April 9, 2008
Corruption Conviction for Brooklyn Assemblywoman
A four-time State Assembly member representing East New York in Brooklyn was convicted of third-degree bribe-receiving and official misconduct yesterday. When a developer was interested in acquiring city land back in 2004 and 2005, Assemblywoman Diane Gordon asked for a home in a Queens gated community, worth $500,000.
When the Brooklyn DA's office discovered evidence of bribe taking, they offered her a deal that would have let her off if she quit. But she ran for reelection, prompting the DA's office to indict Gordon and release a surveillance video of her appearing to take a bribe. The developer, Ranjan Batheja, agreed to cooperate with investigators when he tried to bribe an undercover investigator, and on the video, Gordon said, "We got to do something with this land .. so I can get me a home now." Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes said, "It is especially appalling [that Gordon] did not want her house built in her own assembly district."
Gordon was acquitted of the most serious charge--second-degree bribe-taking--and could face up to ten years in jail, but her lawyer said, "We're going to do our best to see that the sentence is one of probation or less." Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver told the NY Times, "This is an unfortunate situation, and my heart goes out to Ms. Gordon’s family. However, this has been proved to be a breach of the public trust.” She is officially out of the Assembly and her seat in the 40th district will remain vacant until fall--which is when City Councilman Charles Barron's wife may run for it.
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Assemblywoman Diane Gordon asked for a home in a Queens gated community
Hopefully her request is fulfilled. Rikers.
Seriously, it disturbs me that the Brooklyn DA's office offered her a deal that would have let her off if she quit.
What is it with politicians who are caught red-handed, and then given a free pass? Disgusting. Lock this thief up. Broke the laws, and more importantly, betrayed the public she was supposed to serve.
politicians are given a free pass cause other politicians are letting them go. They don't want their brethren going to jail for the same shit they do.
I bet she went to church every Sunday and praised the lord. Total fuggin' hypocrite. Like most religious idiots.
I'm not sure how you can take a bribery scandal, mix in your baseless assumption that the official involved went to church every Sunday to call her a hypocrite and justify broadly disparaging most religious people as idiots.
I'm not religious and have no problem agreeing that some who are - just like some who are not - are hypocrites, but this news item has nothing to do with religion.
She was just living the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. promised her.
Barron's wife might run for the vacant seat? Good grief.
...her seat in the 40th district will remain vacant until fall--which is when City Councilman Charles Barron's wife may run for it.
Oh, hell no.
did she keep the 500k house /bribe?
"I bet she went to church every Sunday and praised the lord. "
Just like Obama?
"Total fuggin' hypocrite. Like most religious idiots."
Just like Obama!