PARTY TIME: HOW B'KLYN BOSS LIVED IT UP ON THE DEMS' DIME (corruption on a grand scale)

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/2907.htm ^ | August 11, 2003 | MURRAY WEISS

[Liz]

BIG SPENDER: Clarence Norman has funded his lavish lifestyle with more than $100,000 charged to the Democrats' American Express card.

It's good to be the boss.

Clarence Norman, the embattled Brooklyn Democratic Party boss at the center of a judicial corruption probe, used his party's credit card to underwrite a lavish lifestyle, spending more than $100,000 on fancy restaurants, shoes, sporting goods, videos, records, books, health-club fees, tires, bedding, satellite radio, DirecTV, bowling and billiards.

[Liz]

Political observers and law-enforcement officials investigating Norman say his expenditures raise serious questions about whether (Norman) was "double-dipping" - using his party's coffers at the same time he was receiving a generous $145-per-day stipend when in Albany as part of his elected duties as an $82,000-a-year Assemblyman. They also say he could face grand-larceny charges if he used the credit card for his own business or personal pleasure and not for county business. Because much of the party's money comes from donations by judges, lawyers and candidates for office, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes is also trying to determine if those contributions were given to obtain favorable treatment from Norman.

Clarence? Favorable treatment? Buying judgeships? Double-dipping? I'm shocked, I tell you, Shocked (end of Claude Rains impersonation)

[goldstategop]

No wonder the Democrats couldn't mount a challenge to Gov. George Pataki in NY last year. Their officials were spending contributors money on everything but party work.

[Liz]

(Clarence) can doubtlessly justify a variety of his expenditures - although some may be more difficult to legitimize as being related to his official duties. For instance, (Clarence) spent $1,600 at the Gem Pawnbrokers in Brooklyn, $540 at the Giorgio Brutini shoe store in Buffalo, and a $352 for a car rental in Brooklyn - a seemingly curious item given that he is provided with a leased Town Car by the party for $998 a month and also owns a Mercedes-Benz.

And the Bed Bath and Beyond bedding for $39.93 surely went to (ahem) "party workers." ......the $263.46 at Mikasa Home Store for "gift items" and the Macy's "gift wrapping," for another $21.60 were thoughtful little momentos for candidates, of course.

I'm sure all the little people who donate to the Dummycrat Party are pleased their donations went for such items (/sarcasm off).

[Puppage]

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE

[Liz]

[Puppage]

Ooooooo, THAT'S good.I like it. Now, if we could only get the ticker in NYC to read that...............

[Liz]

LOL. It sure would be a good message on the "zipper."

[G L Tirebiter]

I tell you I am shocked!

[razorback-bert]

I am awaiting the IRS calling it income and coming after back taxes. Real businessmen couldn't begin to put such things on their expense account.

[Liz]

That would be the rancid icing on the corrupt Dummy cake.

[mewzilla]

The gift that keeps on giving. Wow.

[Liz]

You do a great Claude Rains impersonation.

[Liz]

Hey, this is the "party of te people." You expected Clarence to eat at McDonald's and wear those cheap Florsheim shoes?

[AppyPappy]

Too funny. It couldn't happen to a nicer party.