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Saturday, August 22, 2020
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - Join Us For a Community Clean Up Event on Wednesday 8/26
Friday, August 21, 2020
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Leaders Of ‘We Build The Wall’ Online Fundraising Campaign Charged With Defrauding Hundreds Of Thousands Of Donors
Brian Kolfage, Stephen Bannon, and Two Others Alleged to Have Funneled Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars From the Organization to Kolfage; All Four Defendants Allegedly Profited From Their Roles in the Scheme
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced the unsealing of an indictment charging BRIAN KOLFAGE, STEPHEN BANNON, ANDREW BADOLATO, and TIMOTHY SHEA for their roles in defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign known as “We Build the Wall” that raised more than $25 million. The defendants were arrested this morning. KOLFAGE will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in the Northern District of Florida. BANNON will be presented today in the Southern District of New York. BADOLATO will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Wilson in the Middle District of Florida. SHEA will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix in the District of Colorado. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in the Southern District of New York.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction. While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. We thank the USPIS for their partnership in investigating this case, and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.”
Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: “The defendants allegedly engaged in fraud when they misrepresented the true use of donated funds. As alleged, not only did they lie to donors, they schemed to hide their misappropriation of funds by creating sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes, showing no regard for the law or the truth. This case should serve as a warning to other fraudsters that no one is above the law, not even a disabled war veteran or a millionaire political strategist.”
According to the Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
Starting in approximately December 2018, BRIAN KOLFAGE, STEPHEN BANNON, ANDREW BADOLATO, and TIMOTHY SHEA, and others, orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors, including donors in the Southern District of New York, in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign ultimately known as “We Build The Wall” that raised more than $25 million to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. In particular, to induce donors to donate to the campaign, KOLFAGE repeatedly and falsely assured the public that he would “not take a penny in salary or compensation” and that “100% of the funds raised . . . will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose” because, as BANNON publicly stated, “we’re a volunteer organization.”
Those representations were false. In truth, KOLFAGE, BANNON, BADOLATO, and SHEA received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor funds from We Build the Wall, which they each used in a manner inconsistent with the organization’s public representations. In particular, KOLFAGE covertly took for his personal use more than $350,000 in funds that donors had given to We Build the Wall, while BANNON, through a non-profit organization under his control (“Non-Profit-1”), received over $1 million from We Build the Wall, at least some of which BANNON used to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in BANNON’s personal expenses. To conceal the payments to KOLFAGE from We Build the Wall, KOLFAGE, BANNON, BADOLATO, and SHEA devised a scheme to route those payments from We Build the Wall to KOLFAGE indirectly through Non-Profit-1 and a shell company under SHEA’s control, among other avenues. They did so by using fake invoices and sham “vendor” arrangements, among other ways, to ensure, as KOLFAGE noted in a text message to BADOLATO, that his pay arrangement remained “confidential” and kept on a “need to know” basis.
KOLFAGE, 38, of Miramar Beach, Florida, BANNON, 66, of Washington, D.C., BADOLATO, 56, of Sarasota, Florida, and SHEA, 49, of Castle Rock, Colorado, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. She also thanked the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida for their assistance.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Governor Cuomo Signs into Law Sweeping Election Reforms
New Laws Will Make It Easier for New Yorkers to Vote and Be Counted in November
S.8015-D/A.10833 Authorizes Voters to Request an Absentee Ballot Due to Risk of Illness, Including COVID
S.8783A/A.10807 Authorizes Voters to Request Absentee Ballots Starting Today
S.8799A/A.10808-A Allows Ballots to Be Postmarked On the Day of the Election, November 3, 2020
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed into law sweeping election reforms that will make it easier for New Yorkers to vote and be counted in November. The three-part package includes new measures allowing absentee ballot applications to be submitted to the Board of Elections immediately, expanding the necessary protections to allow a voter to get an absentee ballot due to risk or fear of illness including COVID-19 and ensuring all absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day or received by the Board of Elections without a postmark on the day after the Election will be counted. Ballots with a postmark demonstrating that they were mailed on or before Election Day will be counted if received by November 10.
"The federal administration has ordered an unprecedented attack on the U.S. Postal Service and with COVID-19 threatening our ability to have safe, in-person voting, these measures are critical to ensuring a successful and fair election at one of the most important moments in our nation's history," Governor Cuomo said. "These actions will further break down barriers to democracy and will make it easier for all New Yorkers to exercise their right to vote this November."
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, "Voting access is one of the core foundations of our democracy. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we must ensure that no New Yorkers feel pressured to put their health and well-being at risk to exercise their Constitutional right to vote. I thank the bill sponsors for advancing this legislation, and my Senate Democratic Majority colleagues for their ongoing commitment to empower New York voters and Governor Cuomo for signing these bills."
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, "The Assembly Majority knows that democracy is best served when it is easier, not harder for Americans to vote. But the administration in Washington is once again proving that they do not value these critical democratic institutions, going as far as attacking the U.S. Postal Service to limit access to voting by mail. Here in New York, we will not stand for that. Earlier this year, we passed legislation to expand voters access to mail in voting, and we will continue to fight to make it easier and safer for New Yorkers to exercise their constitutional right to vote, and protect the integrity of our elections."
NYS Economy Added 244,200 Private Sector Jobs in July 2020
State’s Private Sector Job Count Grew Faster Than Nation’s
In July 2020, the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased over the month by 244,200, or 3.6%, to 7,116,200, according to preliminary figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor. By way of comparison, the U.S. private sector job count grew by 1.3% in July 2020.
New York State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 15.6% to 15.9% in July 2020. In July 2020, the number of unemployed New York State residents increased by 60,000, while labor force levels increased by 204,800. The increase in the unemployment rate — despite New York State adding 244,200 private sector jobs — may be explained by a combination of the use of different data sources for the two figures, the use of statistical regression models to determine the unemployment rate, a growing labor force, and the impact of out-of-state workers, among other factors.
The number of private sector jobs in New York State is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 New York businesses conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Monthly payroll employment estimates are preliminary and subject to revision as more complete data become available the following month. The BLS calculates New York State’s unemployment rate based partly upon the results of the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) of approximately 3,100 households in the State.
Note: Seasonally adjusted data are used to provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month – for example, July 2019 versus July 2020.
See State and Area Job Data (opens in new window)
See Labor Market Overview (opens in new window)
See Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet (opens in new window)
STATEMENT FROM NYS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMISSIONER BASIL SEGGOS on the Decision in the Case brought by Poly-Pak Industries, Inc., et al
The Court’s decision is a victory and a vindication of New York State’s efforts to end the scourge of single-use plastic bags and a direct rebuke to the plastic bag manufacturers who tried to stop our law. DEC encourages New Yorkers to transition to reusable bags whenever and wherever they shop and to use common-sense precautions to keep reusable bags clean.
Governor Cuomo Announces New York's COVID-19 Hospitalizations Drop to Lowest Number Since March 18
518 Hospitalizations Yesterday
13th Straight Day with Infection Rate Below 1 Percent—0.74 Percent of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive
ICU Patients Match Previous Low of 120—Lowest Since March 16
5 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
SLA and State Police Task Force Observes Violations of State Requirements at 3 Establishments
Confirms 601 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 427,803; New Cases in 44 Counties
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State's COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped to 518—the lowest number since March 18. Yesterday's infection rate of 0.74 percent marked the 13th straight day with an infection rate below 1 percent. The number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs dropped to 120, matching the state's previous low since March 16. The governor also updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.
"Our state's continuing fight against COVID-19 has taken tremendous hard work and discipline from all New Yorkers, and we're seeing results—a new low for hospitalizations, 13 straight days of an infection rate below 1 percent and a match of a previous low for patients in ICUs," Governor Cuomo said. "I want to commend New Yorkers for practicing the basic daily behaviors—social distancing, washing hands and wearing masks—that make an enormous difference in our capacity to slow the spread, save lives and bring the state's infection rate from one of the nation's highest to one of its lowest. But now isn't the time to get complacent, and local governments must continue to enforce state guidance and New Yorkers must stay vigilant in the face of a continuing crisis throughout this country and around the world."
Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,230 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 3 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:
- Brooklyn - 1
- Manhattan - 2
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
- Patient Hospitalization - 518 (-30)
- Patients Newly Admitted - 62
- Hospital Counties - 28
- Number ICU - 120 (-11)
- Number ICU with Intubation - 62 (+2)
- Total Discharges - 74,406 (+78)
- Deaths - 5
- Total Deaths - 25,275
Governor Cuomo Signs Executive Order Extending Moratorium on COVID-Related Commercial Evictions Until September 20
Builds on Governor's Actions to Protect Both Residential and Commercial Tenants from Eviction and Late Rent Fees amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed an executive order extending the state's moratorium on COVID-related commercial evictions and foreclosures an additional month, until September 20th. This measure extends protections already in place for commercial tenants and mortgagors in recognition of the financial toll the pandemic has taken on business owners, including retail establishments and restaurants. The extension of this protection gives commercial tenants and mortgagors additional time to get back on their feet and catch up on rent or renegotiate their leasing terms to avoid eviction proceedings and foreclosures moving forward.
"While we have made great progress in keeping New York's infection rate low, this pandemic is not over and as we continue to fight the virus, we are continuing to protect New York businesses and residential tenants who face financial hardship due to COVID," Governor Cuomo said. "I am extending the State's moratorium on commercial evictions to ensure business owners across New York will not be forced to close as a result of the pandemic."
Governor Cuomo first announced a State moratorium on residential and commercial evictions on March 20 to ensure no tenant was evicted during the height of the public health emergency. The commercial eviction and foreclosure moratorium was extended through August 20 by Executive Order, and the Governor signed the Tenant Safe Harbor Act and additional legislation to protect residential renters and homeowners from foreclosure or eviction due to a COVID-19 financial hardship. Governor Cuomo also ordered additional protection for residential renters from charges for late payment of rent and allowing tenants to use security deposits to pay rent for residential tenants.