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Video of the Day: Brooklyn Politician's Bribe
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 11, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 11, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The Daily Politics uploaded video of Assemblywoman Diane Gordon "appearing to solicit a bribe." After compiling evidence that Gordon was asking for bribes from a developer interested in land in the 40th District, the Brooklyn DA's office offered her a deal that would let her off if she quit. But then Gordon announced she was running for reelection.
The Brooklyn DA outlines the $500,000 bribe (in the form of a house in Queens) Gordon accepted:
Gordon, the indictment charges, then developed an elaborate plan for the contractor to give her mother small cash payments until she had enough money in a special bank account to make a down payment on the home Gordon wanted built, so it would appear as though her mother had bought it. Because Gordon’s mother, Helen Staggers, had a different last name, Gordon told the contractor, she believed she would be shielded from legal scrutiny if her mother purchased the home. At a later date, Gordon planned to have ownership of the property, off Linden Boulevard in Queens, transferred to her name.
From October 2004 until November 2005, during a series of recorded conversations with the contractor, Gordon can be seen and heard crafting the plan for the sale, saying she wanted it to appear as though she had paid close to market value, when in fact, she had no intention of paying anything. Gordon and the contractor agreed that he would sell her the property and that he would hold the mortgage, which would have a sub-prime interest rate. Once the contractor received the city-owned property, he would cancel the mortgage, and Gordon’s mother would own the property outright, then transfer title to Diane Gordon.
Gordon also asked for a set of $600 doors to be installed in her office. For her part, she pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on $35,000 bail.
In March, Room 8 noticed that other politicians thought Gordon was vulnerable in this fall's election, but because of her connections to former Brooklyn Democratic party head Clarence Norman (who was embroiled in his own corruption scandal). The NY Times looks at Gordon's career, noting how she suprised many when she won the Assembly seat over her old boss, Edward Griffith.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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