Markowitz Fined $20K For Taking His Wife On Trips Paid For By Foreign Governments

(Kathryn Kirk)

The last time we checked in on Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz's wife, Jamie Snow, she was reportedly hogging an armful of souvenir placemats from the Brooklyn Museum’s gala dinner for the Takashi Murakami retrospective. ("You guys really should have acted faster. This is Brooklyn!" she allegedly told attendees who asked her to spare a placemat.) This time Snow is back in the SWAG spotlight for taking advantage of free travel offers from foreign governments who paid her expenses when she traveled with Marty to Turkey and the Netherlands.

Today the city Conflicts of Interest Board issued what the Post describes as an "unusually large penalty" of $20,000 that Markowitz must now pay to make amends for letting his wife tag along gratis. The Post reports that the board slapped Marty with a $3,000 fine for a 2007 Turkey trip, when Jamie accepted a free flight within Turkey; a $7,000 fine for a 2007 trip to Holland and a $10,000 fine for a second Turkey trip in 2009. A very rough estimate of the cost of the trips is somewhere between $11,000 and $89,997.

Markowitz tells the Post he'll pay "the goddamn fine," but explains, "I'm not a dummy. I understand what a conflict is...I didn't abuse my position. What they're saying is they don't recognize my role (in promoting the city and Brooklyn) beyond the borders of Brooklyn. They don't believe my wife has any role and they're wrong. You go to Europe, other countries, being borough president Brooklyn is a big thing there." Markowitz insists his wife's presence was crucial to help him with his important business (in Holland they visited the Van Gogh museum!), adding, "Some people get in trouble when they don't take their wives. I'm getting in trouble because I took my wife."

In previous Marty money woes, the Borough President was criticized for shelling out $177,372 a year to pay for three chauffeurs, and in February he had to pay a $2,000 fine for accepting free legal work from a subordinate.

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By John Del Signore in News on July 25, 2011 3:10 PM

Comments [rss]

Voters Ofny

Markowitz is a crook and he just gets to pay $20,000 and that's it. What kind of BS is this? Why are politicians able to get away with slaps on the wrist? He used Carlo Scissura, who is a lawyer, to buy a house when Carlo was working for him. Marty, don't you know that's illegal too? Once again, no charges were filed and no investigation. This piece of crap is only a figurehead in a department that has no powers. His department has a staff of 100 with a total salary of 25 MILLION dollars. Expenses are as much, if not more, bringing the total to more than 50 MILLION a year. Multiply that by 5 for each of the boroughs and you get around ONE QUARTER BILLION dollars a year. I wonder how many firemen and cops we could get for that kind of money for those 5 useless departments. Oh wait, he's Mayor Blowme's buddy, so buh bye cops and firemen, can't get rid of Blowme's pals.

felixthecat

The man is all about money, he sued the city and got money for his new home. took money to support the atlantic yards and the cruelty of ringling brothers. he ran an illegal 3rd term and is now eligible for a LIFELONG pension paid by NYC taxpayers.

bggb

"being borough president Brooklyn is a big thing there."

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Oh Marty. I hate you, but I love you for that comment.
So egotistical.So ignorant.So oblivious.

Fronko

Note to Marty: your wife is not Michele Obama or Laura Bush or some kind of First Lady. No one knows who the hell she is and she has no "official" duties. Pay the fine and move on. Try to keep your nose clean for once.

Amazing that this guy signed an affidavit swearing about a conversation he had with Sadik-Khan about the PPW bike lane. Because, you know, who are you going to believe? The DOT chief or some fuggedaboutit clown with with two ethics violations and accusations of sexual harassment against a former staffer?

http://gothamist.com/2011/02/2...

When oh when will this guy be impeached? How many ethics violations can
one guy get before Brooklyn says enough and throws him out?

What an arrogant idiot.

Jimbo853okg

Quit whining Marty, you are a dummy. If you weren't, you'd fly under the radar instead of being such a public buffoon.

You were fine as Bklyn's cheerleader; that's your basic job. The trouble began once you started acting like you can think for yourself,

It's fun to watch now as the s@&t starts to hit the fan. I bet you perjured yourself in last week's PPW filing. Watch as Ratner, Schumer, Hainline and the rest will abandon you.

Remember: a borough president is unimportant and expendable, especially at the end of his/her political tether. Don't believe me? See Donald Manes and Stanley Friedman.

jibbly

God damn, he's not due for reelection until next year.

LazyNanny

Don't kid yourself, if the election was tomorrow he would still win, hands down. It's all about spreading the cheddar.

whitecastlerock

I'm sorry, but why do we need Borough Presidents?

Roger_the_Shrubber

We don't. Just another needless layer of government to provide cushy government jobs for people who couldn't make it in the private sector if they tried to run a lemonade stand.