outside the commission — occurred immediately after a special video conference of the commission, according to a source.
One JCOPE commissioner when informed of the leaking of confidential information stated that it was “disgusting”.
Other commissioners wondered if it would trigger a criminal probe by Albany County District Attorney David Soares.
This is not the first time that the New York Post has been the recipient of a leak from JCOPE regarding its investigations. As a result the New York Post is seen by many in Albany as receiving a head start in what has become known in media circles as “the race to the bottom” of Albany ethics scandals.
Many Albany insiders are questioning if certain JCOPE staffers and/or commissioners have themselves violated the Public Officers Law by leaking confidential information.
The good government groups who seemed to respond quickly to the Lopez scandal by filing a complaint with JCOPE have remained conspicuously silent regarding JCOPE’s own scandalous actions.
And that ladies and gentleman is how you play the media scandal game NY Post style.
And since the Times Union was kind enough to link to the blog I've reproduced the most recent story below since it is directly related to JJOKE
Subpoenas should soon be flying in the probe of who leaked the fact that JCOPE voted to investigate Vito Lopez to the Post.
Someone associated closely with the State Joint Commission on Public Ethics leaked information on the fact that they had voted to open a formal investigation into alleged sexual harassment by the Brooklyn assemblyman — a step needed for the Post to report that the panel planned to send out subpoenas, The Apocalypse has learned.
Investigations are considered confidential and JCOPE isn’t even permitted to confirm publicly that a probe is under way the Post reported as part of its story based on the very same leaked information it reported as confidential.
The JCOPE leak of confidential information — which required someone with actual knowledge of the secret vote to provide it to a party outside the commission — occurred immediately after a special video conference of the commission, according to a source.
One JCOPE commissioner when informed of the leaking of confidential information stated that it was “disgusting”.
Other commissioners wondered if it would trigger a criminal probe by Albany County District Attorney David Soares.
This is not the first time that the New York Post has been the recipient of a leak from JCOPE regarding its investigations. As a result the New York Post is seen by many in Albany as receiving a head start in what has become known in media circles as “the race to the bottom” of Albany ethics scandals.
Many Albany insiders are questioning if certain JCOPE staffers and/or commissioners have themselves violated the Public Officers Law by leaking confidential information.
The good government groups who seemed to respond quickly to the Lopez scandal by filing a complaint with JCOPE have remained conspicuously silent regarding JCOPE’s own scandalous actions.
And that ladies and gentleman is how you play the media scandal game NY Post style.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)