"NY senator charged with fraud over charity funds"..In really deep DODO

[Blaze Diem]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061213/pl_nm/crime_senator_dc_1
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York state senator stole $423,000 in charity money to pay for indulgences like a Dominican cigar-making company, authorities said on Tuesday as they announced charges against him.

Between 1999 and 2005 Efrain Gonzalez Jr., 58, directed the state legislature to send grant monies to a Bronx charity, where a friend redirected the funds to a shell charity that was the senator's "conduit for paying personal expenses," the U.S. attorney's office said.

Gonzalez used the money to pay for New York Yankees tickets, jewelry, his daughter's college tuition, clothing, a cigar company in the Dominican Republic as well as member fees to a resort and rent for a luxury apartment there.

In August, Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to spending $37,000 meant for the West Bronx Neighborhood Association Inc., which was nothing more than a room connected to the senator's Bronx district office.

The superseding indictment announced Tuesday also charges three of the Gonzalez' friends with being part of the scheme.

Gonzalez has been charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, theft of federal funds, conspiracy and money laundering. If convicted, Gonzalez, a native of Puerto Rico who was elected to the senate in 1989, faces a maximum of 130 years in prison.

[JohnLocke]

1. Change your headline to state senator, please.

I got scared it was HRC/Schumer!

[Blaze Diem]

4. lol..gee sorry bout that scare..but this

is the yahoo news exact wording...

I was more taken in by the degree of fraud by this guy.
One wonders how much more campaign donation fraud there really hsa been.
Expecially during the hey-day of the sudden sprouting of "fundies for Bush" fundraisers.

shit just keeps on turning up...
don't know this guys political affiliation, but consider how much Bush/Cheney have "re-directed" from U.S. taxpayers.

[Counciltucky]

2. Dem or Repug? n/t

[Suich]

3. Google sez D-Bronx

rats...don't tell anyone at faux!

:hi:

[Blaze Diem]

5. dem, pub, or writer-in-er(?)...

crap still has to be cleaned up..
Repukes fully understand this behavior though..don't think they should be saying much too loudly...
Like grama used to say: "honey, you just sweep your own front porch".

[Suich]

6. I agree.

:hi:

[Selatius]

7. You gotta hold the politicians' feet to the fire regardless if they're a D or an R.

Makes me wonder why I vote at all for politicians some times. I really wish we'd amend the Constitution to allow people to sack politicians who fail to carry out the mandate of the people through a recall provision.