Monday, September 17, 2012

Vito's trail of tweeding


From the Daily News:

Years before his political career imploded in a sexual harassment scandal, Brooklyn political boss Vito Lopez amassed power and loyalty by awarding supporters and their families with jobs, titles and with one of the most coveted perks in New York City: cheap housing.

Using his sway in the state Assembly, the Brooklyn Democratic Party and his influence over public agencies like the city Housing Authority, he hooked up friends, allies — and several elected officials.

Among the beneficiaries: City Councilwoman Diana Reyna who started her career in New York politics as a member of Lopez’s Assembly staff.

In 1997, while Reyna was working for Lopez, her sister, Melida Gonzalez, was selected through a lottery to buy a taxpayer-subsidized multi-family home in Bushwick for only $179,000. The house included a nice property tax break that will cut her bill nearly by 50% this year.

Other beneficiaries of Lopez’s power are Councilman Erik Dilan (D-Brooklyn) and his father, state Sen. Martin Dilan (D-Brooklyn) who have funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to Ridgewood-Bushwick and received devoted political support from Lopez.

Lopez also combined his power as Democratic Party boss with his control of Ridgewood-Bushwick to help put favored judges on the bench in Brooklyn. One way he does that is through delegates who pick judicial candidates at party conventions. A News review found at least 11 delegates who were also employed by Ridgewood-Bushwick.


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

In 1997, while Reyna was working for Lopez, her sister, Melida Gonzalez, was selected through a lottery to buy a taxpayer-subsidized multi-family home in Bushwick for only $179,000. The house included a nice property tax break that will cut her bill nearly by 50% this year.

The statute of limitations is probably passed on this one, but it smells fishy.....

Snake Plissskin said...

Its time we ditch machine politics.

The 200 year old institution has long outlived its usefulness.

Anonymous said...

Many of the so called facts in this story are just plain wrong. The Daily News persist is printing fabrications.

Someone who knows.

Anonymous said...

You can report all his patronage and how many times Lopez has broken the law. However, please know that nothing is going to happen to this guy, nor is anything going to happen to Sheldon Silver. This is politicas as usual. They all do this and we can't do anything about it. You will be reporting the same stuff in ten years. They will still be in power.

Anonymous said...

is not democrat (D.I.N.O.) dictatorship grand ?

if they all do it, then they all must be stopped.

we want our "FAIR SHARE".

Someone else who knows. said...

Anon No. 3:

The Daily News wouldn't publish stuff like this without LOTS of back-up evidence. This article is a direct hit on a nasty guy.

Anonymous said...

imagine if these types of government officials controlled the U.S.State Dept. Foreign Policy ?

wait a minute....? THEY DO.

Anonymous said...

Pam Fisher split the ticket so Ognibene could squeek in in 1991.

Anonymous said...

So while most of us here pointlessly apply for city jobs by sending in cover letters and resumes, Vito filled the vacancies with his cronies.

Anonymous said...

La famiglia di politicos.

One hand washes the other!