New York Note: Bribery Charges, Mayoral Investigation, Siena College Poll
September 23, 2024
September 23, 2024
Last Monday, two former Chiefs of the New York Fire Department were arrested and accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes for expediting the fire-safety approval process for building projects in the City. Biran Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino were in charge of FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention until earlier this year, responsible for overseeing fire safety approvals of large building projects. The indictment accuses both Cordasco and Saccavino of soliciting and receiving bribes between 2021 and 2023, involving 30 different projects.
Federal law enforcement has continued to investigate top aides of Mayor Adams. Prosecutors issued a subpoena to Molly Schaeffer, Director of Asylum Seeker Operations. A subpoena was also issued to a Brooklyn church requesting information on possible interactions from Frank Carone, former Chief of Staff to Mayor Adams, and Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello. Federal agents searched and seized material from the homes of interim Police Commissioner, Thomas Donlon, over the weekend.
A new poll released by Siena College indicated that Governor Hochul has record low ratings, lower than former President Donald Trump. Only 34% of New Yorkers gave the Governor favorable marks, with 54% finding her unfavorable. Trump received a 39% favorable rating amongst New Yorkers. However, Trump trails Vice President Kamala Harris: in a race, she leads him in New York by a 55% to 42% margin.
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