Posted on 02/06/2024 8:46:17 AM PST by thegagline
More than 60 current and former NYCHA workers have been busted in a bribe-and-extortion scheme that authorities say involves the largest number of federal bribery charges in a single day in Department of Justice history.
The suspects — accused of accepting cash payments from contractors in exchange for lucrative New York City Housing Authority contracts — were hauled off in handcuffs in a widespread raid Tuesday morning, according to the Southern District of New York.
The charges may be linked to “micro-purchase” projects, or contracts for smaller repairs and other construction at city housing developments, sources told The Post.
As long as city contracts are worth under an estimated $10,000, local development managers can award them without going through the public bidding process — a system ripe for such potential corruption, sources said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Bribes are for the big guys, not the locals.
Agreed. Not much has really changed since Tammany Hall days.
Only 60?
Obviously, someone didn’t get their cut.
I knew of a case here in CT which could have gone sideways like these deals.
The developer paid bribes to a local mayor so he would not have to meet building codes for a big dollar building rehab.
The Mayor then chose the specific building inspector for the job who was compensated under the table for looking the other way.
The building rehab took a while—a couple of years—and everything was going according to plan...until....
The mayor decided not to run for re-election and at the same time the inspector decided to retire.
Fast forward a new legit inspector inspects the building and finds dozens of major issues requiring high six figures to remedy.
The developer (who I knew) could have refused to do the remediation which would have led to an unraveling of the entire scandal.
However he cursed and moaned at his bad luck—but did the repairs as ordered.
The blues brothers?
NYCHA has continually run deficits (rents versus expenses) in the millions. The reasons are in part because the rents are too low, in part because how NYCHA operartes the costs for repairs are often more than private property owners would be paying, and in part because of systemic corruption.
All NYCHA property should 100% be sold to multiple private multi-family housing investors.
What the city gets for the sale can go into an investment fund to help continue to subsidize some rents for current residents vetted as “low income”, but not to perpetuate the subsidy to new tenants who come in under the new private owners.
Over time all the NYCHA “projects” would be rented at market values with the private owners. The private owners should also be able to offer voluntary “buyouts” to any current tenants.
The city will benefit from the property taxes on the private housing that was formally government owned and operated. NYCHA has 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings. If privatized the property values and property taxes would be many millions.
Does anyone believe any NY judge will be anywhere near as hard on any of these thieving criminals as they have been on Trump. Trump created jobs and paid large amounts of tax dollars into NY’s coffers. These people stole from the tax-payers and caused harm to the very people they were tasked with assisting. I bet not a one sees any jail time nor any financial penalty.
What's the rush? More illegals to warehouse?
Corruption and Bribery in New York? Come on Man, that’s standard procedure in that State.
Good! Now do the Board of Education and school Principals.
Mayor Adams first.
I assumed they were all demcorats and members of democrat 'victim' groups. Someday we'll get the folks taking bribes from the Cartels...
If I decided to risk Rikers Island, it would be for a lot more money than I’m worth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.