Questioning Citizens Union

Here is my column "100 PERCENT" titled "Questioning Citizens Union" that appeared in this weeks Bronx News, Parkchester News, and Coop-City News.

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

Questioning Citizens Union

   Before I get into the headline Bronx Week is in full swing, and will be ending this Sunday with the 42^nd Annual Bronx Week Parade along Mosholu Parkway. Also on Mosholu Parkway will be the Bronx Week Food & Arts Festival, and the Bronx Grand Finale Concert. This event begins at 12 noon and runs to 6 PM. Don't miss a second of the events that happen right after each other.

   Last week I forgot to bid a farewell to one of the people in Albany that I knew was corruptible, that being Former Democratic Conference Leader Senator John Sampson. It looks like Sampson will be checking into Chez Federal Housing Program soon after he is convicted. It is to bad that this is happening during the Cuomo era where the current governor has said that he is going to crack down on corruption in Albany by appointing an ethics committee. So what has JCOPE done besides having people resign from it, and not be allowed to talk about the corruption that still exists in Albany.

   Former Assemblyman Peter Rivera's law partner & campaign treasurer David Griffiths has been sentenced to five months in the Chez Federal Housing Program after being convicted of mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to the government. Griffiths was the head of the Neighborhood Enhancement for Training Services (NETS) of which it was reported that Assemblyman Peter Rivera appropriated $1.8 million dollars to, in addition to $250,000.00 from his law firm to NETS. Peter Rivera is now the commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor as appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

  

  As for our headline, Citizens Union has compiled a 122 page report titled “Hidden From View the Undisclosed Campaign Activity of Political Clubs in New York. The report states that after the conviction of former Councilman Larry Seabrook the matter of political clubs was looked into. The report does not list any wrongdoings by any of the political clubs listed, hinting only that with the recent arrests and convictions the reporting process needs to be changed which is little or none at all as mentioned. There is emphasis on the top 20 clubs with unusual data listed that makes little sense until one looks at the acknowledgments.

   There are several comments about the Ben Franklin Club and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz stating that he was the club's president three times on page 8, and repeated on page 23. On page 27 Citizens union goes after the Ben Franklin Club again saying that the club has received contributions from PACs such as Senator Jeff Klein, Senator Adriano Espaillat, Assemblyman and County Leader Carl Heastie, and even Governor Cuomo that were not reported. There is even a reference and footnote to my blog about a fundraiser I had listed on the blog for the Ben Franklin Club.

    

   As for the acknowledgment page there is one name that sounded very familiar to me that being the name Tony Cassino. Was this contributor and CU board member the same Anthony Perez Cassino that ran for city council against Councilman G. Oliver Koppell who was endorsed by the Ben Franklin Club? Was this the same Anthony Perez Cassino who has a blog that tries to berate Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and those associated with him every chance Mr. Cassino can? Also just how did a Cassino friendly Riverdale newspaper have this information about a CU report that came out the same day of the deadline of the newspaper, with details of the CU report?

   I called Citizens Union to speak to the Executive Director Dick Draddy to get answers to my questions. Mr. Draddy tried to downplay Mr. Cassino's part in the CU report, but admitted that Mr. Cassino did contribute to the CU report. I asked Mr. Draddy if he knew about the history between Mr. Cassino and the Ben Franklin Club, Assemblyman Dinowitz, and that Mr. Cassino ran unsuccessfully in 2009 against a candidate that was endorsed by both the club and assemblyman. Draddy was unfamiliar with the facts I mentioned, and could not explain how the Riverdale newspaper friendly to Mr. Cassino was able to do what it did given the very short time span to do so. I also asked why Mr. Cassino's political club that Mr. Cassino had co-founded was not listed, and was told that the report went back only to 2009, and that his club must have filed all the papers required. I also asked why the name Tony Cassino and not the name Anthony Perez Cassino that was used to run for office was listed in the CU report. I want to thank Mr. Draddy for his answers and the quick way he responded and answered my questions. I think he answered them as he thinks political clubs do.

   I asked Assemblyman Dinowitz about the Citizens Union report. Dinowitz said that Citizens Union did not disclose any facts about contributor and board member Anthony Perez Cassino's conflict of interest in contributing to the report. Dinowitz added that the Ben Franklin Club (to which he belongs) has done nothing wrong, has filed any and all forms that are required by the Board of Elections, and that he was president of the club about 20 years ago.

 

   Citizens Union on two pages of the report lists six different paragraphs of criteria (with several sub headings) of changes to the current required filings, which starts by saying that “the State Board of Elections should notify all political clubs of their obligation to register as a political committee and file required campaign finance reports”.

   Lastly the Bangladeshi Community for State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz Sr. will be holding a fu8nd raiser for Senator Diaz on Saturday May 18^th from 1:30 – 3:30 PM at the Oasis Mediterranean restaurant located at 1907 White Plains Road (off Rhinelander Avenue).

   Don't forget to check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com for more on these stories, any items that may come in after our deadline, and to see the many photos of the events. If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press. 

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