Friday, October 27, 2017

Pay to play spelled out at trial

From the Daily News:

One of Mayor de Blasio's biggest donors took the witness stand Thursday to spell out in crystal clear language how he showered Hizzoner with money and got the results he expected from City Hall.

The embarrassing pay-to-play testimony came from Jona Rechnitz, a Brooklyn businessman who pleaded guilty to corruption charges and is the star witness in the trial of disgraced jail union boss Norman Seabrook.

Describing one element of the criminal offense to which he admitted guilt, Rechnitz, 33, kept it simple, saying he “was giving money to the mayor of New York in exchange for favors.”

The deep-pocket donor for the first time detailed his regular interactions with the mayor, revealing that de Blasio came to his office before the 2013 election, gave him his personal cell number on the back of a business card, and “told me to call if there’s anything I need, always be in touch.”

He also detailed his multiple transactions with de Blasio’s top aide, Ross Offinger, portraying him as a sort of bag man who regularly solicited money for the mayor while carrying Rechnitz’s many demands for favors to City Hall.

16 comments:

(sarc) said...

And the majority will still vote for the corrupt communist...

Anonymous said...

Dump di Blasio and dump Vallone too those two birds of a feather have to go!!

JQ LLC said...

This story and scandal is just not going to fall in the memory hole. No matter how much the dem machine d.a.'s try to avoid it.

Sure the Blaz is the heavy favorite, but his victory will not guarantee a secure holding on the mayoralty.

Expect this to come up in the next debate on CBS. Hopefully, Ms. Kramer will bring this up. Nicole should use this story for her one question only segment.

de Faustio must lose. I have a feeling he will come up with a "morning mayor" to run this city during his commute and workout.

Anonymous said...

So why isn't the mayor also on trial?

Anonymous said...

DOPE should have been arrested along with the two idiot DOB nspectors for doing the same thing !

Anonymous said...

And that idiot Preet STILL couldn't find anything on him!!!

Remind me again why everyone thought that guys sh*t didn't stink?

Gary W said...

I love this blog, but it just completely depressing to read it around election time.

All year long we read about our piss poor electeds, and come election day they all keep their jobs.

What's even more depressing is I'm sure the insiders all read our comments and laugh their asses off at our expense. Because they know we know the truth, but are completely impotent.

Anonymous said...

Anyone with even half a brain would not vote to elect such a morally corrupt, scheming, lying pos like dumblassio. Oh wait... Trump. Never mind.

Anonymous said...

How can anyone still vote for this guy?

Universal Pre-K and ThriveNYC don't make up for Vision Zero, much less for this.

Anonymous said...

A real alternative should have been chosen to run against deBlasio....Nicole is not well known and doesn't have the money to draw vote. Bo Dietl, to be kind, seems like he's a little long on dry wall and a little short on nails...i mean he's crazy. So DeBlasio's going to get a second term, not because he's a good mayor, but because there is no one really strong running against him, and people are just too fed up to bother to vote anymore. Now The Mayor has decided to empanel a commission to examine monuments and statues in the City. You can guarantee that this is going to be stacked with a bunch of pencil necked academics and idiot cousins of political cronies all with an ax to grind. Watch the statues come tumbling down. That will be DeBlasio's legacy, that and the legions of junkies, drunks, mentally disturbed, and down and out homeless who now own the street. Go by 8th and 9th Avenue between 34 and 48th street. It's starting to get out of control...I live in Astoria and it's starting to get out of control here too

Anonymous said...

Preet was fired mid-investigation. Don't blame him for what he was not allowed to finish.

Anonymous said...

'A real alternative should have been chosen to run against deBlasio.'

Absolutely correct! But the Republicans like the lovable loser label too much and won't go out and push back against corruption or government bloating and waste. So much easier to whine and complain and then cash the check.

The Democrat's don't want to rock the boat. They would elect Anthony Weiner in prison duds just to have a Democrat in power. They don't have the moral courage to stand up to all of this dirty dealing.

What we needed (and it kills me to write it) was a respected Democrat to run as a Republican (a la Bloomberg) to pump the breaks and start us back towards fiscal and social sanity.

That ship has sailed, unfortunately. The next four years are going to be scary.

The one light: you had to have a Dinkins to have a Guiliani. Who is the next Guiliani?

Anonymous said...

Got a call from melinda katz volunteer. .when I asked him if she was a Democrat or Republican. .he hesitated and didn't know the answer...I hung up in disgust. .the Democrats are desperate and foolish

Anonymous said...

Katz hates dogs. And the working clas,too.

Gary W said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Preet was fired mid-investigation. Don't blame him for what he was not allowed to finish.

You lie.

Anonymous said...

And how is it that this corrupt piece of shit is not even indicted?