Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Smith gave $100K in tax money to school he founded

From the Daily News:

State Senate President Malcolm Smith steered $100,000 in state funds to a Queens charter school he helped found, the Daily News has learned.

The money was earmarked this budget year for educational programs at Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School in Far Rockaway.

Smith was a founder of the school, which was chartered in 2004, and an original board member. His spokesman said he divested ties to the school when he became Senate minority leader in November 2006.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens), a close ally of Smith's, is still listed as a board member.

In 2006 and 2007, Smith received a total of $12,000 in campaign donations from Steven Klinsky, who founded the school's management company, Victory Schools Inc.

Victory has been the school's management company since 2004, according to a company official. The charter school's latest tax documents show it paid $762,322 in management fees.

While there does not appear to be anything illegal about Smith's steering tax money to the school from local assistance funds that he controls, the move raised some eyebrows.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Worry about the people lining their own pockets. Unless he is stealing the kids lunch money I guess he is just trying to fund a school for children. The other politicians should take that page from the playbook and run with it.

georgetheatheist said...

"...Smith received a total of $12,000 in campaign donations from Steven Klinsky..."

Here's how it's done. I wash your back. Then, you wash mine.

Anonymous said...

Wait, more will come out on Smith.