MAYOR DE BLASIO AND CHANCELLOR CARRANZA ANNOUNCE RECORD HIGH GRADUATION RATE

Graduation rate rises to 77.3 percent, increases in all five boroughs as achievement gap continues to narrow

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza today announced that New York City’s 2019 four-year high school graduation rate has reached a record high of 77.3 percent. Since the start of the administration, the graduation rate has increased 8.9 percentage points, from 68.4 percent in August 2014 to 77.3 percent in August 2019.

“I have never accepted the status quo and I certainly won’t when it comes to the future of our children,” said Mayor de Blasio. “For the sixth year in a row our record graduation rate is proving that when you invest in equity and excellence for every student in every neighborhood, success follows.” 

“New York City students continue to raise the bar and then exceed it. For the sixth consecutive year, we have achieved a record high graduation rate of 77.3 percent, and this year we are seeing that success grow across every borough and every demographic,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “This isn’t happening in a vacuum—college readiness rates and postsecondary enrollment rates continue to rise, and we’re on track to achieve our goal of an 84 percent graduation rate by 2026. We’re going to continue to focus on narrowing the achievement gap and ensure that we are seeing both equity and excellence in action in our schools every day.”

Among the cohort of students who entered 9^th grade in the fall of 2015, the graduation rate rose 1.4 percentage points compared to the year prior. For the sixth consecutive year under this administration, graduation rates hit record highs, graduation success is across the board, and the achievement gap continues to narrow:

• The graduation rate was 88.2 percent for Asian students in 2019, a 0.1 point increase from 2018 and a 5.6 point increase from 2014.
• The graduation rate was 73.7 percent for Black students in 2019, a 1.6 point increase from 2018 and a 9.9 point increase from 2014.
• The graduation rate was 72.0 percent for Hispanic students in 2019, a 2.1 point increase from 2018 and a 10.6 point increase from 2014.
• The graduation rate was 85.0 percent for White students in 2019, a 0.8 point increase from 2018 and a 4.4 point increase from 2014. 

The graduation rate for Current English Language Learners (students who were identified as ELLs during the school year of their last enrollment) and Former English Language Learners  (students who had been classified as ELLs and exited ELL status within the past two school years) increased by 4.3 percentage points, rising from 57.4% in 2018 to 61.7% in 2019. When looking just at Current English Language Learners, the graduation rate increased by 6.2 percentage points since 2018, which is more than twice the gain made by the rest of the State.

There were also gains among students with disabilities, with a 2.1 percentage point increase, rising from 50.4% in 2018 to 52.6% in 2019. Since 2014, graduation rates for students with disabilities in New York City have increased by 12.1 percentage points, outpacing the gains made by the rest of the State over the past five years.

The largest improvement in graduation rates was in the Bronx, with a borough-wide record-high of 70.2%.

	Graduation
	2019 # Cohort	% 2019 Grad	% 2018 Grad	Pt. Diff
Bronx	13,891	70.2	67.4	+2.8
Brooklyn	20,385	77.0	76.6	+2.2
Manhattan	15,274	78.3	76.7	+1.6
Queens	19,788	80.7	79.5	+1.1
Staten Island	4,434	82.7	80.8	+2.0

The improvements in graduation rates reflect larger improvements in postsecondary awareness, readiness, and access across New York City public schools. Earlier this school year, Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza announced:

• The highest-ever postsecondary enrollment rate – 62 percent. A record-high 48,782 students in the Class of 2018 enrolled in college, up approximately 8,000 students since the start of the administration and approximately 3,600 students compared to the year prior.
• The highest-ever college readiness rate – 54.9 percent of all students, and 70.7 percent of graduates, in the Class of 2019 graduated high school on time and met CUNY’s standards for college readiness in English and math.
• New York City students have now outperformed their New York State peers on State ELA exams for four years in a row, after doing so for the first time in 2016. They have closed the gap with their New York State peers on State math exams, with 46 percent of students meeting proficiency standards in Math.

Together, the Equity and Excellence for All initiatives are building a pathway to success in college and careers for all students. Our schools are starting earlier – free, full-day, high-quality education for three-year-olds and four-year-olds through 3-K for All and Pre-K for All. They are strengthening foundational skills and instruction earlier – Universal Literacy so that every student is reading on grade level by the end of 2nd grade; and Algebra for All to improve elementary- and middle-school math instruction and ensure that all 8th graders have access to algebra. They are offering students more challenging, hands-on, college and career-aligned coursework – Computer Science for All brings 21st-century computer science instruction to every school, and AP for All will give all high school students access to at least five Advanced Placement courses. Along the way, they are giving students and families additional support through College Access for All, Single Shepherd, and investment in Community Schools. Efforts to create more diverse and inclusive classrooms, including Equity & Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City Public Schools are central to this pathway.

Seven High-Ranking Members Of Violent Trinitarios Gang Charged With Murder, Racketeering, And Firearms Offenses

  Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Keith M. Corlett, Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and  Margaret Garnett, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging EDIBERTO SANTANA, a/k/a “Flaco Veneno,” MIGUEL GENAO, a/k/a “Sombra,” CARLOS RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Guerra,” DARINSO MARTE REYES, a/k/a “Cibao,” ANGEL CRISPIN, a/k/a “Secreto,” JOSE MARICHAL, a/k/a “Menor,” a/k/a “El Menol,” and ENIEL VASQUEZ, a/k/a “Dominican Flow,” with participating in a racketeering conspiracy as members of Sunset, a violent set of the Trinitarios gang.  SANTANA and RAMIREZ are charged with the October 23, 2013, murder of Michael Beltre, and SANTANA is also charged with the November 17, 2013, murder of Rafael Alam.  Six defendants were arrested today and were presented this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.  The seventh defendant was already in federal custody on separate charges.  The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Paul A. Crotty.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants in this case include high-ranking members of a violent set of the Trinitarios gang known as Sunset.  The violence perpetrated by Sunset members is exemplified by the two murders charged in today’s indictment.  Thanks to the efforts of our partners at the DEA, HSI, NYPD, NYSP, and DOI, the defendants now face federal charges for these most serious of crimes.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond P. Donovan said:  “Today’s arrests reemphasize that the Trinitarios have put New Yorkers in the cross hairs of gang violence and crime.  Throughout this investigation, two murders and numerous violent crimes including assaults, robberies, and drug trafficking were uncovered.   I applaud our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and New York City Department of Investigation for their diligent work.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said:  “With today’s arrest of seven members of the Bronx Sunset Trinitarios, a violent sub-set of the Trinitarios National Gang, HSI New York has helped to make the Bronx safer for everyday New Yorkers.  Those arrested today used violence and intimidation to carry out their illegal activities which led to today’s charges, including racketeering, firearms offenses and murder.  HSI, along with its Federal, State and Local law enforcement partners, remain vigilant in our fight against violent gangs and are committed to ridding our city of them.”

DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said:  "The charges in this case demonstrate the significant threat that street gangs continue to pose to the safety of New York City neighborhoods. DOI is proud to work with our law enforcement partners on this investigation, holding accountable those whose criminal activity undermines New Yorkers' right to live in safe communities."

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and statements made in court[1]:

EDIBERTO SANTANA, a/k/a “Flaco Veneno,” MIGUEL GENAO, a/k/a “Sombra,” CARLOS RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Guerra,” DARINSO MARTE REYES, a/k/a “Cibao,” ANGEL CRISPIN, a/k/a “Secreto,” JOSE MARICHAL, a/k/a “Menor,” a/k/a “El Menol,” and ENIEL VASQUEZ, a/k/a “Dominican Flow,” are members and associates of a racketeering enterprise known as “Sunset,” which operates in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, New York, among other locations.  Sunset is a set or chapter of the nationwide Trinitarios gang.  In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, Sunset members and associates committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics; committed robberies; engaged in fraud; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms.

On or about October 23, 2013, SANTANA and RAMIREZ participated in the murder of Michael Beltre in the vicinity of Jerome Avenue and 193rd Street in the Bronx, New York.

On or about November 17, 2013, SANTANA participated in the murder of Rafael Alam in the vicinity of Jerome Avenue and 174th Street in the Bronx, New York.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA, HSI, NYPD, NYSP, and DOI.

Staten Island Woman Sentenced To 2 Years In Prison For Defrauding Police Charity Of Over $400,000

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LORRAINE SHANLEY was sentenced today to two years in prison for bank fraud and subscribing to false and fraudulent individual income tax returns, in connection with fraudulently obtaining over $400,000 from a charity providing support to the families of New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers killed in the line of duty.  SHANLEY pled guilty on September 20, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “With every paycheck, thousands of New York City Police Department officers and employees donated to charity to support the surviving spouses and children of officers killed in the line of duty.  Yet for years, Lorraine Shanley exploited that generosity, using her position as the charity’s volunteer treasurer to steal over $400,000 for herself and her family.  Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who commit such fraud will face serious consequences.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint and Information, public court filings, and statements made in court:

From 2010 to 2017, SHANLEY served as a volunteer treasurer for Survivors of the Shield, a charity that provides financial support to the families of NYPD officers killed in the line of duty.  During that time period, Survivors of the Shield received approximately $1.9 million in donations, over 99% of which came from NYPD employees, from an average of 5,500 NYPD employees per year. 

SHANLEY was an authorized signatory on Survivors of the Shield’s bank account and credit card, and was authorized to use them for Survivor of the Shield’s operations.  But SHANLEY also used the bank account and credit card to benefit herself and her family members.  From 2010 to 2017, SHANLEY fraudulently obtained over $400,000 from Survivors of the Shield’s coffers, taking money for herself and relatives, and paying for various personal expenditures such as landscaping, dental bills, event tickets, airfare, hotels, and shopping at high-end retailers.

In addition to the prison term, SHANLEY, 69, of Staten Island, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $406,851 and to pay restitution of $406,851 to Survivors of the Shield, including $290,000 to be paid within 30 days of today's judgment, and $103,983 to the IRS.

Mr. Berman thanked the Internal Revenue Service and special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their outstanding investigative work.

Attorney General James Announces Settlement With Paypal Charitable Giving Fund, Inc. To Ensure Transparency In Charitable Donations

Attorney General Letitia James, together with 22 state law enforcement partners, has reached an agreement with PayPal Charitable Giving Fund, Inc. to ensure donors receive adequate information and disclosures when making charitable contributions through the company’s online fundraising platform.

“Every individual who chooses to donate funds deserves transparency and honesty throughout the process,” said Attorney General James, co-chair of the charities committee for National Association of Attorneys General. “My office is committed to ensuring that hard-earned dollars go where intended, and that no entity takes advantage of the generosity of New Yorkers.”

PayPal Charitable Giving Fund, Inc. (PPGF) is the charitable arm of PayPal, Inc. PPGF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that allows donors to contribute funds electronically to PPGF and to select a charity to receive their contribution. PPFG then aggregates all the contributions and distributes them accordingly to the various charities. PPGF does not collect fees from donors or charities for this service; however, a charity receives contributions more quickly if the charity maintains a PayPal account, a fact that had not been adequately disclosed to donors. And in some instances, PPGF redirected donors’ contributions from the charity selected by the donor to other organizations with similar purposes without informing donors.

Charities regulators nationwide joined the effort to investigate PPGF’s fundraising activities, including its disclosures, vetting practices, and treatment of charitable contributions. To address the states’ concerns, PPGF agreed to adopt reforms to its disclosures to ensure that donors know:

• that they are contributing to PPGF;
• the timeframe in which a selected charity may receive funds from PPGF; and 
• the implication of being an enrolled rather than an unenrolled charity on the PPGF platform.

PPGF also agreed to notify donors when it redirects a donor’s charitable contribution to an organization other than the one selected by the donor. PPGF will provide regulators with future fundraising campaign data to ensure the organization is complying with its obligations under the agreement.

Finally, PPGF agreed to make a payment of $200,000 to the National Association of Attorneys General for deposit into the NAAG Charities Enforcement and Training Fund. This Fund has been established to defray costs associated with the investigation and litigation of cases brought by state charities regulators and to provide training and education to those regulators.

Today’s settlement helps ensure that online donors receive the information they need to make informed decisions about their charitable contributions.

Today’s settlement is led by the attorneys general of Connecticut and Nebraska, and, along with New York, includes the attorneys general of Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin, as well as the Secretary of State for North Carolina.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, SPEAKER JOHNSON, NYC CENSUS 2020, KICK-OFF AND RELEASE OF CAMPAIGN PLAN

The largest municipal coordinated census campaign will spend an $8 million media and advertising campaign budget, of which $3 million is committed to community and ethnic media advertising, the largest amount in City history 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives J. Phillip Thompson, NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin, Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Council Member Carlina Rivera, City University of New York (CUNY) Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost José Luis Cruz, and hundreds of advocates, service providers, representatives from labor and major civic institutions, and city officials today kicked off New York City's Complete Count Campaign, the nation's largest and most diverse coordinated municipal campaign to achieve a complete and accurate count in the 2020 Census.

“New York City has been on the front lines of the resistance against the Trump Administration and ensuring every New Yorker gets counted is central to that fight," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "No matter how hard the federal government tries to silence our diverse voices, we still stand up and be counted.”

“A complete headcount in the 2020 Census is crucial for the future well-being of our city. We have to get this right to ensure we receive the proper federal funding for our schools, our roads, our health care, our public housing, and more. This is our once-in-a-decade opportunity to show the federal government that we are here, and that we count. The City Council pushed hard to make sure we allocated $40 million in the current budget for the efforts to count every New Yorker, because every New Yorker matters. Community-based organizations are our trusted partners in this effort and will ensure that we reach every community across the five boroughs. Let’s get a complete and accurate count and receive the federal funding we need and deserve,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

With just eight weeks until New Yorkers can begin completing the census online for the first time starting March 12, 2020, Mayor de Blasio and NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin also announced that the City will invest $3 million in community and ethnic media advertising to ensure participation among the city's most historically undercounted communities. This figure represents the largest such investment by the City in local and community media for any campaign to date. The census campaign will be advertising in a minimum of 16 languages, including several languages spoken by New Yorkers with high levels of limited proficiency in English. 

About the NYC Complete Count Campaign Plan

The NYC Complete Count Campaign represents a historic and unprecedented partnership between a mayoral administration, the City Council, CUNY, and 157 community-based organizations across all five boroughs, as well as the city's three library systems, labor unions, and civic and private institutions of many types. Consisting of all these partners and supported by an overall joint $40 million investment by Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson, the NYC Complete Count Campaign, collectively, is by far the largest and best-resourced census-focused municipal campaign in the nation. A majority of that funding, an unprecedented $23 million, will go towards community-based organizing and outreach, the largest such investment by any city in the nation.

The plan released today details how the campaign seeks to achieve a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census by engaging in:

·         Targeted campaign-style organizing, with a focus on "Get Out The Count " activities in historically undercounted communities;

·         Aggressive earned media, paid media, and social media strategy featuring everyday New Yorkers and trusted community voices;

·         Deep collaboration across all sectors: city agencies, houses of worship, elected officials, employers, unions, and more;

·         Sophisticated data analysis and modern outreach tactics with new technologies to target outreach to priority neighborhoods, increase efficiency, and enable comparison to real-time self-response data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

New York City's Complete Count Campaign Plan has been conceptualized and drafted by a combination of government and community partners, namely NYC Census 2020, the City's census office, in coordination with the office's Citywide Partners, a network of 15

of the city's most trusted and effective advocacy, organizing, and service delivery organizations, in addition to CUNY. The organizations were discretionarily funded by the City Council in August 2019 at a total of $4 million to engage in census-related planning and organizing, and have worked hand-in-hand with NYC Census 2020 and the City Council on the creation and implementation of the Complete Count Campaign. 

These organizations are: 

·         Association for a Better New York (ABNY), 

·         Asian American Federation,

·         Asian Americans for Equality,

·         Brooklyn NAACP,

·         Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, 

·         Chinese-American Planning Council, 

·         Community Resource Exchange,

·         FPWA, 

·         Hester Street, 

·         Hispanic Federation,

·         Make the Road — New York, 

·         New York Immigration Coalition, 

·         NALEO Educational Fund,

·         United Neighborhood House,  

·         The United Way of New York City. 

“Achieving a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census is critical to maintaining and strengthening our democracy,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “This unprecedented investment in both community-based organizations and community and ethnic media advertising will allow us to reach New Yorkers where they live and in the languages that they speak. It will also help ensure that we are engaging critically important but historically under-counted and under-represented communities in the Census by leveraging some of the most trusted voices within these communities.”

"In Washington, the Trump Administration thought it had a plan to weaponize the census – and now we have a plan to fight back and get every single New Yorker counted," said Julie Menin, Director, NYC Census 2020 and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel, NYC Law Department. "Our Complete Count Campaign Plan is built on the idea that it is only through successful and strategic partnerships with local communities, major civic institutions, government, the private sector, media, and others, that we will be able to teach every New Yorker about the critical importance of the census in determining access to our rightful share of resources and representation – and we're proud to be leading the largest and most comprehensive Get Out the Count effort being mounted by any city in the nation."

"Helping New Yorkers to achieve a fair and accurate census count is a critically important task, and one that the City University of New York is uniquely positioned to help achieve both by helping administer the funds that are going to community-based organizations and by deploying our students, who reflect the full range of New York City’s diversity," said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. "CUNY students are ready to venture into the hardest-to-count neighborhoods and ensure that the people who live in those communities, and who all too often are overlooked, are acknowledged and counted. We are proud to play a part in this process and excited about this necessary work to begin."

“We’re entering the final stretch of one of the most important public outreach campaigns in New York City history. And we’ve stepped up to that challenge with a historic $40 million investment. I look forward to working with countless neighborhood leaders and the more than 160 community organizations that are joining us today to ensure we have a complete count in the Census,” said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Co-Chair of the Council’s 2020 Census Task Force.

“Almost one year ago, we promised to mobilize the Council to invest whatever it took to ensure a complete count in 2020. Today, we fulfill that promise with the most ambitious effort of any city in the country. But this unprecedented funding is more than a campaign plan. It is a recognition of the trust New Yorkers place in the organizations who serve them every day. The very trust we’ll need to reach our most vulnerable and marginalized New Yorkers no matter where they are or what language they speak,” said Council Member Carlos Menchaca.

In kicking off the Campaign today, the City also convened more than 150 organizations that are recipients of the $19 million NYC Complete Count Fund (CCF), the largest community organizing program the City has ever built. Also unprecedented both in scope and structure, the CCF has been jointly funded by the de Blasio Administration and the Council, with leadership from Council Task Force Co-Chairs Carlos Menchaca and Carlina Rivera, and is being jointly administered by NYC Census 2020 and CUNY. The convening provides CCF recipients training from both campaign experts and community peers on best practices for community organizing, messaging and communications, integrating census awareness into social service delivery, and more. This integrated government-and-community training approach is a first for the City, and serves as the foundation for the City building an expansive and deep civic engagement infrastructure that is meant to outlast and grow beyond the census. 

Collectively, these organizations will be seamlessly integrated into NYC Census 2020's Neighborhood Organizing Census Committees (NOCCs) network, announced in September 2019. This integrated outreach program will recruit thousands of volunteers citywide to engage in local census-related outreach, with the ultimate goal of getting hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to self-respond to the census, especially in historically undercounted communities. 

Volunteers will primarily engage in four organizing tactics: teach-ins, phone banking, "text-banking ," and community canvassing. More than 1,800 New Yorkers have already signed up as NOCC volunteers through NYC Census 2020's field operation. In addition to the NOCCs program, NYC Census 2020 and its partner organizations will recruit and train scores of trusted leaders to serve as "Census Ambassadors " who will help educate New Yorkers about the census at teach-ins and other community events.

Find New York City's Complete Count Campaign Plan here 

See the full list of Complete Count Fund Awardees here

About the NYC Complete Count Media Campaign 

The 157 organizations that make up the NYC Complete Count Fund recipients serve all 245 New York City neighborhoods in more than 80 languages. Built on the understanding that local community-based organizations are the most trusted messengers of important and sensitive information, the Complete Count Fund is designed to resource and train organizations to build awareness about the importance of the census and fight the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Their community-facing work will be complemented by a multilingual $8 million advertising campaign that will feature innovative, responsive, and multilingual advertising and marketing that will broadcast targeted messages via a diverse array of platforms. The City's $3 million investment in ethnic and community advertising reflects the need to reach historically undercounted populations. Advertising will take place in a minimum of 16 languages, including the top languages spoken by limited English proficiency New Yorkers.

“The announcement and implementation of the NYC Complete Count Campaign Plan, I am thankful for the alignment of resources and support that are desperately needed for the Borough of Brooklyn and our #MakeBrooklynCount campaign," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. "We're working with community partners to begin mobilizing boots on the ground to engage with every and all Brooklyn constituencies in every and all neighborhood around the borough to ensure an accurate and fair demographic and population count during the 2020 Census."

“Every New Yorker counts,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen. “Now more than ever, we must fight back against efforts to suppress, marginalize, and discourage participation in the census. An accurate and complete count is vital to securing our fair share of federal funding for critical resources and ensuring our tax dollars are invested back into our communities.”

"The results of the 2020 Census will have a direct impact on the Bronx receiving its fair share of federal funding and political representation, which is why we must get this right. My office is working with the Bronx Borough President and the Bronx Complete Count Committee to educate hard-to-reach constituents on the importance of participation. I appreciate the thorough and comprehensive plan put forth to encourage Census participation and outreach to historically undercounted communities across our city. I look forward to working with the New York City Mayor's Office, City Council, CUNY, and community and business stakeholders to ensure a full and accurate count of every New Yorker in District 34," said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi.

"New Yorkers need to stand up and be counted in the next Census. Our representation and resources depend on it - everyone needs to be counted to ensure New York has the seat at the table we deserve. I will work with all our stakeholders to ensure a thorough, accurate count of New Yorkers," said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris.

What's at Stake for New York City in the 2020 Census

Resources for New York City families and communities depend on a complete count of the City's residents. The census determines New York City's fair share of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds that support public education, public housing, roads and bridges, and more. The census also determines the number of seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives, and thus the Electoral College. An undercount could cost the State of New York up to two congressional seats, significantly weakening the power of New York's voice in Washington. 

In 2010, New York City's initial self-response rate was approximately 15 percentage points less than the national average, and the U.S. Census Bureau is currently estimating that the New York area's self-response rate could be as low as 58 percent in 2020. The U.S. Census Bureau also recently published its final 2019 Census Test report, which showed that there would have likely been lower census responses from Asian and Latinx populations if a citizenship question had been included. 

About NYC Census 2020

NYC Census 2020 was established as a first-of-its-kind organizing initiative by Mayor de Blasio in January 2019 to ensure a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census. The program is built on four pillars: (1) a community-based awards program, The New York City Complete Count Fund; (2) an in-house "Get Out the Count" field campaign that is supported by the smart use of data and technology; (3) an innovative, multilingual, tailored messaging and marketing campaign; as well as (4) an in-depth Agency and Partnerships engagement plan that seeks to leverage the power of the City's 350,000-strong workforce and the city's major institutions, including libraries, hospitals, faith-based, cultural institutions, higher educational institutions, and more, to communicate with New Yorkers about the critical importance of census participation. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

First, we hope that every dollar spent can be accounted for, and that New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer unlike with other NYC spending make sure of that which is his job. 

Second we left in several elected official comments that normally we edit out. As State Senator Alessandra Biaggi points out (we put the two words in bold print) political representation.  That means with the drop in population that is expected after this census in New York State to other states one or even two congressional districts will be redistricted into other congressional districts.

As for the state legislature, it gives the more influential members of the state senate,  state assembly, and even city council the chance to reshape their districts, allowing for redistricting certain areas where the elected official did not do well to be moved part or wholly into another district.

  

Privacy in AOL's Bronx Office - NO WAY

 I was told of a problem with the use of Assemblywoman Karines Reyes's office by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I was told that there was no privacy by a person who went to see the Congresswoman. This person sat at a desk in the middle of the room where the assemblywoman's receptionist sat five feet away, and could hear everything that was said. I decided to see what this person meant. 

I went to see the congresswoman's representative on a matter. Like the person told me I was brought to a desk in the middle of the room where Assemblywoman Reyes's receptionist was five feet away. I said that I wanted privacy, and did not want anyone in Assemblywoman Reyes's office to hear what I was to discuss. I was taken to a back office where I began to discuss a matter when within two minutes I turned around to see someone from Assemblywoman Reyes's office standing behind me. I said that I asked for privacy, and left to call the Queens office of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez. I explained what transpired, and that there is no privacy in Bronx Assemblywoman Reyes's office for anyone coming in with a problem seeking help from the congresswoman. Within 30 minutes the office manager called me, and I explained to her that there is no privacy and that the congresswoman should seek different quarters in the Bronx for an office. What does the everyone think of going to see AOC on a problem only to have a staffer of the assemblywoman listening in on the problem?

Former Senior Fincen Employee Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Unlawfully Disclose Suspicious Activity Reports

Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards Illegally Repeatedly Transmitted SARs and Other Sensitive Government Information To A Reporter Resulting In Approximately 12 News Articles Over 1-Year Period

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NATALIE MAYFLOWER SOURS EDWARDS, a/k/a “Natalie Sours,” a/k/a “Natalie May Edwards,” a/k/a “May Edwards,” a former senior adviser at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), pled guilty today to conspiring to unlawfully disclose Suspicious Activity Reports (“SARs”).  EDWARDS pled guilty before United States District Judge Gregory H. Woods.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As she has now admitted, Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a former senior-level FinCEN employee, abused her position of trust by agreeing to repeatedly disclose highly sensitive information contained in Suspicious Activity Reports.  Maintaining the confidentiality of SARs, which are filed by banks and other financial institutions to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions, is essential to permit them to serve their statutory function, and the defendant’s conduct violated the integrity of that critical system and the law.”

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Information, publicly available information, court filings, and statements made during the plea proceeding:

The mission of FinCEN is to “safeguard the financial system from illicit use and combat money laundering and promote national security through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence and strategic use of financial authorities.”[1]  Among other things, FinCEN manages the collection and maintenance of SARs regarding potentially suspicious financial transactions, which, under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), U.S. financial institutions and other parties are required by law to generate and deliver to FinCEN.  Under the BSA and its implementing regulations, willful disclosure of a SAR or its contents by government employees or agents is a felony unless necessary to fulfill official duties.

Beginning in approximately October 2017, and lasting until her arrest in October 2018, EDWARDS agreed to and did unlawfully disclose numerous SARs to a reporter (“Reporter-1”), the substance of which were published over the course of approximately 12 articles by a news organization for which Reporter-1 worked (“News Organization-1”).  The illegally disclosed SARs pertained to, among other things, Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, the Russian Embassy, Mariia Butina, and Prevezon Alexander.  EDWARDS had access to each of the pertinent SARs and saved them – along with thousands of other files containing sensitive government information – to a flash drive provided to her by FinCEN.  She transmitted the SARs to Reporter-1 by means that included taking photographs or images of them and texting the photographs or images to Reporter-1 over an encrypted application.  In addition to disseminating SARs to Reporter-1, EDWARDS sent or described to Reporter-1 internal FinCEN emails or correspondence appearing to relate to SARs or other information protected by the BSA, and FinCEN nonpublic memoranda, including Investigative Memos and Intelligence Assessments published by the FinCEN Intelligence Division, which contained confidential personal information, business information, and/or security threat assessments.

At the time of EDWARDS’s arrest, she was in possession of a flash drive on which she saved the unlawfully disclosed SARs, and a cellphone containing numerous communications over an encrypted application in which she transmitted SARs and other sensitive government information to Reporter-1.

EDWARDS, 41, of Quinton, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to make unauthorized disclosures of SARs, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  EDWARDS is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Woods on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.  The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentence of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.