Arrests in Scheme to Fix Republican Nomination for Mayor

    In a six count indictment released by the United States Attorney, State Senator Malcolm Smith, Queens Councilman Dan Halloran, Bronx County Republican Leader Jay Savino, and Queens county Republican Vice-Chair Vincent Tabone were arrested this morning for attempting to fix the Republican candidate choice in the upcoming mayors race in New York City by defrauding the public. Also as part of the indictment the mayor and deputy mayor of Spring Valley were arrested for their part in a scheme with Senator Smith to defraud New York State on a contract Smith was to have approved with the officials for a Spring Valley road.

    Starting from about November 2012 the complaint states that Smith, Hallogan, Savino, and Tabone (together with others known and unknown) willfully and knowingly did combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together with each other to commit offenses against the United States, to wit, wire fraud and bribery in violation of Title 18, United States code, sections 1343, 1346, and 1952.

    Time-line- Nov. 2012 - Undercover FBI agent (Thomas Holmes) posing as a wealth real estate developer and an unidentified cooperating witness met with Smith to bribe leaders of the Republican Party County Committee to obtain certificates of authorization called Wilson Pakula certificates allowing Smith to run as a Republican candidate for mayor of New York City even though Smith was a registered Democrat. It is then stated that Queens Councilman Dan Halloran met with the pair to negotiate the amount of bribes to Savino and Tabone for the Wilson Pakula certificates, and Halloran was given $20,500.00 for his services. 

 

    Feb 2013- Smith agrees to use his official position to obtain New York State funds for the Spring Valley Project. Savino meets the UC in a Manhattan restaurant and accepts $15,000.00 in cash in the UC's car. Tabone meets the UC in a Manhattan restaurant and accepts $25,000.00 in cash in the UC's car. Also in February Smith suggested that the UC and the state senator representing the Spring Valley area meet concerning the funding for the Spring Valley project.

    March 2013- Telephone and text messages continue between the UC, CW, Smith, and Halloran as to the status of the Wilson Pakulas. Smith is quoted as saying “before any committee leader receives a nickle more (he'd) have to on the Empire State Building and drop every person (he) endorsed, and hold Malcolm up and say he's the best thing since sliced bread”. “Matter of fact, he's better than sliced bread”.

   April 2013- The arrest of Smith, Halloran, Savino, Tabone, the mayor and deputy mayor of Spring Valley. 

 

  The entire 28 page indictment can be found at http://www.scribd.com/doc/133591161/Smith-Malcolm-Et-Al-Complaint-Signed .