Monday, May 14, 2007

Rudy Giulian's illegal relationship with the Yankees, a relationship that broke all the NYC government's Conflict of Interest Board's rules

Giuliani's Illegal Relationship With The Yankees (5 comments ) | READ MORE: Rudy Giuliani

The current issue of The Village Voice has a huge story by Wayne Barrett on Rudy Giulian's illegal relationship with the Yankees, a relationship that broke all the NYC government's Conflict of Interest Board's rules for what a public official can and cannot get from a company that does business with the city.

In addition to the free use of box seats and what some might call "pocket money" gifts, Giuliani received four World Series Rings -- something no other mayor of a World Series winning team has ever received. These rings -- engraved with Giuliani's name -- are estimated to be worth $200,000.

It's a long and very worthwhile story. I also recommend you listen to the interview with Wayne Barrett that can be found at the same Village Voice site.

At one point the article details the incredible hypocrisy of how Rudy would berate others for breaking the Conflict of Interests Board's rules:

New York officials are barred from taking a gift of greater than $50 value from anyone doing business with the city, and under Giuliani, that statute was enforced aggressively against others. His administration forced a fire department chief, for example, to retire, forfeit $93,105 in salary, and pay a $6,000 fine for taking Broadway tickets to two shows and a free week in a ski condo from a city vendor. The city's Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB) has applied the gift rule to discounts as well, unless the cheaper rate "is available generally to all government employees." When a buildings department deputy commissioner was indicted in 2000 for taking Mets and Rangers tickets, as well as a family trip to Florida, from a vendor, an outraged Giuliani denounced his conduct as "reprehensible," particularly "at high levels in city agencies," and said that such officials had to be "singled out" and "used as examples." ...

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