3 Comptroller Audits on the Brooklyn Surrogate Court (2009-2015)

Public administrator (PA) is a Surrogate Court-appointed fiduciary, and the Surrogate Court Judge has the statutory mandate to oversee and manage the office of the PA.  PA manages the estates of Brooklyn residents who die without a will.  In that capacity PA has a fiduciary duty to conduct investigations to identify assets, collect assets, make and pay for funeral arrangements.

The 3 Audits Show Continued Incompetence, Corruption and the Inability to Fix the Problems

Comptroller  Thompson 2009

Daily news, July 6, 2009:  [Comptroller] Thompson's auditors found a 'culture of mismanagement and laziness' in Brooklyn's public administrator office.  Things were such a mess that Thompson urged all Brooklyn residents to 'make out a will as soon as possible' - avoiding the risk of being bilked by the office.

Comptroller Liu 2013

PA failed to carry out its duties and failed to comply with statutory rules and regulations by failing to implement internal controls for critical estate administration functions which resulted in rampant theft inside the office and indictment of a PA bookkeeper for stealing more than $2.6 million from decedents estates between 2008 and 2011.  Lopez-Torres not only failed to supervise the PA but also her appointed lawyers.  According to the Daily News, badly needed funds were held up for a severely disabled girl for 9 months. 

Follow-up Audit Comptroller Stringer 2015

This follow-up audit assessed the implementation status of the prior audit's 18 recommendations and determined that the conditions disclosed in the prior audit have largely remained unchanged.  Audit identified additional findings, including PA has not been keeping track of estate monies deposited in its bank accounts and is unable to credit those funds back to the states to which they belong,

Margarita Lopez Torres takes office January 2006

Surrogate Court oversight role of Public Administrator Office. 

A public administrator is a court appointed fiduciary and the Surrogate court is vested with oversight of public administrators.  NY Jud. Adv Op 14-100, citing In re Estate of von Knapitsch, 296 AD2d 144 (1^st Dept 2002). Pursuant to 22 NYCRR 100.3(c)(1) a judge must diligently discharge the judge’s administrative responsibilities and maintain professional competence in judicial administration. 

Public administrators are appointed by and may be removed by the Surrogate Court.  Each month, a public administrator must file with the surrogate a statement of such of his or her accounts as have been closed or finally settled in a specified format.  SCPA 1109, 1208(2).  Every six months, a public administrator must also make a filing with the surrogate regarding certain estate accounts that have not been fully distributed or settled.  SCPA 1109, 1208(2). 

Pursuant to 22 NYCRR 207.63, each Surrogate is mandated to request from the public administrator a year end annual report which, with the participation of the counsel to the public administrator, addresses the following areas:  office procedures and record keeping; case management of estates; cash management of estate accounts and financial assets; property management; sale of real and personal property; selection and compensation of outside vendors; and statistical summaries of number of estates under administration, gross value of estates under administration, statutory commissions earned by the public administrator or counsel to the public administrator, legal fees earned by each counsel for the public administrator and expenditures by the public administrator on vendors, lessors and other service providers other than counsel.  Each Surrogate shall transmit to the Chief Administrator of the Courts the annual report of the public administrator of the courts the annual report of the public administrator and counsel to the public administrator, together with whatever written commentary the surrogate deems appropriate and necessary in view of his or her oversight role in connection with the operations and performance of the office of the public administrator and counsel to the public administrator.

I.                   Audit Report, City of New York Office of the Comptroller Bureau of Management Audit, William C. Thompson, Jr., Comptroller.  Audit Report on the Estate Management Practices of the Kings County Public Administrator.  June 30, 2009.   

 “Management had no written procedures or supervisory review system and CompuTrust, its centralized computer record-keeping system, was neither secure not its data reliable.  Management does not maintain a reliable record log of all estates and supporting documentation under its administration, and therefore, does not know the total number of estates it is responsible for.” 

The audit found that KCPA failed to:  “1.  Report its activities to oversight organizations as required; 2.  Adequately review its financial transactions, 3. Track inventory it held for estates.  In addition, there were procurement deficiencies, including undocumented vendor selections, missing contracts and 1099s, and inadequate documentation of the December 5, 2007 KCPA real estate auction.”

Issues 18 Audit Recommendations.  “In their response, KCPA officials agreed with 15 of the 18 recommendations and did not address three recommendations.”    Comptroller Thompson Audit 2009

(Abe Riesman, The Sun, June 20, 2008) Gerard A. Cabrera was appointed jointly by Lopez Torres and Frank Seddio in May 2006.  Seddio resigned in May 2007 said in interview that he and Surrogate Lopez Torres selected Mr. Cabrera based upon the recommendations of a non-partisan screening panel they had established.  Their resignation preceded arrest of accountant Arthur Orikher for theft.     

Althur Orikher, employed at the KCPAO, just 3 months after hire to perform accounting duties, started depositing counterfeit checks worth $9,969 into his personal account.  On April 30, stole $3,300 from a deceased client’s safe-deposit box. 

June 13, 2008 Gerard Cabrera and Natasha Godby resigned.  

Barbara Ross, Audit reveals shady shenanigans in Brooklyn courts,  Daily News, July 6, 2009  After Cabrera’s departure, Comptroller Thompson’s audit revealed massive mismanagement of the PA office including theft of real estate worth millions.  “Things were such a mess that Thompson urged all Brooklyn residents to make out a will as soon as possible-avoiding the risk of being bilked by the office.”  Barbara Ross, Audit reveals shady shenanigans in Brooklyn courts, Daily News, July 6, 2009.  “Brooklyn public administrator, [newly appointed] Bruce Stein, said the problems cited in the audit took place before he took over last summer.  Stein replaced Gerard Cabrera, who left office along with a deputy, Natasha Godby.  Stein said he is trying to adopt most of the auditors’ recommendations.” 

 “Brooklyn’s scandal-plagued court system gets a new black eye in a scathing audit that found the borough’s public administrator’s office riddled with ‘mismanagement and laziness.’”  “The city controller’s office uncovered shoddy recordkeeping, suspicious real estate deals and auctions run by a shadowy company, [Premiere Asset Real Estate], that vanished when auditors started asking questions.” 

(Russ Buettner, City Bookkeeper Charged with Stealing $2.6 million from estates, New York Times, May 4, 2012).

“A bookkeeper in the office of the Brooklyn public administrator stole more than $2.6 million from the estates of people who died without wills over a period of three years, prosecutors charged on Friday.  The bookkeeper, Richard Paul, wrote forged checks from seven estates, diverting money that was supposed to be deposited in the city treasury to himself and three co-conspirators, who were also charged.  This investigation exposed an audacious and calculated scheme to steal money from the dead, Rose Gill Hearn, the commissioner of the DOI said in a statement.  In 2009, an audit of the Brooklyn public administrator’s office by William C. Thompson Jr., who was the city comptroller, found mismanagement so pervasive that Mr. Thompson urged people to rush to create wills.  The current Brooklyn public administrator, Bruce Stein, took office after the issues raised in the Thompson audit occurred.”

  

II.                Financial Audit, City of New York Office of the Comptroller Bureau of Management Audit, John C. Liu, Comptroller.  Audit Report on the Financial and Operating Practices of the Kings County Public Administrator’s Office.  June 28, 2013.   

 “KCPA failed to properly carry out its fiduciary responsibilities because it did not act in the best interests of estates, carry out its duties prudently, and comply with statutory rules and regulations.  Specifically, KCPA did not implement internal controls for critical estate administration functions including asset identification, collection, safeguarding, and distribution; estate accounting including the recording, documenting, and reporting of income and expenses transactions; bank account administration; and estate management, monitoring and tracking.

Additionally, KCPA failed to submit to the Surrogate’s Court, State Attorney General, State and City Comptroller’s Offices, and the Mayor the required financial and operational reports that would allow them to effectively assess, monitor, and hold KCPA accountable for its performance. 

On other matters, KCPA’s failure to establish proper internal controls to monitor and safeguard estate assets may have provided the opportunity for certain mishandling of estate activities and the recently reported misappropriation of funds.  During the course of our audit, we became aware of an issue involving the indictment of a KCPA bookkeeper for stealing more than $2.6 million from decedents’ estates between August 2008 and November 2011.” 

Made 18 recommendations.

“KCPA did not address the report’s findings and recommendations or disagreed with the report’s findings, stating that the audit did not take into account information and documentation presented to the auditors.  However, as acknowledged by KCPA in its response, we conducted a lengthy review of KCPA processes, estate files, and other relevant KCPA and independently obtained documentation.  Throughout the audit fieldwork and reporting process, we repeatedly requested, reviewed and considered all relevant documentation provided to us.  However, the KCPA Public Administrator was generally non-responsive to our requests for documentation.” Comptroller Liu Audit

 (Yoav Gonen, Estates Official resigns after office mishandles 2.2 M in assets, New York Post, September 18, 2014)

“The official who oversees estates of people who die without wills in Brooklyn—and whose office was cited for sloppy work by the city comptroller last year—has resigned, the Post has learned.  Kings County Public Administrator Bruce Stein stepped down earlier this month, in part because of questions about his ability to perform the job, a source said.  Stein’s office was slammed by former Comptroller John Liu in 2013 for mishandling more than $2.2 million in assets, including misplacing a fur coat and allowing $50,000 in cash to sit unclaimed in a safe deposit box for five years.  The money was claimed only after auditors pointed it out.  The auditors found shoddy work in more than half of the 50 cases that were examined.  Stein was appointed to the role in January 2009, and was earning more than $123,000.  Public Administrators are appointed by the Surrogate’s Court.”  Comptroller Liu Audit

Brooklyn Public Administrator cited for job performance failure (Brooklyn Eagle, 2013)

III.            Management Audit, City of New York Office of the Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, Comptroller.  Follow-up Audit Report on the Financial and Operating Practices of the Kings County Public Administrator’s Office.  June 30, 2015.   

 “In this follow-up audit, we assessed the implementation status of our prior audit’s 18 recommendations.  Two of the recommendations were implemented, one was partically implemented, and 14 were not implemented.  We could not determine the implementation statutes of the recommendation that formal and informal estate legal counsel fees be paid in accordance with new Guidelines, effective May 1, 2012 because there was not sufficient documentation in the files.  Of the conditions disclosed in the prior audit, this audit found that many have remained unchanged.  Among other things, we found little evidence that staff consistently performed sufficient database searches for possible estate assets; disbursements did not have all the required supporting documentation; inventory records of estate assets were inaccurate; bank reconciliations were not always performed; outstanding checks were not voided; mandatory financial and operational reports were not always submitted to appropriate oversight bodies timely, if at all; and W-9 forms were not obtained from vendors to determine their legal entity type and tax status.”

PA response:

“PA generally agreed with 20 of the 22 recommendations made in this follow-up report.  PA’s response did not specifically address the recommendations that it establish procedures for competitive vendor selection and that it conduct an investigation into an account for which over $45,000 could not be traced.”  Stringer Follow Up Audit

Ellen Moynihan, Daily News, March 15, 2019, Ex-Brooklyn Public Administrator Employee Jailed for Swindling $78,000 from dead, must pay it back.

“A former Kings County public administrator employee was sentenced on Friday to 60 days in jail and five years probation and ordered to pay back more than $78,000 he swindled from 8 estates he was supposed to manage.  From July 2017 through April 2018 Fitzroy Thompson lived high off the dead, using their checking accounts and credit cards for a cruise ship vacation, airline tickets,  ATM withdrawals, payments on two cars, and other lavish purchases.  Mr Thompson abused his authority as a representative of the PA Office by stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the estates of several deceased persons and lining his own pockets, NY City DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett Said.”

Heidi Evans, Greg Smith, Corky Siemaszko, Lawyer who held up badly needed settlement money finally turns in report on guardian of severely disabled Brooklyn girl.  New York Daily News, June 8, 2015. 

“Brooklyn Surrogate Court appointed lawyer Maureen Fonti got moving only after the Daily News reported that the funds to help 18-year-old Micalia Wilkinson were tied up in red tape.  Fonti called the guardian and great-aunt of the girl just once and never even visited her Crown Heights home to see how she was taking care of her niece.  Fonti, who was supposed to be vetting her client and the home she has provided for Micalia, didn’t return her calls for months. “ 

Judicial Screening Panels are An Arm of the Political Machines II

What is the self proclaimed 
"Independent Judicial Screening Committee?"


You do not have to guess.  As per the affirmation of the attorney of the so-called "independent judicial screening committee" before the Federal Court, Eastern District of New York, "the committee is part of a political group--not a governmental one--and has the constitutional right to vet candidates as it sees fit."  The phrase "as it sees fit" is a give away, since the attorneys that sit on the so-called independent judicial screening panel appear before the same judges they rate and they also seek and accept lucrative appointments from the same judges that they obligate to go before them for screening.  


One of the so-called independent judicial screeners is Steven R. Finkelstein, Esq, an everlasting member on the panel, appearing on the 2019 Judicial Screening Committee for the Democratic Party in and for Kings County as designated by the 41st, the 45th and the 59th Assembly Districts.  Interestingly enough, the male district leader for the 41st AD is Luis Fidler, the right hand man to the Party Chair Seddio and the male district leader for the 59th AD is Seddio himself.  

Finkelstein was appointed as the attorney to the Public Administrator in the Surrogate Court by former Surrogate Frank Seddio.  Seddio was nominated as a 2nd Surrogate after Albany passed a law while Seddio was an Assemblyman in Albany, and served together with an elected Surrogate Margarita Lopez Torres for a little over a year.  Seddio, however had to resign shortly after taking the bench while under investigation by the the Commission on Judicial Conduct into his political contributions from his Assembly campaign account. 

Upon Seddio's departure, the Surrogate who was left over was Margarita Lopez Torres, who interestingly enough kept Finkelstein in business. 





Daily News' Calls the So-Called "Independent" Screening Committee of the New York City Bar Association Seddio's Puppet 

It is a known fact that the so-called independent screening committees of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, Brooklyn Bar Association and the New York City Bar utilize the same so-called "independent" screeners.  members of the New York City Bar 

 "The city bar association also rates would-be judges. But Seddio, a honcho in the Brooklyn bar, influences that panel. Why even have a supposedly straight-arrow screening commission when it's tainted by bosses? You know the answer."  - Daily News, Sep 06, 2017 

 


The Seddio Carone Machine Not Only Makes Judges it Also Knock Off Judges to Send the Other Judges the Message

Judge Sues Brooklyn Democratic Party for Defamation (Brooklyn Paper)

But attorneys for the party and the screening committee are asking Brooklyn judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to toss Jacobson’s suit as groundless.

The committee is part of a political group — not a governmental one — and has the constitutional right to vet candidates as it sees fit, according to the panel’s attorney, George Carpinello.

“We are saying we are not a government, not a state actor. And second, as a political party, the Kings County Committee has the First Amendment right to have a screening process, and it would be unconstitutional for the courts to interfere with that process,” he said.

The libel accusations are bunk too, Carpinello said.

Brooklyn Supreme Court judge suing borough’s Democratic Party for dashing her re-election hopes (Daily News)

A Brooklyn Supreme Court judge has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the Brooklyn Democratic Party after she wasn't approved for re-election by a screening committee.
Ravi Batra, a lawyer representing Justice Laura Jacobson, filed the bombshell suit Friday against the Kings County Democratic Committee alleging Jacobson's "refusal to judicially act bending and bowing to the Brooklyn political machine" led to her losing the party's backing.
Judges must be approved by a screening committee in order to be placed on the Democratic ballot come November.

The suit claims that members of the committee, and its chairman Martin Edelman, damaged Jacobson's reputation by leaking confidential information about the screening process to the fact-challenged New York Post.
The county Dems "violated their own rules concerning committee participation and confidentiality and deprived the plaintiff of equal protection and due process so as to vindictively harm the plaintiff personally and professionally," according to the suit.
The suit claims Jacobson, who has 25 years of experience on the bench and is seeking re-election for a 14-year term, is being punished for rulings against lawyers affiliated with the Brooklyn Dems.
It also alleges that the screening board has been stacked by Frank Seddio, the chairman of the Kings County Democratic County Committee, even though it is meant to be independent. 

 


Why Did the Machine Dump Judge Jacobson?

Jacobson is being punished for not using her professional position to help party bigwigs, the lawyer said.
She delayed the contentious sale of Long Island College Hospital in 2014 by issuing a temporary restraining order on the State University of New York, which ram the institution. Seddio’s friend and former law partner Frank Carrone represented the state in that case and was none too happy about Jacobson’s ruling, the suit claims.
“She did not show favoritism, she followed the law, she wasn’t a political puppet — that’s her crime,” Batra said.

Hill Top worked for de Blasio 2013 campaign when he had himself arrested protesting the closing of LICH Hospital.  Hill Top Bill Heyes now works as a lobbyist for Fortis developers who are building luxury high rises on the LICH site.  
New emails show how outside de Blasio adviser secretly lobbied City Hall for deep-pocketed clients -Daily News
The emails show how Hilltop, a public relations lobbyist group, often hired members of de Blasio’s staff or campaign who would lobby their former colleagues on behalf of clients.

Tabloid Spread Prompts Libel Suit by NYC Judge

Brooklyn Judicial Committee has withdrawn support from Judge Laura Jacobson, who has challenged allies of the Brooklyn Democratic County boss

In Brooklyn, another New York State Supreme Court judge has lost the support of the counterpart judicial selection committee.  The Hon. Justice Laura Jacobson faces the prospect of losing her judgeship, because the judicial selection committee of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee withdrew it support from her reelection.
From the bench, the Hon. Justice Jacobson has issued court rulings that attempted to save Long Island College Hospital from closure and sale. The Hon. Justice Jacobson has also issued rulings that have found that the fees charged by the Kings County Public Administrator, which serves as fiduciary for the deceased without wills, have been excessive, according to a report published by The New York Law Journal. These judicial acts have respectively ruled against Frank Carone and Steven Finklestein, attorneys who are members or supporters of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee. The Brooklyn Democratic County Committee is chaired by Frank Seddio.
As with the Hon. Justice Ling-Cohan, reports published by The New York Post have cast aspersions on the character of the Hon. Justice Jacobson, revealing alleged details of the judicial process that should have legally remained confidential.
In the time since the Brooklyn judicial selection committee made its determination to withdraw support from the Hon. Justice Jacobson, she retained in her personal capacity the civic attorney Ravi Batra and filed a Federal lawsuit against the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee and others, claiming that the withdrawal of support represented retaliation for the judicial independence she has exhibited, according to a report published by The New York Daily News.
In a statement issued to Progress Queens, Mr. Batra wrote that the Hon. Justice Jacobson has remained autonomous, noting that the Brooklyn screening selection committee had already approved her judgeship in the past. Mr. Batra also described the Hon. Justice Jacobson as "a great and fearless judge, a woman, who dared to honor her Oath," adding that, "What is truly most troubling is the unconstitutional attempt to control the court and make a judge into a political puppet by destroying judicial independence -- and it is judicial independence that make our cherished separation of powers to function."
As with the Hon. Justice Ling-Cohan, the Hon. Justice Jacobson does not lack support from the community. In respect of political clubs, Mr. Batra noted that the Hon. Justice Jacobson was being supported by the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats and the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn.
 
Judge Jacobson Who Was Dumped By Boss Seddio Files A 5 Million Dollar Law Suit
More on Closing Long Island College Hospital

• Brooklyn Supreme Court judge suing borough’s Democratic Party for dashing her re-election hopes [The New York Daily News]
• Brooklyn Judge Suing Over Borough Democratic Party's Refusal to Endorse [The New York Law Journal]

These guys get dozens maybe over 100 appointments
From mostly the 3 Judges who do Fiduciary
Judges Partnow, Knipel and Deer

1.      Adam Kalish  

List his office address as 9308  Flatlands Ave Seddio's Home/Office
 Appointed by
Partnow   Knipel,  Surrogate Judge Lopez-Torres
Receiver, Council to Receiver,  Guardian ad litem

2.       LASPINA, GREGORY M  

Works in the law firm of Borchart and Genovese Luspino
Genovese father used to run Seddio’s Thomas Jefferson Club,Assemblyman
Working on the park slope Nursing home with Seddio and Carone you wrote about
Judges Partnow, Knipel, Dear
Referee, Guardian ad Litem

3.       Michael Benjain      

Village Voice 2007  Hack Attack – Disbarment for Professional Neglect.

He has spent 30 years in one decently paying patronage post or another. Much of that good fortune stems from his roots: Benjamin is a veteran officer, and petition-carrying foot soldier, of Brooklyn’s Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club, the powerful Canarsie-based organization that has spawned a string of the borough’s leaders and judges.
Judges Partnow, Knipel, Dear – He has the most appointments --- Referee

4.      Sol Niddle  

Seddio loyal Jefferson club member, Chairman of the community board 18

Judges Partnow, Knipel, Dear  - Referee

5.      Joe Bova    District Leader 49^th Assembly District  

Receiver   Big money 5% Expenses and 5% of income to commercial Real Estate Properties
Vaughn, Partnow, Knipel  

These people were on the Screen Panel That Did in Judge Jacobson and many other independent judges running against the machine
Jacobson case file:///C:/Users/Gary/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe/TempState/Downloads/032117%20FULL%20FILED%20JACOBSON%20v%20KCDCC%20FAC%20(5).pdf
The Brooklyn Democratic Party Judicial Screening Panel, the Brooklyn Bar Association so-called Independent Screening Panel and the New York City Bar Association so-called Independent Judicial Screening Committees are anything but independent.  The panels have interlocking directorates, as Teddy Roosevelt called it, since its members come from loyal patronage of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.  They donate to the Kings County Democratic Party, which runs their judges, they also donate to judicial candidates backed by the party, they  receive court appointments from judges they rate and judges who are loyal to the Democratic Party. 
In fact, almost all of the members of the Brooklyn screening committee were appointed by Party Chairman Frank Seddio, District Leaders of the Democratic Party that disqualified Judge Jacobson most contribute to the counties judicial candidates and receive court appointment patronage from the machine judges they approve. In addition, many members of the screening committee socialize with Seddio and Law Chair Frank Carone, are active in bar associations with Seddio and Carone, or have work relationships with Seddio and Carone.   In groups like the Columbian Lawyers Association.
Judge Jacobson Screening Panel:
Steven R. Finkelstein
Co-Defendant along with Frank Seddio in Laura Jacobson case against the Judicial Screening
Committee. Finkelstein is the lawyer for the Public Administer in the Surrogate Court, where Jacobson cut the fees he was paid.  He was appointed by Surrogate Judges Seddio and Lopez-Torres before Seddio was forced out of the Surrogate Court by the Daily News. Finkelstein  currently works for Surrogate Judge Lopez Torres.   Finkelstein gets Referee appointments from Partnow, Silver, Knipel.   His wife donates to seddio  
FINKELSTEIN, SHARON R    $1000 to Friend of Seddio
90 BROAD STREET SUITE 1700
NEW YORK, NY 10004   Same address as Steven 
Lots of Corruption in the PA Office of the Surrogate Court at the time Finkelstein was its lawyer

City Bookkeeper in 600g Scam  (New York Post, 1/17/2012) A bookkeeper stole more than $600,000 in taxpayer money by creating a phony check from the Brooklyn municipal office that handles the estates of people who die without wills or next of kin, court papers allege. 

Lawyer Who Held Up Badly Needed Settlement Money Finally Turns in Report on Guardian of Severely Disabled Brooklyn Girl (Daily News, 6/8/2015)

How Insiders Snatch Millions From Estates in theScandal-Scarred Surrogate Courts (New York Post 7/29/2012)

Nassau County Surrogate appointments

Andrew Fisher  Brother of Judge Alice Fisher Rubin
Fisher and Fisher $41,000 to party    $5800 friends of Seddio
Comes from a long-time machine family, Father was Harold Fisher Boss Esposito right hand man
$5000 59th assembly district
Fisher $15,000 to fiends of Seddio''
$2500 2017 Illegal campaign money hit 
Retired judge Alice Fisher Rubin gets appointments


Martin W. Edelman
Co-Defendant with Frank Seddio in Laura Jacobson case against the Judicial Screening
Panel   Edelman and Edelman $2000 to friends Seddio
$50,000 to the county committee that is used to support County Judges

   Steve Decker
Husband of Pam Fisher who was appointed by Vito Lopez.  Being sued by Jacobson
Decker & Decker Friends of Frank $1000
$7500 to the county Committee
$500 to Partnow wife
Fisher's sister heads Ridgewood Senior Citizens Center. Fisher went to work there out of college and was director of its senior center by age 26. While working there, she went to law school, graduating from Brooklyn Law in 1990.  
Motion to Dismiss Jacobson Case
In their pleadings to the Federal Court the defendants admitted and argued that their Judicial Screening Committee is part of a political group — not a governmental one — and has the constitutional right to vet candidates as it sees fit. 
“We are saying we are not a government, not a state actor. And second, as a political party, the Kings County Committee has the First Amendment right to have a screening process, and it would be unconstitutional for the courts to interfere with that process
Judge sues Brooklyn Democratic Party for defamation (Bklyn Paper)
Attorneys for the party and the screening committee are asking Brooklyn judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to toss Jacobson’s suit as groundless.

____________________________________________________________________
These lawyers are members of interlocking directorates or the Kings County Screening Panel, Brooklyn Bar Association Judicial Screening Panel and the City Bar Judicial Screening Panel.  (Not sure if they were actually selected to sit on Jacobson’s Panel)
Betty Lugo    Candidate for Queens DA
Gets referees apointments from Brooklyn Judges
referee Partnow, Knipel, Dear 
$250  Kings County Democratic Committee 
$300 LAWFIRM fRIENDS OF SEDDIO
Carmin A. Pacheco pARTNER  $260 

Andrew Fisher  Brother of Judge Alice Fisher Rubin
Fisher and Fisher $41,000    $5800 friends of Seddio
$5000 59th assembly district
Fisher $15,000 to fiends of Seddio''
$2500 2017 Illegal campaign money hit 
Alice Fisher Rubin gets appointments

John Lonuzzi
Past President of Brooklyn Bar Association,
 Seddio is also a Past President and Carone next president.
Columbia Lawyers Association
LONUZZI, JOHN  
421 DEGRAW ST.
BROOKLYN, NY 11217
$1500 Kings County Committee
Friends of Frank Seddio  $2400

Mark A. Longo
Past President of the Brooklyn Bar Association, Seddio is also a Past President and Carone is
currently First Vice President, Columbian Lawyers Association.
Grievance Committee for the 2^nd and 11^th Judicial Districts    Block, Longo, LaMarca & Brzezinski, PC
Silber, Partnow, Knipel appointments


Scott Runecki
Scott Rynecki is a member of the law firm Sanford Rubinstein & Rynecki. Which donated $1,000 to
“Friends of Frank Seddio” on 2/2/16 and over $6,000 to the Kings County Democratic
Committee since 2014.  Ryneck and his partner Sanford Rubinstein personally paid
“Friends of Fandk Seddio” $1500 each on 12/17/17 and 3/16/15, respectively $1000 Seddio   $6000 to Kings County Dem Party 
Sanford Rubinson   $500   $500  2016
$1000 to David Pepper
$500 pals for Partnow
$1000 fRIENDS OF sEDDIO

Gregory T. Cerchione
Past President of Brooklyn Bar Association; Seddio is also a Past President and Carone is Currently
First Vice President In 2018, Cerchione was honored as a Distinguished Guest by Frank Seddio in the annual Democratic Party Gala for helping “the party shine”
Cerchione is a principal at the law firm Subin & Associates. 
has donated over $30,000 to the Kings County Democratic County Committee since 2013,
Columbian lawyers association, chair board of Directors, Trials lawyers judicial screening committee
Does not disclose sits on the NY Bar   $1000 to lawPAC

Jeff Miller  Gets Assignments  Appointed to Community Board 18 by Fidler
Judicial Committee screen committee for the Brooklyn Bar
Gets appointment Referee in forclosers  Partnow, Knipel
$100 Friends of Frank Seddio

Nicholas Eleferakis  sits on panel and his associates get appointments from county judges
Michael  Indelicato, Dominick Mingione from the firm
Eleferakis - $1000 for Friends of Frank s
 Loren Baily Shiffman $1000

Dominic  Napoletano

Partnow, Silber

VP 2nd District NYS Bar Association Executive Association

Past President of the Brooklyn Bar

Past President of Columbia Lawyers Association 

COMMITTEE TO ELECT DAVID PEPPER TO CIVIL COURT $250

COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT LOREN BAILY$500

Carone is the first name of the Committee on Vacancies on all the county’s petitions, including
Surrogate Lopez Torres, and the 3 judges that were back-flipped in 2018
Carone’s law firm Abrams and Fensterman and members of the of the so called independent screening panels help fund attack piece on independent judges in 2017
Daily News    Borough Dems chief involved in 'illegal' fund-raiser for judicial candidates
Attached is a picture

Taxi
Federal judge Hall ruled against Judge Jacobson lawsuit
Hall and Carone were on the Taxi Commission together for years both Bloomberg appointments and Carone served a second term with de Blasio
Talk to Jacobson’s lawyer Batra
Lots of taxi money for Seddio and his judges

Carone is Secy of the Kings County Democratic Party
He helps pick the judges at the judicial conventions (All Supreme Court judges go through this), County Committee meeting Back-Fills judges when 3 democratic nominees were moved up.

Carone and Seddio represented SUNY to close LICH Hospital at the same time Carone Law firm (AF)worked for the developer of the luxury housing Fortis Also working for Fortis was de Blasio’s lobbyists Capalino who also work on the nursing home deed change and so did Carone’s AF
Fortis has a lot of nursing homes they are closing for luxury housing


Judge Partnow TPT A judge who reversed himself
Wife is Seddio’s co-district leader has a
Financial committee called pals of Partnow

Contributor	Amt	Contr. Date	Recipient	Report	Sched	Office	Dist
ABRAMS FENSTERMAN FENSTERMAN LLP 3 DAKOTA DRIVE, SUITE 300 LAKE SUCCESS, NY 11042	1,000.00	24-SEP-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 32 Pre General	A	District Leader	59
BAMUNDO, ZWAL, & SCHERMERHORN LLP 11 JOHN STREET NEW YORK, NY 10038	500.00	12-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	A	District Leader	59
BORCHERT & LASPINA PC 1902 WHITSTONE EXPRESSWAY SUITE 302 WHITESTONE, NY 11357	1,000.00	20-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	B	District Leader	59
BOVA ADVISORS LLC 7410 14TH AVENUE BROOKLYN, NY 11228	50.0
DALLI & MARINO, LLP 231 MINEOLA BOULEVARD MINEOLA, NY 11501	125.00	13-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	A	District Leader	59
DECKER & DECKER 3 KERMIT AVENUE STATEN ISLAND, NY 10305	250.00	22-JUN-18
GLEN HEAD, NY 11545	250.00	26-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	C	District Leader	59
FRIENDS OF INGIRD JOSPEH 33 HATTIE JONES COURT BROOKLYN, NY 11213	125.00	26-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	C	District Leader	59
FRIENDS OF JUDGE DEVIN P COHEN 609 WARREN STREET BROOKLYN, NY 11217	250.00	21-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	C	District Leader	59
GINA FOR CIVIL COURT JUDGE 278 AVENUE S BROOKLYN, NY 11223	250.00
KALISH PC 9306 FLALTLANDS AVENUE BROOKLYN, NY 11236	125.00	22-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	B	District Leader	59
LONUZZI & WOODLAND LLP 60 SACKETT STREET SUITE 2002 BROOKLYN, NY 11231	250.00	20-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	A	District Leader	59
MILLER, LEIBY & ASSOCIATES PC 32 BROADWAY 13TH FLOOR NY, NY 10004	250.00	14-JUN-18	PALS FOR PARTNOW	2018 July Periodic	B	District Leader	59
RUBENSTEIN & RYNECKI ESQS. 16 COURT STREET, SUITE 1717 BROOKLYN, NY 11241	500.00	10-JUL-18

Steve Benundo  On the Screening Panel
Columbia Lawyers Association
Mayor's Screening Committee city marshalls

$500 Kings County Committee
$2000 Kings County Committee

Wall Street Mortgages   $1000  Carone to friends of Seddio

Daily News' Calls the So-Called "Independent" Screening Committee of the New York City Bar Association Seddio's Puppet 

It is a known fact that the so-called independent screening committees of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, Brooklyn Bar Association and the New York City Bar utilize the same so-called "independent" screeners.  members of the New York City Bar 

 "The city bar association also rates would-be judges. But Seddio, a honcho in the Brooklyn bar, influences that panel. Why even have a supposedly straight-arrow screening commission when it's tainted by bosses? You know the answer."  - Daily News, Sep 06, 2017 

The Independent Judicial Screen Committee for the Kings County Democratic Party is Anything but independent as many of the members of the screening committee have close ties to the Kings County Democratic Party.  In fact, 11 of the 25 members of the screening committee were appointed by Party Chairman Frank Seddio or District Leaders of the Democratic Party. In addition, many members of the screening committee socialize with Seddio and Law Chari Frank Carone, are active in bar associations with Seddio and Carone, or have work relationships with Seddio and Carone, Some examples include: 

Ethan Gerber 
Kings County Screening Panel, Brooklyn Bar Association Screening Panel, 
NYC Bar Association

Part President of the Brooklyn Bar Association, Seddio is also a Past President and Carone is

currently the First Vice President.  

Partner at Abrams,Fensterman, Law firm (Transportation)
Taxi Lobbyists 
Abrams and Fensterman which held allegedly illegal fundraiser for 5 

Democratic Party back countywide judicial candidates in 2017
Daily News    Borough Dems chief involved in 'illegal' fund-raiser for judicial candidates
Other Contributors on the Screening Panel or Party
FISHER AND FISHER   $2599
PO BOX 61060 NEW DORP STATION
STATEN ISLAND, NY 10306
 SIMON, JO ANNE   $1000
356 FULTON STREET
BROOKLYN, NY 11201
__________________________________________________-
Illegal fund Raiser
Abrams Fensterman $10,000
is also  the law firm of Frank Carone, law chair of the Kings County Democratic Party. 

Ethan GERBER & GERBER
26 COURT ST.
BROOKLYN, NY 11242    $4000 friends of Frank Seddio

__________________________________________________-__________--

John Lonuzzi

Past President of Brooklyn Bar Association,
 Seddio is also a Past President and Carone next.  
Columbia Lawyers Association
Rebecca Rose Woodland Partner 

LONUZZI, JOHN  
421 DEGRAW ST.
BROOKLYN, NY 11217
$1500 Kings County Committee
Friends of Frank Seddio  $2400   

Aimee L. Richter

President of Brooklyn Bar Association

$125 Friends of Seddi

Martin W. Edelman

Co-Defendant alson with Frank Seddio in Laura Jacobson case against the Judicial Screening 

Panel   Edelman and Edelman $2000 friends
$50000 to the county committee that is used to support County Judges

Mark A. Longo

Past President of the Brooklyn Bar Association, Seddio is also a Past President and Carone is 

currently First Vice President, Columbian Lawyers Association.

Grievance Committee for the 2^nd and 11^th Judicial Districts    Block, Longo, LaMarca & Brzezinski, PC
Silber, partnow, knipel

Scott Runecki

Scott Rynecki is a member of the law firm Rubinstein & Rynecki. Which donated $1,000 to 

“Friends of Frank Seddio” on 2/2/16 and over $6,000 to the Kings County Democratic 

Committee since 2014.  Ryneck and his partner Sanford Rubinstein personally paid 

“Friends of Fandk Seddio” $1500 each on 12/17/17 and 3/16/15, respectively $1000 Seddio   $6000 to Kings County Dem Party 

Sanford Rubinson   $500   $500  2016
$1000 to David Pepper
$500 pals for Partnow
$1000 fRIENDS OF sEDDIO

Steven R. Finkelstein

Co-Defendant along with Frank Seddio in Laura Jacobson case against the Judicial Screening 

Committee. Finkelstein is the lawyer for the Public Administer in the Surrogate Court, where Jacobson cut the fees he was paid  Gets Referee apointments from Partnow, Silver, Knipel
FINKELSTEIN, SHARON R    $1000 to Friend of Seddio
90 BROAD STREET SUITE 1700
NEW YORK, NY 10004   Same address as Steven 
Lots of Corruption in the PA Office 
Nassau County Surrogate appointments

Gregory T. Cerchione

Past President of Brooklyn Bar Association; Seddio is also a Past President and Carone is Currently 

First Vice President In 2018, Cerehione was honored as a Distinguished Guest by Frank Seddio in the annual Democratic Party Gala for helping “the party shine”

Cerchione is a principal at the law firm Subin & Associates.  Sibom & Associates 

has donated over $30,000 to the Kings County Democratic County Committee since 2013, 

Columbian lawyers association, chair board of Directors, Trials lawyers judicial screening committee
Does not disclose sits on the NY Bar   $1000 to lawPAC

Andrew Fisher  Brother of Judge Alice Fisher Fisher and Fisher $41,000    $5800 friends of Seddio
$5000 59th assembly district
Fisher $15,000 to fiends of Seddio''
$2500 2017 Illegal campaign money hit 
Alice Fisher Rubin gets appointments
BROUNSTEIN, STEVEN 
  

Steve Benundo

Columbia Lawyers Association
Mayor's Screening Committee city marshalls

$500 Kings County Committee
$2000 Kings County Committee

Steve Decker

Husband of Pam Fisher who was appointed by Vito Lopez.  Being sued by Jacobson
Decker & Decker Friends of Frank $1000
$7500 to the county Committee
$500 to Partnow wife
Fisher's sister heads Ridgewood Senior Citizens Center. Fisher went to work there out of college and was director of its senior center by age 26. While working there, she went to law school, graduating from Brooklyn Law in 1990.  

Betty Lugo  
Gets referees apointments from Brooklyn Judges
referee partnow 
$250  Kings County Democratic Committee 
$300 LAWFIRM fRIENDS OF SEDDIO
Carmin A. Pacheco pARTNER  $260 


Jeff Miller  Gets Assignments  Appointed to Community Board 18 by Fidler
Judicial Judicial Committee screen committee for the Brooklyn Bar
Gets apointment Referee in forclosers  Partnow, Knighpal
$100 Friends of Frank Seddio

Nicholas Eleferakis  sits on panel and his associate gets   
Michael  Indelicato apointments
Eleferakis - $1000 for Friends of Frank 
 Loren Baily Shiffman $1000
Print out

Steven Richmond - NYC Board of Elections
Brooklyn Bar 2014, 2015

Dominic  Napoletano
Partnow
VP 2nd District NYS Bar Association Executive Association
Past President of the Brooklyn Bar
Past President of Columbia Lawyers Association 

COMMITTEE TO ELECT DAVID PEPPER TO CIVIL COURT $250

COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT LOREN BAILY$500
Partnow

Steve Harkavy

kings County Democratic Party


________________________________________________________
LASPINA, GREGORY M   $500 2017
Michael Benjaim
He has spent 30 years in one decently paying patronage post or another. Much of that good fortune stems from his roots: Benjamin is a veteran officer, and petition-carrying foot soldier, of Brooklyn’s Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club, the powerful Canarsie-based organization that has spawned a string of the borough’s leaders and judges. While the clout held by most old-time political clubs has ebbed, th
Sol Niddle 

Dominic FAMULARI

COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT JUDGE LISA S. OTTLEY

GINA FOR CIVIL COURT JUDGE

PALS FOR PARTNOW 

FRIENDS OF JUDGE DEVIN P. COHEN

Joseph Vasile
COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT LOREN BAILY
FRIENDS OF FRANK SEDDIO
GINA FOR CIVIL COURT JUDGE

PALS FOR PARTNOW

  Laspina Kings court County Committee 

Wall Street Mortgages   $1000  Carone to friends of Seddio

SCHNAPS, VICKI 2 ENGINEERS ROAD ROSLYN, NY 11576

1,000.00

Did Arzt Plant These Stories Against Judge Jacobson in the NYP for His Boss Seddio Democratic Machine or His Law Clients?

City judge deemed incompetent in ‘unheard of’ move (NYP) This is a precedent no judge wants to set.  In a first-of-its-kind rebuke, a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge with 25 years experience on the bench has been found unqualified by a Democratic Party screening panel — a move that will likely doom her chances for re-election this fall.  “She’s not the brightest bulb in the courthouse to begin with,” said one party source, explaining the Brooklyn Democratic Party Judicial Screening Committee’s decision last month to find Justice Laura Jacobson unqualified to run on the party line. “They looked at her track rec­ord, and they found an abnormal percentage of cases were overturned by higher courts,” said the party source. “And when also factoring in she has a poor reputation, she was found unqualified.” Said another party official, who like the others asked not to be named, “As far as we know, this is the first time in Brooklyn’s history the committee did not reappoint a sitting Supreme Court judge — it’s unheard of.” *   Brooklyn judge blows off work amid being deemed 'unqualified' NYP)

Nurses’ court order throws wrench into NYU’s LICH plans in Brooklyn (Daily Eagle, 2014)  SUNY attorney Frank Carone told Justice Jacobson that SUNY “tried to meet with NYU yesterday, but were unsuccessful.” He assured the judge that SUNY was “committed to the content and objectives of the RFP,” and supports the “full employment of the nurses.” “I’m sure the nurses in the courtroom are very happy to hear that,” Justice Jacobson said.

166. Retaliatory, Vindictive and Malicious Deprivation of Judge Jacobson’s Right to “Equal Protection of Law” and “Due Process”!

In retribution for Judge Jacobson’s proper exercise of judicial discretion and independence which was inconsistent with the desires of Mr. Carone who is defendant Seddio’s counsel and was Seddio’s law partner, defendants Edelman and Decker abused their positions on the Edelman Committee and defendant Seddio abused his position as County Chair of the Kings County Democratic County Committee and aided, abetted and conspired with members of the Executive Committee of defendant Kings County Democratic County Committee, members of the Edelman Committee, defendant

Ajaiyeoba, defendants John and Jane Does and others not named as defendants, including Mr.

Carone, in an effort to deprive Judge Jacobson of “equal protection of the law” and “due

process,” in an effort to maliciously and vindictively inflict maximum personal and

professional harm to Judge Jacobson.

167. Because of Judge Jacobson’s proper exercise of judicial discretion and

independence, and refusal to judicially endorse Mr. Carone’s opposition to maintaining the

status quo of keeping a hospital emergency department open while keeping a discrete number

of nurses employed, defendants Seddio, Edelman, Finkelstein, Decker, Ajaiyeoba, John and

Jane Does, members of the Executive Committee  of defendant Kings County Democratic

County Committee, members of defendant Edelman Committee  and others not named as

Case 1:16-cv-04809   Document 1   Filed 08/26/16   Page 45 of 299 PageID #: 45

46  defendants agreed to maliciously and vindictively destroy Judge Jacobson personally and

professionally. This conspiracy was carried out by performance of overt acts including:

i. violating the rules of the Kings County Democratic County Committee;

ii. violating the Rules and procedures of the Edelman Committee; and,

iii. breaching the confidentiality of the judicial screening process

concerning Judge Jacobson.

168. Because of Judge Jacobson’s proper exercise of judicial discretion and

independence, and refusal to judicially endorse Mr. Carone’s opposition to maintaining the

status quo of keeping a hospital emergency department open while keeping a discrete number

of nurses employed, defendants Seddio, Edelman, Kings County Democratic County

Committee, the Edelman Committee, Finkelstein, Decker, Ajaiyeoba ,John and Jane Does and

others not named as defendants, including defendant KCDCC’s media consultant George Artz,

did violate the rules of the Kings County Democratic County Committee and the Edelman

Committee.

169. Because of Judge Jacobson’s proper exercise of judicial discretion and

independence, and refusal to judicially endorse Mr. Carone’s opposition to maintaining the

then status quo of keeping a hospital emergency department open while keeping a discrete

number of nurses employed, defendants Seddio, Edelman, Kings County Democratic County

Committee, the Edelman Committee, Finkelstein, Decker, Ajaiyeoba ,John and Jane Does and

others not named as defendants, including defendant KCDCC’s media consultant George Artz,

Case 1:16-cv-04809   Document 1   Filed 08/26/16   Page 46 of 299 PageID #: 46

47 did publically disseminate confidential information obtained from and about Judge Jacobson which information was obtained solely as a result of the judicial screening process.

Poor Door Lobbyists George Arzt

Judge sues Brooklyn Democratic Party for defamation (Bklyn Paper)

But attorneys for the party and the screening committee are asking Brooklyn judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to toss Jacobson’s suit as groundless.

The committee is part of a political group — not a governmental one — and has the constitutional right to vet candidates as it sees fit, according to the panel’s attorney, George Carpinello.

“We are saying we are not a government, not a state actor. And second, as a political party, the Kings County Committee has the First Amendment right to have a screening process, and it would be unconstitutional for the courts to interfere with that process,” he said.

The libel accusations are bunk too, Carpinello said.