Friends of Ours

Federal Prosecutor: Dirty New York Politician Wanted To "Take . . . Out" Cooperating Witness

New York State Senator John Sampson has been indicted on corruption charges which include a shocking allegation that he sought a list of cooperating witnesses from a friend who worked for Brooklyn federal prosecutors "so he could arrange to 'take them out'" as reported by Mosi Secret for The New York Times.

It's ironic because Senator Sampson is a lawyer who unsuccessfully sought to unseat Brookln DA Charles Hynes in a 2005 primary as reported by Graham Rayman for the Village Voice.

The good senator "becomes the 32nd state politician to be indicted or convicted of a crime, censured or otherwise accused of misbehaving in the last seven years" -- probably just the tip of the iceberg -- in the Empire State as reported by the editorial board for The New York Times:  "New York's ever-expanding gallery of rogue politicians makes one wonder what can be done to keep the remaining unindicted lawmakers in line."

Former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti Dies At 94; Accused Of Long-Time Mafia Ties

Giulio Andreotti, the seven-time Italian prime minister who was long accused of Mafia ties, has died at 94 as reported by Flavia Krause-Jackson for Bloomberg:  "a court found him guilty of ordering the 1979 Mafia murder of Mino Pecorelli to stop the Sicilian journalist from publishing a book that . . . detail[ed] Andreotti's ties to organized crime and the U.S. secret services" but in October 2003 "Italy's highest appeals court reversed the ruling."

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.

U.S. Cash Finances Afghan Corruption

For years the CIA has been making monthly cash drops of  so-called "ghost money" to Afghan President Hamid Karzai which "goes to paying off warlords and politicians, many of whom have ties to the drug trade and, in some cases, the Taliban" as reported by Matthew Rosenberg for The New York Times:  "'the biggest source of corruption in Afghanistan,' one American official said, 'was the United States.'"

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."