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Montreal Mayor Hit With Corruption Charges

Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum has been arrested on corruption charges which "relate to obtaining permission and political support for two real estate projects" between 2006 and 2011 when he headed a city borough as reported by CBC News.

Applebaum took over mayoral responsibilities in the City of Saints after his predecessor Gérald Tremblay resigned last November amid a corruption inquiry into allegations that the Montreal Mafia and public officials were colluding together in the award of government contracts to construction companies from which they took kickbacks.

In January Applebaum fended off claims that he was mobbed up, and held a press conference to respond to allegations that he "attended a political fundraiser in 2003 at a restaurant owned and frequented by Mafia associates, and that he was involved in generous government grants given to Tony Magi, a real-estate developer [allegedly] linked to Montreal's Rizzuto clan" as reported by Rene Bruemmer for The Gazette:

"I have never given favours to anybody, never received any funds, never gone on any boat trips," Applebaum said. "I am not afraid of the Mafia, I do not hang out with the Mafia and I do not know members of the Mafia. They are not friends of mine."

The Montreal Mafia is engaged in an ongoing turf war among rival clans for control over the drug trade which has left dozens dead in the last few years.

Dirty Congressman Faces Four Years

Federal prosecutors are seeking four years in prison for Jesse Jackson Jr. after the dirtbag Congressman from Chicago, IL pleaded guilty to looting campaign funds for personal use as reported by Politico:  "once a rising star in Democratic politics, the 48-year-old Jackson pleaded guilty in February to using more than $750,000 from his campaign to cover a stunning range of personal expenses in thousands of transactions, including including home renovations, furniture, school tuition, groceries, a $43,000 Rolex watch, fur coats and memorabilia associated with Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Bruce Lee."

Apparently the couple that steals together won't go to jail together.  Jackson's wife Sandi "faces up to 18 months in federal prison as part of the couple's illegal scheme" but "prosecutors have requested that their prison sentences be staggered so that both aren't in prison at the same time" since the crooks have two young children.

The pair will be sentenced on July 1.

Raw Sewage Runs Through New York

The foul stench from the political sewers once again is polluting New York.

A federal jury has convicted two former associates of city comptroller and mayoral candidate John C. Liu "for their roles in attempting to funnel money to the Liu campaign through an illegal fund-raising scheme" as reported by Benjamin Weiser for The New York Times:  "prosecutors sought to portray the Liu campaign as condoning, if not outright orchestrating, questionable practices designed to maximize fund-raising, and that the two defendants’ actions merely fit into a larger pattern."

Last month six politicians were charged for their alleged roles in an election scheme by which Democratic state Senator Malcolm Smith "paid top Republicans for permission to run on their ticket in the city's upcoming mayoral race" as then reported by Edith Honan for Reuters, and in announcing their indictment United States Attorney Preet Bharara said in a press release that "a show-me-the-money culture seems to pervade every level of New York government" which stretches from the city to the capital, and "we will continue pursuing and punishing every corrupt official we find."

In a follow-up speech Bharara said before the Citizens Crime Commission that "his office has been adding staff to its public-corruption unit," and law enforcement will "use every aggressive and creative tool at our disposal -- wiretaps and confidential informants and undercover agents and stings" as reported by Joseph Spector for Politics on the Hudson.

Indeed, another round of corruption indictments against New York politicians may be in the works.  Disgraced state senator Shirley L. Huntley from Queens "recorded multiple elected officials at the direction of federal prosecutors last year while she was still serving in the Legislature," and "prosecutors indicated that her recordings may help them bring charges against another, unnamed senator, and two other elected officials" as reported by Thomas Kaplan for The New York Times.

Bharara previously spent five years as a mob-busting AUSA prosecuting the Gambino and Colombo crime families, and he may find taking on dirty New York politicans is a more daunting task.

Meanwhile, dirtbag Congressman Charlie Rangel "is suing House Speaker John Boehner and six other lawmakers to overturn his censure on ethics charges" on the laughable claim that his due process rights or something were violated as reported by Kevin Robillard for Politico:   "the House voted overwhelmingly to censure Rangel," and "the censure covered a wide range of activities, including using a rent-controlled apartment in Harlem as a campaign office, using congressional stationery and staff to solicit funds for an academic center named after Rangel and failing to pay taxes on rental income for 17 years."

Rangel is represented by Jay Goldberg who was a long-time defense lawyer for now-dead Genovese capo Matty Ianniello as reported by the New York Post.  For decades Ianniello ran the Times Square vice rackets which included his gay bars out of which teenage hustlers sold themselves to chicken hawks.

In late 2010 the House voted 333 over 79 to censure the former Ways and Means Committee Chair, and now instead of accepting responsibility for his ethical violations Rangel blames political persecution and in a Nixonian riff insists "I am not corrupt."

Of course, in a representative democracy the problem really isn't with the slimeball politicians but the New Yorkers who keep electing them.

Federal Prosecutor Preet Bharara Targets Dirty New York Politicians

Earlier this month six politicians were charged with attempting to fix the next New York mayoral election, and in announcing their indictment United States Attorney Preet Bharara said in a press release that "a show-me-the-money culture seems to pervade every level of New York government" which stretches from the city to the capital, and "we will continue pursuing and punishing every corrupt official we find."

Apparently those harsh words were no idle warning.

In a speech yesterday before the Citizens Crime Commission the federal prosecutor "said his office has been adding staff to its public-corruption unit," and law enforcement will "use every aggressive and creative tool at our disposal -- wiretaps and confidential informants and undercover agents and stings" as reported by Joseph Spector for Politics on the Hudson.

That's some shot across the bow.

Bharara previously spent five years as a mob-busting AUSA prosecuting the Gambino and Colombo crime families.

Citizens Crime Commission Prepared Remarks

Meanwhile, dirtbag Congressman Charlie Rangel "is suing House Speaker John Boehner and six other lawmakers to overturn his censure on ethics charges" on the laughable claim that his due process rights or something were violated as reported by Kevin Robillard for Politico:   "the House voted overwhelmingly to censure Rangel," and "the censure covered a wide range of activities, including using a rent-controlled apartment in Harlem as a campaign office, using congressional stationery and staff to solicit funds for an academic center named after Rangel and failing to pay taxes on rental income for 17 years."

Montreal Politician Disclaims Mob At Graft Inquiry

The Charbonneau Commission is investigating corruption allegations involving the Montreal Mafia and dirty officials in the award of public contracts in the construction industry, and yesterday Frank Zampino who once headed the city's executive committee testified that he was not a mob tool as reported by Sidhartha Banerjee for The Canadian Press:  "Zampino has frequently been mentioned at the inquiry as being close to various players involved in corruption."