Tag Archives: New York

Liar and Grifter in Chief

08 Friday Nov 2019

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Accountability.

“…Mr. Trump admits to personally misusing funds at the Trump Foundation, and agrees to restrictions on future charitable service and ongoing reporting to the Office of the Attorney General in the event he creates a new charity. The settlements also include mandatory training requirements for Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump. Finally, the settlements name the charities that will receive the remaining assets of the Trump Foundation as part of its dissolution…”

“…The third stipulation includes 19 paragraphs of factual admissions by Mr. Trump and the Foundation of illegal activity…”

“…The $1.78 million in assets currently being held by the Trump Foundation, along with the $2 million in damages to be paid by Mr. Trump, will be disbursed equally to eight charities: Army Emergency Relief, the Children’s Aid Society, Citymeals-on-Wheels, Give an Hour, Martha’s Table, United Negro College Fund, United Way of National Capital Area, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The charities — which were required as part of the resolution to be entities that did not have any relationship with Mr. Trump or entities he controlled — were approved by the Office of the Attorney General and the court…”

Last night:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
[….]
6:08 PM · Nov 7, 2019

From the New York State Attorney General:

AG James Secures Court Order Against Donald J. Trump, Trump Children, And Trump Foundation
AG James Achieves Restitution of Misused Funds, Dissolution of Foundation, and Restrictions on Charitable Activity After Donald J. Trump’s Abuse of the Trump Foundation
Trump to Pay $2 Million in Damages for Illegal Activity During 2016 Election

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that the New York Supreme Court ordered Donald J. Trump to pay $2 million in damages for improperly using charitable assets to intervene in the 2016 presidential primaries and further his own political interests. The award is part of Attorney General James’ lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation and its directors — Mr. Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump.

As part of the settlement, Attorney General James also announced that her office entered into multiple stipulations with the Trump Foundation and its directors to resolve the remaining claims in the lawsuit. Chiefly, Mr. Trump admits to personally misusing funds at the Trump Foundation, and agrees to restrictions on future charitable service and ongoing reporting to the Office of the Attorney General in the event he creates a new charity. The settlements also include mandatory training requirements for Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump. Finally, the settlements name the charities that will receive the remaining assets of the Trump Foundation as part of its dissolution.

“The Trump Foundation has shut down, funds that were illegally misused are being restored, the president will be subject to ongoing supervision by my office, and the Trump children had to undergo compulsory training to ensure this type of illegal activity never takes place again,” said Attorney General James. “The court’s decision, together with the settlements we negotiated, are a major victory in our efforts to protect charitable assets and hold accountable those who would abuse charities for personal gain. My office will continue to fight for accountability because no one is above the law — not a businessman, not a candidate for office, and not even the President of the United States.”

The lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation was filed in June 2018 — charging the Foundation’s directors with ignoring their oversight duties under New York’s charity laws and demonstrating how Mr. Trump repeatedly used Foundation money for his own personal, business, and political interests, including the unlawful coordination with his 2016 presidential campaign. In the first half of 2016 — at the height of the Republican primaries — Mr. Trump used Foundation money, raised from the public, to demonstrate his purported generosity and attract votes. Mr. Trump and his campaign doled out $500,000 at a campaign rally in the days leading up to the first primary election in the nation, the Iowa caucuses, then took credit for all $2.8 million in grants the Foundation made.

In her decision ordering Mr. Trump to pay $2 million, Justice Saliann Scarpulla said, “…Mr. Trump breached his fiduciary duty to the Foundation and that waste occurred to the Foundation. Mr. Trump’s fiduciary duty breaches included allowing his campaign to orchestrate the Fundraiser, allowing his campaign, instead of the Foundation, to direct distribution of the Funds, and using the Fundraiser and distribution of the Funds to further Mr. Trump’s political campaign.”

In total, the Office of the Attorney General has entered into four stipulation agreements as part of this settlement.

Last year, in December 2018, following a court decision in favor of the Attorney General’s Office, the first stipulation took effect when the Trump Foundation agreed to shutter its doors and dissolve under court supervision. In October 2019, the Office of the Attorney General entered three additional stipulations. One stipulation ensures that the Foundation’s remaining assets will go to reputable charities approved by Attorney General James and that have no connection to Mr. Trump or his family members. Another stipulation ensures that Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump received training on the duties of officers and directors of charities so that they cannot allow the illegal activity they oversaw at the Trump Foundation to take place again.

The third stipulation includes 19 paragraphs of factual admissions by Mr. Trump and the Foundation of illegal activity. Mr. Trump admitted that the Foundation’s board of directors — of which he was chair — failed to meet, failed to provide oversight over the Foundation, and failed to adopt legally required policies and procedures. He also admitted that these failures “contributed to the Foundation’s participation” in seven related party transactions described in the settlement document and in the Attorney General’s lawsuit.

Mr. Trump and the Foundation have admitted key facts about their illegal political coordination with the Trump campaign, including that a purported Foundation fundraiser in January 2016 was in fact a campaign event, and that Foundation gave the Trump campaign complete control over the timing, amounts, and recipients of the $2.8 million raised through that event. Mr. Trump further admits that he and his campaign took credit for the grants that the Foundation made with funds that had been raised from the public. Justice Scarpulla noted in her decision that “Mr. Trump’s campaign, rather than the Foundation: (1) ‘planned’ and ‘organized’ the Fundraiser; and (2) ‘directed the timing, amounts, and recipients of the Foundation’s grants to charitable organizations supporting military veterans.’”

Additionally, Mr. Trump admitted a number of key facts about the other self-dealing transactions he initiated as chair — specifically, that he used Foundation funds to settle legal obligations of companies he controlled, and that the Foundation paid for a portrait of Mr. Trump that cost $10,000. As separate piece of the settlement Donald Trump Jr. reimbursed the Foundation for the cost of the portrait. The settlement also requires the Foundation to be reimbursed $11,525 for sports paraphernalia and champagne purchased at a charity gala.

Finally, the settlement agreement imposes a regime of restrictions on any future service by Mr. Trump on a charity’s board of directors, including a total ban on any self-dealing. Any charity he joins as a director must have a majority of independent directors, must engage counsel with expertise in New York not-for-profit law, and must engage the services of an accounting firm to monitor and audit the organization’s grants and expenses. If Mr. Trump forms a new charity, such an organization must comply with these requirements, and also report to the Office of the Attorney General for five years.

The $1.78 million in assets currently being held by the Trump Foundation, along with the $2 million in damages to be paid by Mr. Trump, will be disbursed equally to eight charities: Army Emergency Relief, the Children’s Aid Society, Citymeals-on-Wheels, Give an Hour, Martha’s Table, United Negro College Fund, United Way of National Capital Area, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The charities — which were required as part of the resolution to be entities that did not have any relationship with Mr. Trump or entities he controlled — were approved by the Office of the Attorney General and the court.

This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Yael Fuchs, Co-Chief of the Enforcement Section of the Charities Bureau; Assistant Attorneys General Steven Shiffman and Peggy Farber of the Charities Bureau; with assistance from Senior Counsel Matthew Colangelo and former Special Counsel Laura Wood. James Sheehan is the Chief of the Charities Bureau, and Karin Kunstler Goldman is the Deputy Chief. The Charities Bureau is a bureau of the Division of Social Justice, headed by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux.

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

SCR 16: If at first you don’t secede…

13 Wednesday Feb 2019

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A concurrent resolution, introduced yesterday by Senator Paul Wieland (r):

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16

Whereas, in January 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Roe v. Wade that abortion is protected by the Constitution of the United States, and in doing so effectively removed legal protection from human beings prior to birth; and

Whereas, the ramifications of the court’s decision created a moral morass and was a step in the wrong direction for our nation; and

Whereas, each and every innocent human life is unique and precious and that human life begins at the moment of conception and continues, uninterrupted, until the moment of natural death; and

Whereas, each innocent human life must always be protected and preserved, and in all possible ways our country should promote a culture of life; and

Whereas, each state should enact laws that protect unborn human life; and

Whereas, the Missouri General Assembly on behalf of Missourians has spoken out in defense of the sanctity of life, and has done so in connection with contemporary threats to the life of the unborn; and

Whereas, other states in the union have not shared this mission to preserve life and have demonstrated contempt towards the most vulnerable in our society; and

Whereas, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation permitting abortion on demand; and

Whereas, the State of New York removed abortion from their criminal code; and

Whereas, the State of New York put women’s health at risk by allowing non-physicians to perform or induce abortions; and

Whereas, the State of New York has failed to live up to ethical standards that Missourians demand of us and the State of New York, by their actions, have added to the moral chaos that is plaguing this country:

Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the members of the Missouri Senate, One-hundredth General Assembly, First Regular Session, the House of Representatives concurring therein, declare that Missouri tax dollars should not be spent in any state, like New York, that demonstrates such disregard and contempt for the unborn; and

Be It Further Resolved that the members of the Missouri General Assembly ask the Governor to order all departments to cease from taking part in any non-emergency activity or event in the State of New York; and

Be It Further Resolved that the Missouri General Assembly demands higher moral standards of its fellow states and will continue to boycott events hosted by these states until they repeal legislation that fails to preserve and protect the life of the unborn; and

Be It Further Resolved that the Secretary of the Missouri Senate be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the Governor and the State Treasurer.

Where to begin?

And yet, Donald Trump is currently President of the United States. Go figure.

Citizens of the State of New York have access to affordable health insurance. You know, their state participated in Medicaid expansion. That’s what I’d define as a “culture of life”.

Uh, if the U.S. Supreme Court says it’s so, it’s so [see Marbury v Madison (1803)].

We take it that the so-called “culture of life” as mentioned in this resolution does include exemptions for the death penalty and war.

The citizens of the State of New York must be quaking in their collective boots.

Because, goodness knows, no one would ever have a video camera handy

07 Friday Oct 2011

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Yesterday, in New York City, via Occupy Wall Street:

Wall Street: they went after the wrong people (September 25, 2011)

….You know, the titans of arbitrage and other speculative financial alchemy could easily calm the seas by taking a few lousy percentage points in their top marginal tax rate. They won’t. Who do you think will spray protesters after they break public safety unions in the interest of accumulating an even higher proportion of wealth? Just asking.

Wall Street: they went after the wrong people

26 Monday Sep 2011

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Occupy Wall Street Protesters Pepper Sprayed by New York Police Department

The New York Daily News reported that over 50 arrests were made by the New York Police Department on September 24, 2011 in connection with the “Occupy Wall Street” protest movement. The same story mentioned “there were unconfirmed reports that mace may have been used” and the online story contained an embedded video that clearly shows a noxious gas being deployed by a police officer. USLaw.com’s slow motion analysis of the same video shows a senior New York Police Department officer deploying a spray cannister in an unorthodox manner on a small group that were being ‘kettle netted’ by a half dozen officers, some of whom were also affected by spray….

You know, the titans of arbitrage and other speculative financial alchemy could easily calm the seas by taking a few lousy percentage points in their top marginal tax rate. They won’t. Who do you think will spray protesters after they break public safety unions in the interest of accumulating an even higher proportion of wealth? Just asking.  

2012: It'll be about Medicare, stupid

25 Wednesday May 2011

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The results, tonight, in the special election in New York’s heavily republican 26th Congressional District:

Hochul takes House seat in stunner

Updated: May 24, 2011, 10:30 PM

Kathleen Courtney Hochul, the Erie County clerk and longtime Democratic figure who defied political experts who had given her little chance of success, ground out a stunning and surprisingly comfortable victory Tuesday in the special election for the House seat in the predominantly Republican 26th Congressional District.

Hochul was leading Republican Jane L. Corwin, a Clarence assemblywoman, 48 to 42 percent, with 87 percent of election districts reporting, while the Tea Party’s Jack Davis mustered only 9 percent in his fourth try for the seat. Ian L. Murphy of the Green Party recorded 1 percent. In the 10 p.m. hour, Corwin conceded the race in a speech to supporters.

The results marked a stunning defeat for the GOP in a race that garnered significant national attention as the first competitive race following the Republican takeover of the House last November….

U.S. House – District 26 – Special General

May 24, 2011 – 10:25PM ET

New York – 543 of 627 Precincts Reporting – 87%

Name Vote %

Hochul , Kathy [D] 48%

Corwin , Jane [r] 42%

Davis , Jack [teabagger] 9%

Murphy , Ian 1%

[emphasis added]

Yep, the establishment republican candidate drank House Budget Chair Paul Ryan’s (r) End Medicare As We Know It Potion and that still wasn’t enough for the teabagger set. The Democratic candidate was relentless in pounding the republicans for their support of Ryan’s plan.

Do you think anyone in Missouri is paying attention?:

Will McCaskill choose the clear path to victory? (May 24, 2011)

Election day in the NY 26 (May 24, 2011)

Public Policy Polling: Missouri on Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid (May 23, 2011)

Just asking.

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: and some will think that it’s all over

18 Thursday Mar 2010

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Aaron Podolefsky has been selected as the next president of Buffalo State College in New York, “subject to approval by the SUNY Board of Trustees at its March 23 meeting in New York City.”

Mazel tov.

This is the fifty-third post in an ongoing series as we file Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo 610) requests and investigate the non-renewal of the contract of University of Central Missouri President Aaron Podolefsky. Links to previous coverage are below the fold. BG and MB

Media coverage from Buffalo, New York:

Podolefsky picked to head Buffalo State College

By Jay Rey

News Staff Reporter

Updated: March 18, 2010, 7:44 am

Published: March 18, 2010, 9:38 am

… His separation from Central Missouri, however, created a bit of a stir on campus.

Despite a faculty petition to retain Podolefsky and a glowing letter of recommendation from the state’s higher-education commissioner, Central Missouri’s board of governors decided, in a 4-3 vote, not to renew his contract, which expires in June. The board publicly offered no explanation but praised his contributions.

“Boards change, and new members want to go in a different direction,” Podolefsky said during a phone interview Wednesday. “But I was very much affirmed by the response on campus from the faculty. That made me feel good about my five years.”

Podolefsky has been mentioned as a presidential candidate at a number of colleges, including Central Washington State, the University of Central Arkansas and Youngstown State University, before he eventually landed the job at Buffalo State…

From Buffalo State College:

…Dr. Podolefsky has an extensive and successful background in public higher education and currently serves as president of the University of Central Missouri. His biography and CV are available on the Buffalo State Web site. His wife, Ronnie Podolefsky, is a civil rights attorney and a very dynamic person, and we are pleased and proud to welcome her as well to the Buffalo State College community.

Dr. Podolefsky embraces the importance of our vital mission and core values, including outstanding education, research, service learning, access, and diversity. He is extremely bright and engaging and will be a forceful advocate for our college in SUNY and throughout the community, the state, and the country…

That’s quite a positive review. That’s definitely going to grate on one individual in particular.

Remember this radio broadcast?:

…I’m not the problem. No question about that. The problem’s gonna leave in June. That’s the problem. And it’ll be gone soon, we just have to wait. Okay….

Or this radio broadcast?:

…Throwin’ those darts, eventually one sticks on the board…

Yes, of course, applying for, interviewing at, and being offered a position as president of a University is like playing darts.

Or this radio broadcast?:

…Aaron Podolefsky. Out. We’ve talked about it for a long time….

….The, the thing that really upset me, that kind of got [garbled] going originally was, for years there was a Christmas tree lit at Selmo Park. Remember that?

[….]

Drive by. He stopped that. I mean I think every religion should be able to celebrate, uh, in their own way, but, I mean we do live in Warrensburg, Missouri. This is America. You know. Let’s bring that back. How ’bout that?

As if people are going to forget.

Our previous coverage of the issue:

Three steps behind, and to the right (January 25, 2008)

Three steps behind, and to the right, part 2 – a microcosm of our universe (September 21, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”? (October 15, 2009) (transcript of a portion of the live radio broadcast)

It wasn’t just about a tree (October 21, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: I heard it on the radio (October 21, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: let’s not get cut out of the will (October 22, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: $87.75 will get you one sheet of paper (October 23, 2009)



“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: They’re not playing hardball, they’re playing cat and mouse  (October 23, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: a cola and some scoreboards (October 24, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: a few more pieces of the puzzle? (October 28, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: your silence means consent (October 29, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: let’s not get cut out of the will, part 2 (October 30, 2009)

Old media irony impairment (October 30, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: I heard it on the radio, part 2 (October 31, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: where everybody knows your name (October 31, 2009)

Methinks that someone is paying attention! (November 2, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: Bond, Stadium Bond (November 4, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: where everybody knows your name, part 2 (November 4, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: I heard it on the radio, part 3 (November 5, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: nothing succeeds like success (November 6, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: your Friday news dump (November 6, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: nothing exceeds like excess (November 7, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a grade for Accounting 101 (November 7, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: there ought to be a law (November 8, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: there’s gotta be a contract around here somewhere (November 9, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: there ought to be a law, part 2 (November 10, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: Garbo speaks! (November 12, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle (November 13, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”? Follow the money and it reveals the timeline (November 14, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: the new president search consulting contract (November 18, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a march on a cold and rainy day (November 18, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: raise their voices (November 19, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: great moments in radio reporting (November 21, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: Oh, my! (December 3, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: It’s simple, really… (December 5, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: I do truly care about the success of our students (December 6, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: “…a wonderful relationship there we’re really proud of…” (December 7, 2009)

Oh brother, it’s time to convene another panel on blogger ethics… (December 8, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a lesson on how not to attempt damage control (January 26, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a lesson on how not to attempt damage control, part 2 (January 28, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: welcome to the party… (February 1, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: welcome to the party, four months late, part 2 (February 2, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: those people from Denmark, you know, the Dutch (February 3, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a conversation with the Muleskinner (February 6, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a simple question (February 8, 2010)

Find the Non-Employee Game! (February 8, 2010)(NYCMule)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a different choice of phrase would have made it all better (February 11, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: never mind the facts, here’s right wingnut talk radio (February 13, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: and we should give weight to your opinion… (February 18, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: fools for spin (February 20, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: fools rush in… (February 21, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: Who’s the more foolish… (February 25, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a phone call from out of the blue (February 26, 2010)

HASSLER to PHILLIPS Connect-the-Dots Game! (February 27, 2010)(NYCMule)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: project much? (February 28, 2010)

These things sometime happen when you afflict the comfortable (March 12, 2010)

Missouri’s Juvenile Justice System Among the Best

06 Wednesday Jan 2010

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An editorial in today’s New York Times holds up Missouri’s juvenile justice system as a model for reforming the flawed New  York state system.  A task force appointed by Governor Patterson singled out the Missouri system for praise, noting that:

It has adopted smaller regional facilities that focus on rehabilitation and house troubled youths as close to home as possible in order to involve parents and community groups in the therapeutic process. Missouri also has cut recidivisim rates by smoothing re-entry and helping young people with drug treatment, education or job placement.

This is not the first time that the Times has talked up the Missouri juvenile justice system. In 2007 another editorial observed that:

A law-and-order state, Missouri was working against its own nature when it embarked on this project about 25 years ago. But with favorable data piling up, and thousands of young lives saved, the state is now showing the way out of the juvenile justice crisis

It is good to know that with all the problems that Missouri has, the way that we deal with our troubled youth is not among them and that we are doing something right.