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Six people charged in straw donor scheme to elect Eric Adams as New York City mayor
Six people charged in straw donor scheme to elect Eric Adams as New York City mayor
Six people were charged Friday in an alleged scheme to divert tens of thousands of dollars in public funds to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign months before his election. The indictment announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg does not implicate Mr Adams or any other city employees. Rather, it describes a straw donor scheme orchestrated by individuals with business before the city who hoped to maximize their donations to the future mayor in exchange for political favors. “We allege a deliberate scheme to game the system in a blatant attempt to gain power,” Mr Bragg said in a statement. “The New York City Campaign Finance Board program is meant to support our democracy and amplify the voices of New York City voters. When the integrity of that program is corrupted, all New Yorkers suffer.” Prosecutors said the scheme was led by Dwayne Montgomery, a former NYPD inspector currently listed as the director of integrity for the Teamsters Local 237, which represents municipal workers. According to the indictment, Mr Montgomery recruited friends and relatives to take advantage of the city’s generous matching funds system, which provides an eight-to-one match for the first $250 donated by a city resident. In addition to Mr Montgomery, the indictment names as defendants Shamsuddin Riza, Millicent Redick, Ronald Peek, Yahya Mushtaq, and Shahid Mushtaq. According to prosecutors, between 2020 and 2021, those who made donations in their own name were reimbursed by Mr Montgomery, who provided more than $40,000 of his money. He worked with a string of co-defendants to help recruit donors, including Mr Riza, who indicated he was hoping to secure work from the city. “FYI ! This is the one I want , Safety , Drywall , and Security one project but we all can eat,” Mr Riza wrote in a July 2021 email to Mr Montgomery, sending along the information for a construction project called Vital Brooklyn, prosecutors allege. Mr Montgomery also worked alongside a campaign representative to organize a virtual fundraiser for Mr Adams in August, 2020, prosecutors contend. The representative is not named in the indictment. None of the defendants could immediately be reached for comment. Mr Adams' campaign released a statement denying any involvement in the alleged scheme. “There is no indication that the campaign or the mayor is involved in this case or under investigation,” a spokesperson for Mr Adams’ campaign, Evan Thies, said in a statement. “The campaign always held itself to the highest standards and we would never tolerate these actions.” The defendants each face charges of conspiracy, attempted grand larceny, and offering a false instrument. Read More NYC Mayor Eric Adams accused of doctoring photo of police officer friend killed in the line of duty Ex-NYC mayor Bill de Blasio and wife are separating – but will still live with each other New York City's Rikers Island, facing possible federal takeover, found violating safety standards NYC mayor accused of doctoring photo of murdered police officer friend Ex-NYC mayor Bill de Blasio and wife are separating – but will still live together
2023-07-08 22:04
Gregg Berhalter agrees to return as US national team coach, AP source says
Gregg Berhalter agrees to return as US national team coach, AP source says
A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that Gregg Berhalter has agreed to return as U.S. national team coach after being cleared in a domestic violence investigation
2023-06-16 22:20
Widowed husband sues driver, bars after DUI crash killed bride on wedding night
Widowed husband sues driver, bars after DUI crash killed bride on wedding night
A wrongful death lawsuit accuses several establishments of overserving the alleged drunk driver who police say slammed into newlyweds riding along a South Carolina beach road in a crash that killed the bride
2023-05-19 04:39
Spirited, candy-eating heptathlete Anna Hall has world title on mind and world record in sight
Spirited, candy-eating heptathlete Anna Hall has world title on mind and world record in sight
There’s no hiding the emotions of heptathlete Anna Hall
2023-07-06 17:59
Witness List in Trump Classified Documents Case Should Be Public, Press Say
Witness List in Trump Classified Documents Case Should Be Public, Press Say
A government list of dozens of witnesses who may testify against Donald Trump at a criminal trial over
2023-06-26 22:29
US Southwest broils as prolonged heat wave stretches from coast to coast
US Southwest broils as prolonged heat wave stretches from coast to coast
By Brendan O'Brien and Rich McKay (Reuters) -A searing heat wave that has settled over a coast-to-coast swath of the
2023-07-13 00:32
Amanda Seyfried made eyebrows blunder as a teenager
Amanda Seyfried made eyebrows blunder as a teenager
Amanda Seyfried regrets going overboard when she plucked her eyebrows as a teenager.
2023-09-06 21:41
MLS transfer roundup: Birk Risa signs for NYCFC, Justin Che leaves FC Dallas for Brondby IF
MLS transfer roundup: Birk Risa signs for NYCFC, Justin Che leaves FC Dallas for Brondby IF
Teams around MLS continue to make moves in the summer transfer window - here's the latest you may have missed.
2023-07-19 03:45
Thousands more evacuated as Tenerife fire rages on Spain's Canary Islands
Thousands more evacuated as Tenerife fire rages on Spain's Canary Islands
Thousands more residents of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands have fled their homes as a wildfire that authorities deemed “out of control” raged on for a fourth day
2023-08-20 01:13
Just days after pausing rate hikes, Fed official calls for more increases
Just days after pausing rate hikes, Fed official calls for more increases
The dust has barely settled on the Federal Reserve's decision to pause its aggressive rate-hiking campaign — but in public appearances Friday, central bank officials have a clear message: Keep hiking.
2023-06-16 23:48
Woman named Barb Heimer goes viral on weekend of massive film releases
Woman named Barb Heimer goes viral on weekend of massive film releases
It’s been a big weekend for Barbenheimer fans, as cinema goers poured into screenings of the two most anticipated movies of the year, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. But for one aptly named woman, it couldn’t get any better. Barb Heimer’s social media profile has gone viral in recent days after it was unearthed late last week at the peak of the Barbenheimer hysteria. People shared screenshots of the profile, with one person saying: “Huge weekend for her”. Another person said: “Please tell me her middle name starts with an N”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The two films have already sparked a cultural moment that nobody could have seen coming, as their same-day release date and polar opposite subject matter drove social media into a frenzy. People clad in all-pink queued around the block for Barbie across the UK on Friday night, while others have shared pictures of themselves next to Oppenheimer posters. Some even went for back-to-back screenings of the two films. One person shared a photoshopped image of a fictional Barbenheimer poster, showing the all star casts of both films with the now infamous Barb Heimer added in. One person wrote: “I bet she’s having a fun week”. Others described the coincidence as “absolutely incredible”, and said it was the mysterious Barb’s “moment”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-23 18:34
1st lawsuit filed against Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern leaders stemming from a hazing scandal
1st lawsuit filed against Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern leaders stemming from a hazing scandal
A former Northwestern football player filed the first lawsuit against Pat Fitzgerald and members of the school’s leadership, seeking damages stemming from a hazing scandal that cost the former football coach his job
2023-07-18 21:43