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The McLaughlin Indictment Group
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 21, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 21, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Earlier this week, Queens assemblyman Brian M. McLaughlin was charged with 43 different crimes, including racketeering, embezzlement, stealing from a Little League, fraud and more, taking $2.2 million. McLaughlin's office was raided by the FBI in March, and the indictment that was unsealed this week was 186 pages. The NY Times summarized some of his misdeeds:
Law enforcement officials said that Mr. McLaughlin used subordinates as “personal servants,” to take his dog to the veterinarian, hang Christmas lights, trap rodents in his basement and clean out his barn.
He is also charged with making an aide use his E-ZPass at tollbooths to make it appear that he had returned home from Albany later than he really had, allowing him to bill for daily allowances given to legislators.
He is accused of using more than $330,000 from his re-election campaign funds to pay for personal expenses like a rehearsal dinner for his son’s wedding, renovation of his $760,000 house in Suffolk County near Long Island Sound, payment of his country club membership fees and the purchase and installation of a plasma television for a female friend.
He is charged with using stolen money for an $80,000 Mercedes-Benz for his wife, marina fees, school tuition for one of his children, rent payments on his Albany residence and rent payments on his Queens residence.
McLaughlin was also the head of the NYC Central Labor Council and made over $230,000 from his various positions. Labor officials say they will try to oversee their leaders better while the City Council is feeling some heat because McLaughlin donated money to a few members.
The Daily News' Bill Hammond questioned the oversight of Albany, Assembly Speaker and fellow Democrat Sheldon Silver and the Republican Senator Majority Leader Joseph Bruno in particular, given that McLaughlin is the 9th member in three years to face criminal charges.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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