Free Republic

The state Inspector General’s Office is finalizing a bombshell investigation into the state Thruway Authority that is said to reach the highest levels of the organization, sources say. While the focus is unclear, two sources confirmed the Cuomo administration has already been approaching possible replacements for Thruway Authority Executive Director Thomas Madison. Reps for the inspector general's office, Cuomo and the Thruway Authority had no comment. Billionaire developer Howard Milstein recently resigned as Thruway Authority chairman. One source said Milstein, a big-time donor to Gov. Cuomo, to avoid getting caught up in the controversy once the IG report is released....

Emigrant Bank was recently identified to receive a waiver that would allow the bank to opt out of rigorous Dodd-Frank requirements. These of course are the same new rules and regulations that Barack deems essential to the nation. Yet when the bank’s owner, Howard Milstein, who is a close friend and was a bundler for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, protested that the new rules would seriously crimp operations of his bank, the Obama Administration worked with members of congress to grant him a waiver from the new rules. Other financial institutions and banks have consistently and vehemently argued that...

The Occupy Wall Street protesters are planning to get in the face of some of New York's richest tycoons on Tuesday. A "Millionaires March" will visit the homes - or, more realistically, the gleaming marble lobbies - of five of the city's wealthiest residents. On the target list: NewsCorp CEO Rupert Murdoch, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, conservative billionaire David Koch, financier Howard Milstein and hedge fund mogul John Paulson.

<p>WASHINGTON - At least 80 wealthy liberals have pledged to contribute at least $1 million each to fund a network of think tanks and advocacy groups, to compete with the potent conservative infrastructure built up during the last three decades.</p>