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kernwatch
August 11th, 2006, 10:05 AM
Below is the latest in the steady stream of DA Frank J. Clark's protecting political corruption instead of prosecuting it, as he is required by law.

Currently his "felony prosecutor" Michale McHale, the most unscrupled Assistant DA I have encountered in endless prosecutions by Clark for exposing public misconduct, is running for Congress with Clark's blessing. In addition to McHale's covering up then-Independence Party Chair & BMHA Commissioner Charles Flynn's Parlato-style HUD-FHA scam in 2001, McHale is facing a civil lawsuit for allegedly assaulting his 29 year old neighbor (a woman) & is in bankruptcy, although he earns about $70,000 annually.

Former County Legislator David Dale has been dis-barred after a series of dramatically unethical & illegal acts both as a lawyer & legislator, but he remains president of the struggling, heavily taxpayer-subsidized Broadway Market. But he, like so many of Clark's political friends, is DA-protected.

Dick Kern (in Mpls)


COPY:

http://buffalonews.com/editorial/200...sp?PFVer=Story

VILLAGE OF SLOAN
Angry board wants DA to make a decision on probe
By MELANIE D. LARSEN
Cheektowaga Correspondent
8/10/2006

The Village of Sloan is tired of waiting. With allegations of offenses by the previous administration going back to the late 1990s, board members and residents want answers from the Erie County District Attorney's office.
"We are concerned that it has been more than one month or two months and we still don't have a resolution," said Village Attorney Paul Murak.

The board has decided to send a letter to District Attorney Frank Clark urging him to come to a decision about prosecuting former Village Clerk Christine Dodds, former Mayor Ken Pokorski and former Village Attorney David Dale.

Clark decided last fall that the case did not rise to the criminal level but offered to reconsider after meeting again with village officials. He was not available to comment Wednesday.

According to Mayor Leonard Szymanski and Trustee Anthony Sisti, Dodds is responsible for the misappropriation of nearly $130,000 with the help of the former mayor.

"She [Dodds] paid off the lawyer [Dale] $84,000," he said. "She wrote herself checks for a bunch of money that she wasn't entitled to. There is no total amount because each amount is different. When she was pregnant, she went on maternity leave and charged the village personal days and vacation leave."

Sisti and Szymanski said that when they came into office they discovered that the village owed more than $1 million to the Buffalo Sewer Authority. Even after board members voted to lower Dodds' salary from $35,000 to $30,000 and Dale's from $12,500 to $10,000, Sisti said, they continued to be paid their original salaries plus more.

"We are sending a stern letter," Sisti said. "I am thoroughly disgusted with the way [the district attorney's office] has treated us. We had to levy the people's taxes 35 to 38 percent. We are going to ask for a definite answer. We want a date. To keep us dangling like this is unheard of."

The board wants a final answer by Aug. 25. The letter was signed by all four board members.

If Clark decides not to prosecute, the board is prepared to bring the matter before the federal courts.

According to Margaret Murphy, attorney representing the village, the board must wait for the district attorney to decline to prosecute before the federal government is able to step in.

ReformWNY
August 14th, 2006, 02:27 PM
It's truly a shame that all of that corruption has gotten swept under the carpet.

WNYresident
August 14th, 2006, 02:47 PM
Where is that line drawn? Illegal versus somewhat unethical?

Who's gonna run against the DA come election time? Maybe it's time to see some fresh faces.

4248
August 14th, 2006, 11:34 PM
Where is that line drawn? Illegal versus somewhat unethical?

Who's gonna run against the DA come election time? Maybe it's time to see some fresh faces.

Anyone stupid enough or lucky enough to get even close to winning against Clark, will be found guilty!


It gives me great giggles to believe anyone doesn't see Clark and company as large players in our DEMOCRATic system. If your a member of the club - you get a free pass. If you are a valuable player - you can get help smoothing the edges in almost any arrest situation. Peeping Tom - no worries - large amounts of controlled substances found on your property - it just goes up in smoke!

If your competing with the insiders - you will be presented as a criminal. You get all the free network coverage you can stand. The cameras will be at the door of the jail house when they walk you to court. Hunt - you will be portrayed as a terrorist - Involved in sports - they will portray you as a pedophile! Everyone loves a good story.

After you are no longer a threat to their Democratic club - it will takes years for you to dig out of what they have piled on you. When charges are cleared and you have rebuffed any future thoughts of running for anything - nobody will be there to cover the fact that you were convicted of nothing. The cameras and news papers don't even acknowledge you.


This is part of Erie County that we have all heard of and never acknowledged in public .
As a Lancaster Town Attorney always SAYS , " PERCEPTION IS REALITY!"

:rolleyes:
Just an opinion - i doubt i am wrong!

WNYresident
August 14th, 2006, 11:45 PM
See you have to be completely wrong. The attorney general who represents the State of New York wouldn't allow that to happen. He's honest and ethical. The guy wants to be the next governor so I can't see him allowing things like that to happen. Has this even been brought to his attention? He has fancy commericals about change so that would be a good place to start don't you agree?

4248
August 15th, 2006, 01:45 AM
See you have to be completely wrong. The attorney general who represents the State of New York wouldn't allow that to happen. He's honest and ethical. The guy wants to be the next governor so I can't see him allowing things like that to happen. Has this even been brought to his attention? He has fancy commericals about change so that would be a good place to start don't you agree?:eek:


Clark: Innocent until found guilty???? I know what you mean! Why would this NYS Attorney want to have any person locally supporting him like Clark.

He would probably prefer someone who can generate Campaign donations, manpower and the perception of "Law and Order." You know - someone who can enlist people to follow the party line without question.

I doubt he would want someone who has questionable personal serving under and around him. But then again i guess Clark just believes in giving everyone in his party or sphere of influence a second chance or two.

Like i said - just an opinion - dare i say more - well only if i want a lawsuit brought against me!:p

kernwatch
September 4th, 2006, 08:10 PM
This news report comes as no surprise. It is simply DA Frank J.Clark III as-usual . . . covering up the public corruption of his political friends . . or prosecuting his political enemies on trumped-up charges.

This decision by DA Clark enables disbarred attorney & ousted County Legislator David Dale to remain board president of the heavily taxpayer-subsidized, deeply troubled Broadway Market . . . as Dale has three children to feed & no visible means of support. That is not a happy picture of a man who has repeatedly shown his dubious ethics.

Dick Kern (in Mpls)


COPY:
http://buffalonews.com/editorial/20060902/1005000.asp

DA says prosecution not called for in Sloan
By MATT GRYTA
News Staff Reporter
9/2/2006

Complaints against three former Sloan officials "don't warrant criminal prosecution," Erie County District Attorney Frank J. Clark said Friday.
But Clark said he has forwarded to the U.S. Attorney's office material on the complaints about the former village officials and will leave it up to federal authorities to deal with the matter.

Clark said he advised the village mayor and all four trustees in an Aug. 21 letter what civil remedies they have in the continuing dispute.

Present village officials have accused former Mayor Kenneth Pokorski, former village attorney David Dale and former village clerk Christine Dodds of misusing village money.

The current village administration accused Dodds of overpaying herself by as much as $25,000 and making at least four unauthorized payments totaling $85,000 to Dale. When it entered Village Hall, the new administration also said, files had been removed or misplaced, and computer hard drives had been erased.

Dodds said she was not aware of Clark's latest decision but was happy to hear it. "It's clearly a political attack to cover up raising the taxes," she said of the complaints. "These are ridiculous and baseless allegations."

Margaret A. Murphy, attorney for the village in the dispute, said the FBI "has shown some interest in the case," and she and village officials, including current village attorney Paul Murak, will sit down with FBI agents to discuss the matter.

Murphy, a former Buffalo City Court judge, said she still believes Clark is wrong and sought some way "to take the heat off himself."

Murphy acknowledged civil remedies always exist in any such dispute, but that may not be enough. "How are you going to get money back from these people even if you got a judgment?" she asked.

Clark initially rejected demands for criminal prosecutions in the dispute last fall and recently re-examined the accusations. He found cell phone use by Dodds had been approved by Pokorski when he was mayor, according to sources close to the investigation.

Dale, a former Erie County Legislator and head of the Broadway Market board of directors, was disbarred last November for mishandling an estate and costing clients more than $110,000 in penalties on late estate tax filings.


e-mail: mgryta@buffnews.com

kernwatch
September 13th, 2006, 11:27 AM
Latest development in Sloan, civil suit made necessary by DA Clark's refusal to prosecute his "friends"

Dick Kern (in Mpls)



http://buffalonews.com/editorial/20060913/1027319.asp

SLOAN: Civil suit OK'd against former treasurer
By MELANIE D. LARSEN, Suburban Correspondent
9/13/2006

Without the threat of criminal charges from the district attorney, the Village of Sloan will now move forward in civil action against former Village Clerk-Treasurer Christine Dodds.
Village Attorney Paul Murak presented a resolution, which was passed unanimously by the Village Board Tuesday evening, to allow Murak to proceed with a civil action against Dodds.

Murak said the village has a strong suit.

"While [District Attorney Frank Clark] didn't find any criminal charges, we have excellent standing for a civil suit," said Trustee Anthony Sisti.

The resolution states that Dodds misappropriated funds for her own personal benefit, as well as the benefit of former Village Attorney David Dale and a number of her friends.

"She was the only one who could give authorization for public funds," Murak said. "Including her own salary and her beneficiaries - she paid David Dale more than $85,000."

"We will be sending them a letter asking them to repay the village, before we have to sue them," he said.

Battling the past administration in court won't be the only case the village has to win. The village recently learned Dodds is suing the board and Code Enforcement Officer Sean McGee over a stop work order to put up a fence in her yard.