Thursday, January 7, 2016

Bharara Sends Out More Warning Shots

From the Wall Street Journal:

FRANKFORT, Ky.—Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan who recently secured the convictions of two top New York lawmakers, on Wednesday said the blame for corruption lies not only with bad actors but also with the “good people” who don’t try to stop it.

“People knew, and did nothing,” said Mr. Bharara, referring to the corruption cases in Albany during a speech before the Kentucky Legislature. “This, perhaps, is the most unfortunate feature of the status quo in my home state—the deafening silence of the many individuals who…saw something and said nothing.”

...

Mr. Bharara has made no secret of his intent to clean up Albany, which he has called a “caldron of corruption.”

“What has been going on in New York of late is simultaneously heartbreaking, head-scratching and comic,” Mr. Bharara told the Kentucky lawmakers.

He told the legislators that federal law doesn’t require an explicit quid-pro-quo, that it doesn’t matter if the official act was good for the community, or if it was done for a friend.

"People knew and did nothing" - hmm, that could refer to the guy who shut down the Moreland Commission that was investigating now-convicted felons Silver and Skelos in return for a budget deal.

"Federal law doesn't require an explicit quid pro quo" - that does have some ramifications for any investigations going on, including the one into the Buffalo Billion Project and the governor's donors.

Again, perhaps Bharara ultimately decides that he;s got nothing on the governor and Cuomo walks.

But all that frenetic activity from the governor the past few weeks, criss-crossing the state, imposing mandates, raising minimum wages, declaring major new transportation projects, handing out development millions to Rochester - that has got the deal of a very nervous governor trying to get some positive headlines in case something very negative happens.

13 comments:

  1. Kind of sounds to me like Preet is summarizing his career-highlight Silver and Skelos convictions, not forecasting.

    I read his statement as "yup, see how bad it was, 2 of the top guys in the state I had to take down and soo many people allowed it to go on.....what a place NY is huh!"

    Sure, he said he didn't need explicit quid pro quo, which is basically him saying that the corruption in NYS is probably all at that level...sub-quid pro quo.

    I think he loves F'ing with Cuomo, and making him wiggle a bit...thats for sure another feather in his cap....but I remain hyper-skeptical that Cuomo will go down. I can't see that happening when the Democratic Party machine is in full swing for 2016 Presidentials. He's protected by the party and the Clinton establishment. Him going down now is another stain for Clinton....Cuomo was a Clintonian lets not forget. Hillary doesn't need that.

    BTW, Bernie has come out against Charters....this is great....Hillary will not do the same.

    Teachers must come out for Bernie, to make Weingarten look foolish...if for no other reason.

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    1. Did Sanders really come out against charters? Where?

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    2. http://dianeravitch.net/2016/01/06/bernie-sanders-i-oppose-charter-schools/

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    3. Bernie essentially ushered the Murphy Ammendment through the Senate. He is not our friend. He is the reason that EASA maintains the testing requirement. Sorry. He can say what he wants about Charters at campaign rallies. But, his voting record says he is a privatizer.

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  2. Once again, Andrew Cuomo should be indicted, prosecuted and jailed. Rahm Emmanuel should be indicted, prosecuted and jailed. Hillary Clinton should be indicted, prosecuted and jailed. However, the justice department is not a separate branch of government, it is not independent. Loretta Lynch was appointed by and is accountable to Barack Obama. Each one of the fore mentioned politicians are protected by Obama because their indictments would harm the Democrats in the 2016 elections. They will not be indicted because of partisan political interests of the Democrats. The interest of the public and justice be damned.

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    1. Hey ass-hat: Bush should be indicted, prosecuted and jailed. Walker should be indicted, prosecuted and jailed. Cheney should be indicted, prosecuted and jailed. Snyder should be indicted, prosecuted and jailed. blah blah blah blah blah.

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    2. Go to anger management!

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  3. Every single politician is a piece of shit! I would vote for Bernie but can't see how anything he wants to do gets accomplished with the Racisticans in Congress.

    I thought Obama was going to be awesome but after eight years, it's the same old bullshit.

    The shame is that 99.9% of America lets these assholes get away with it. Both parties do whatever they want because they know no one watches-look at what that scumbag Snyder did to the people of Flint, Michigan-he poisoned the water...SERIOUSLY!

    Sorry about the rant but Governor Scummo is not going down. My goal is to just make it to 2020 so that my 25/55 kicks in and I can cash out and go somewhere else.

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  4. Obama isn't a demoratic solution.

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  5. They turn us all against each other with this Dem vs. rebup bullshit .Divide and Conquer...then they steal and pillage the unoverse even more...ANY status quo candidate is bullshit...that includes Bernie. ..Bernie doesnt have the balls to beat oit Hillary for rhe nomination....ultimately he will be happy for a cabinet position...Its Trump vs. hillary...with Trump winning.

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  6. Thats if Trump doesnt get assasinated b4 the election....ALL of the status quo powers hate Trump ...cause he is breaking down this PC slavery-MIND CONTROL they force feed the sheeple....

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  7. I'm voting trump too. Never was there ever a generation of politicians, left and right, who deserve to be lined up against the wall.

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  8. RBE- hate to say it, but I told you so.Preety Boy apparently had his palm(s) greased by lil Andy.No " happy ending" to your wet dream!

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