Tag: Geoffrey Berman

The refusal by U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss to step down is blocking the rise of the first Black nominated to head SDNY. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (YouTube/Fair Use)

Audrey Strauss still mum about stepping down, as Biden White House under increasing pressure to name reformers as U.S. Attorneys

Audrey Strauss remains mum about stepping down, even as the Biden White House comes under increasing pressure to appoint reforms as U.S. Attorneys.

Continue reading
Mayor Bill de Blasio won't explain how a Financial Times' model shows the Delta variant has a 31% prevalence in the U.S., but data from New York City, the former epicenter for the Coronavirus pandemic, pegs the strain at less than 7%. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

de Blasio mum after New York City Delta variant prevalence of 6% diverges from National estimate of 31%, as revealed in FT model

Mayor Bill de Blasio won’t explain how a Financial Times’ model shows the Delta variant has a 31% prevalence in the U.S., but New York City data pegs the strain at less than 7%.

Continue reading
A protester taken into custody by NYPD during the 29 Aug 2004 protest against the Republican National Convention in New York City. Source : Progress New York/Archive Photograph

At SDNY, decades of looking the other way as commended partner NYPD continue to engage in a pattern or practise of violations of Constitutional and civil rights

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York countenances systemic violations of Constitutional and civil rights by the New York Police Department.

Continue reading
Then U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman at a 2019 press conference announcing the arrest of Michael Avenatti for extortion. U.S. Attorney General removed U.S. Attorney Berman from his post on orders of President Donald Trump. Screenshot of YouTube video : Source : U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York (Fair Use)

After U.S. Attorney General William Barr met with NYPD officials, chaos reigns as U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman was fired amidst ‘tensions’ with White House and City Hall

Geoffrey Berman’s removal as U.S. Attorney revealed tensions with Mayor Bill de Blasio — but no indication of any accountability at the NYPD over abuses.

Continue reading
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn is one of two Federal prosecutors' offices that consult with the New York Police Department before police respond to large-scale public protests. A lack of transparency by both Federal and Municipal law enforcement may be to blame for the NYPD's culture of secrecy. Progress New York/File Photograph

EDITORIAL : To restore faith in Government, U.S. Attorneys must shine a light of transparency on the NYPD

Public confidence in Government has collapsed due to systemic racism and corruption. To restore faith in Government, U.S. Attorneys must bring transparency to the NYPD.

Continue reading
The public rebellion against police brutality in New York is raising questions about whether Federal prosecutors in New York City consider Federal civil rights discretionary in their application. Source : Public Domain by BlaueBlüte (CC0 1.0 Universal) ; photograph was cropped from original.

As DOJ ignores racism and police brutality at NYPD, unanswered questions about whether Federal civil rights are subject to discretionary enforcement

U.S. Attorneys Richard Donoghue and Geoffrey Berman remain mum about the Justice Department ignoring racism and police brutality at NYPD.

Continue reading
NYCHA RAD list leak
Mayor Bill de Blasio's latest announcement of RAD conversions coming to NYCHA appears to confirm data obtained by Progress New York about the partial privatisation of public housing in New York City. Progress New York/Photo Illustration

de Blasio’s latest announcement of RAD conversions confirms the leaked list of NYCHA public housing developments facing private landlord management

A list of public housing apartment developments identified for partial privatisation in 2020 appears to confirm data obtained by Progress New York, which reportedly revealed which NYCHA public housing developments would be put into the hands of private landlords under the controversial RAD programme.

Continue reading
Members of the NYCHA preservation group, Fight For NYCHA, allege that the plan by Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York City) to put one-third of NYCHA's public housing apartments into a public-private partnership under a H.U.D. programme known as Rental Assistance Demonstration exposes tenants to the risk of civil rights violations. A news report reveals that such tenants will not be protected by a Court-ordered Federal Monitor. Fight For NYCHA

U.S. Attorney mum following revelation that NYCHA tenants lose Federal Monitor after RAD conversion under HUD settlement

The Settlement Agreement announced in Jan. 2019 by U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman denies Federal monitorship to NYCHA residents converted under RAD.

Continue reading
With no public input, Campos Plaza I in the East Village, was sold with other project-based, Section 8 buildings in 2014 by the de Blasio Administration to a consortium of private real estate developers. The lack of transparency in the sale of public housing assets is only getting worse. Source : File Photograph

With NYCHA undergoing so much change, Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, once critical about lack of Government transparency, now working with no openness

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for New York’s southern district, which first revealed in 2016 information about the New York City Housing Authority’s lead poisoning crisis, now violates transparency by operating in the dark.

Continue reading