Green Letter To Coib

./ '

OUR

September 17 ,

ADVOCATE

2009

Via First Class Mail and Facsimile to 212- 442- 1407 Mark Davies Executive Director City of New York Confhcts of Interest Board 2 Lafayette Street , Suite 10 New York, NY 10007 Re:

10

Conflicts ofInterest Board Case No. 2006- 400 (Bill de Blasio)

Dear Mr. Davies

A recent investigation has revealed that while serving as a member ofthe City Council , Bill de Blasio accepted $33 000 from the "Progressive America Foundation " a group that shares leadership and an address with organizations that may have lobbied de Blasio while in the Council. Afer being exposed by the New York Daily News de Blasio recently provided a Conflict ofInterest Board (COIB) opinion from Case No. 2006- 400. First , de Blasio s 2006 Financial Disclosure listed as outside income between $5 000 and $34 999 for serving as a " Consultant" for the "Progressive America Foundation" with an address of " 4 Nevins Street , Brooklyn , New York." Your opmlOn states that de BlaslO mformed the COIB of a payment of only $6 000 , in contrast with $33 000 that the New York Daily News reports him to have received for work that was said to have occurred largely out of state.

Second , de Blasio has failed to release the letter that generated your opinion leaving several questions from Eric GIOIa, Chair ofthe City Council Committee on Oversight and Investigations and former candidate for Public Advocate , who I join in posing three initial questions regarding de Blasio s letter:

1) Did de Blasio disclose to the COIB that he would be paid $33 000 for less than 5 months of work pnor to their opmion? 2) Did de Blasio disclose to the COIB that the non-profit shared offce space with Working Families Pary (WFP), which lobbies the City Council and endorses City Council candidates? 3) Did de Blasio disclose to the COIB that the non-profit was controlled by the same indivIduals and organizations who control the WFP and who lobby the City Council?

Third , our subsequent investigation found that "Progressive America Foundation " which is pnmarily known as the "Pro gressive America Fund" (P AF), is contro lIed by the same individuals running the WFP , which shares an address at 2- 4 Nevins Street in Brooklyn. A review ofthe Federal 501(C)(3) Form 990 and corresponding Schedule A for the P AF revealing that the WFP or an affliate has had an offcer serving on the board as Treasurer since 2001 as well as fiings by"

Dan Cantor, Assistant Treasurer in 2001 - 2004; also serves as the Executive Director

for the WFP. Bertha Lewis , listed as Treasurer in 2005; is also the founding Co- Chair of the WFP. Kissima Sylla, listed as in charge of books in 2005 - 2007; also serves in

Administrative/Finance for the WFP. Fourth, both Dan Cantor and Bertha Lewis are registered lobbyists with the Offce ofthe City Clerk.

In addition to the above four issues , certam questions remain that the public deserves a timely answer to.

When a lobbyist is putting significant money in your personal pocket by hiring you to work for their non- profit arm, how can that not be ethically compromising? When Dan Cantor or Bertha Lewis lobby him, who does de Blasio think of first -- his employers or his constituents? Thank you for your constant vigilance and all your hard work. Best

Mark Green

Enclosures.

Correspondence from Eric Gioia to Councilman Bill de Blasio OpmlOn ConflIct ofInterest Board Case No. 2006- 400 (Bill de BlaslO) 2006 Confict ofInterest Board Financial Disclosure for Bill de Blasio IRS Form 990 with Schedule A for Progressive America Fund for 2005 - 2007