Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Pol on trial for developer bribe-taking

Bribery Trial of Legislator Starts in Brooklyn
NY Times

Jury selection began Monday in the trial of State Assemblywoman Diane M. Gordon of Brooklyn, who is charged with arranging to receive a bribe from a developer.

Prosecutors say that Ms. Gordon, a Democrat from East New York, offered to help the developer acquire city-owned land in return for a new half-million-dollar home in Queens.

Ms. Gordon, 57, was elected to the Assembly in 2000. Her indictment in July 2006 did not prevent her from winning re-election to a fourth term that year. She would face 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count, bribe-receiving in the second degree. She has pleaded not guilty. Her trial, before Justice Robert C. McGann in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, is expected to last four to six weeks.

According to prosecutors, Ms. Gordon met six times in her district office in 2004 and 2005 with a developer who wore a concealed camera. At the meetings, prosecutors said, Ms. Gordon promised to help the developer secure a tract of vacant city-owned land in her district valued at $2 million if he built a single-family home to her specifications in Queens.

Ms. Gordon’s lawyer, Bernard H. Udell, declined to discuss his defense strategy Monday.

“You’ll have to stick around for the trial to see,” he said.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

There ya go.....
racism rears it's ugly head even in a pol/bribe case.

Assemblywoman Gordon, a woman of color,
will probably get the book thrown at her
for her intention of accepting a modest home.

Meanwhile the "good white folk"
like Council member Melinda Katz
(chair of the council's land use committee)
has been on the take for years.....
receiving mega-buck campaign contribution/bribes
from some of NYC's most prominent developers
and will (no doubt) be elected to higher office
after she's term limited out.

Now isn't that justice for you?

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonymous # 1:

The bribes were captured on camera worn by a developer. As much as I believe Katz and others are just as guilty, or worse, their developer partners aren't as cooperative.

Drop the racial mau-mauing.

Gordon got caught. End of story!

Anonymous said...

No racial "manure-ing" here....
like the reverse variety that you're trying to sling.

She's as guilty as hell and deserves to be locked up!

Just pointing
out there's a "Black & White" difference
between our two separate justice systems
without any shades of gray.

Your use of "mau-mauing"
(which should have a cap "M")
is pure race baiting like using the "N" word.

It's use is both ignorant and offensive!

Anonymous said...

When was Katz ever suspected of doing anything illegal?
How did the community vote for this woman after she was indicted?

Anonymous said...

These politicians are scum, from the governor to McLaughlin.

The only problem is the media still treats them like gods.

Until this stops, the public will never understand what is going on.

Anonymous said...

There are many shades of gray
when it comes to shady
council members like alley Katz Melinda.

True....she hasn't been indicted yet.
But who knows what may follow in the near future.
Maybe Mc Laughlin already sold her out
in exchange for his plea bargain deal.

Yet the fact remains
that she's taken it (money we mean)
from every major developer in NYC.

She's their poster child ....the builders' courtesan
(and crook Hevesi's co-canoodler).

Don't take out word for it.
Check out her on line campaign contribtions
for both her terms and decide for yourself.

You'll find it more than enlightening!

Anonymous said...

The community voted for Katz
because she pulled the wool over their eyes.

She's destroyed Forest Hills
and she lives in the middle of it all
in her crap filled litter box!

What kind of cat shits where it lives?
Only this breed of Katz!