WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR Campaign 2011, Special to WPCNR.. March 10, 2011 UPDATED 2:15 PM EST:

The district leader on the scene tonight at the meeting of the Democratic city committee of White Plains at the YWCA reports tonight that Tom Roach was unanimously endorsed by all district leaders to be the Democratic party candidate for mayor in the special election coming up Thursday, March 31, 2011. The election is to fill the remaining 2 1/2 years of resigned Adam Bradley’ mayoral term through 2013.

The observer said after Liz Shollenberger, the Democratic City Chairperson opened the meeting,asked the three potential candidates for mayor, Mr. Roach, County Legislator Bill Ryan and   Councilperson Benjamin Boykin to say a few words.

Mr. Ryan stunned the crowd, saying that he was going to step aside in favor of Mr. Roach, that “it was not his (Ryan’s) time.”

 Mr. Boykin followed suit.  He spoke of his accomplishments and ability to become the mayor, but again said he would step aside for Mr. Roach’s candidacy.

Mr. Roach our observer reported was very gracious and accepting the bowing out of the race, remarking how he had worked with Ryan and Boykin and had learned much from them.

 District leaders voted unanimously to name Tom Roach their standard bearer in the first special election in White Plains political history. Our correspondent told WPCNR  Mr. Roach was unaware that Mr. Boykin and Mr. Ryan were going to step aside before the meeting began. Every district leader, came prepared to vote the observer said.

Hyland receives Republican Bid.

Matthew Richter, spokesperson for Republican candidate for mayor Bob Hyland, said that Mr. Hyland was indeed dominated by the Republican party Thursday evening, and that Hyland would kick off his campaign at 11 A.M. Saturday morning at 214 Mamaroneck Avenue, Republican Headquarters.

Hockley Conservative Choice

WPCNR has learned from another source that Glenn Hockley, the independent candidate for mayor who was kept off the ballot in 2009 by a board of elections decision for failing to file a Certificate of acceptance, and garnered approximately 1,791 votes as a write in candidate has snagged the Conservative party endorsement, giving Hockley two slots on the Thursday March 31 ballot. Hockley confirmed this to WPCNR by telephone Friday morning. He will start his campaign Monday at 11 A.M. with a news conference at the Board of Elections

Roach Collects Independence, Working Families lines.

WPCNR has also learned that Mr. Roach has also received the Independence party and the Working Families Party endorsements for mayor giving Mr. Roach three lines. Mr. Hockley one, line, and Mr. Hyland one line, however, we’ll have to Conservative party decision has to be confirmed.

 The special election now swings into a 20 day campaign, which will be highlighted by a debate on March 23 at the Ridgeway school sponsored by the Council of  Neighborhood Associations, which would feature all three candidates at this time.

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WPCNR Common Council Chronicle Examiner special to WPCNR from the Mayor’s Office, March 10, 2011:

The mayor’s office today announced that the US Office of Special Counsel in Washington, D.C.,  has issued a ruling on Council President Tom Roach’s eligibility to run for mayor in regard to the provisions of the Hatch Act.

The office reporting from Washington today said  Mr. Roach is completely eligible to run for mayor in view of the Hatch Act. Mr. Roach, the acting mayor of White Plains and Counsel president said in a statement:

“I am pleased that the office of special counsel issued their decision so swiftly and confirmed my position so completely. Hopefully, the Republican Party will cease this baseless political maneuvering and join me in focusing on the real issues facing our city and its residents.”

At the time the Republican party raised this issue, the BPC Adar, and the White Plains week television channel pointed out that the Hatch act did not apply because Mr. roach was an elected official.

The  Republican Party in a  letter to the media charged Mr. Roach was in violation of the Hatch Act,  but did not file any injunctions asking the court to stop the special election of March 31..

In a letter to Mr. Roach of March 7 made public today, . Anna Galindo– Marrone, Chief of the Hatch Act Unit of the US Office of Special Counsel, Washington, DC wrote:

“generally, an employee covered by the act may not, among other things, be a candidate for public office in a partisan election, I E, an election in which any candidate represents for example, the Republican or Democratic Party. However, the act specifically exempts certain state and local employees from prohibition against being a candidate for public office in a partisan election individuals whose principal employment is an elective office are among those persons were exempt from this prohibition.”

“Thus, when an individual is subject to the restrictions of the Hatch act by virtue of an elective office he holds, this exemption applies and the individual is not prohibited from being a candidate in a partisan election for an example, an elected Sheriff covered by the Hatch act by virtue of his position as a sheriff would not be prohibited from running for reelection, or otherwise being a candidate in a partisan election.”

Ms. Galindo – Morrone quotes the city charter, paragraph 46, pointing out that when the the president of the common Council shall act as mayor and possess all the rights of man, etc. Ms. Galindo Morrone writes “in addition to performing the duties of Council President, you are serving as the acting mayor until the vacancy is filled as provided by law. However, your current salary from the city is in accordance with your position. The Council President. Additionally, the city charter provides that such a person who acts as mayor shall be the acting mayor until the vacancy no longer exists. It is axiomatic that although you generally possess the powers and rights of marriage. You do not hold the office of mayor. Therefore, your principal employment for purposes of the Hatch act is as Council President and your coverage under the act is determined in accordance with that position because your position on the council is an elective office.”

“Even assuming you are covered by the Hatch act in that position. You would be exempt from the act’s prohibition against being a candidate for public office in a partisan election while employed on the Council. Accordingly, the Hatch act does not prohibit you from being a candidate in the partisan election for mayor of White Plains, New York. While employed on the council therefore, we are closing the file on this matter, with no further action,”

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. Special to WPCNR from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. March 6,2011:

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced recently that STEPHEN SHEA, the former chief operating officer at Sky Capital, LLC, has pled guilty in Manhattan federal court in connection with a scheme to defraud investors through two successive securities broker-dealers—The Thornwater Company, L.P. (“Thornwater”), and Sky Capital, LLC.

According to the superseding indictment to which SHEA pled guilty, and statements made during the guilty plea proceedings before U.S. District Judge PAUL A. CROTTY:

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From 1998 through 2006, SHEA participated in a scheme with ROSS MANDELL, ADAM HARRINGTON, and others to defraud investors through material misrepresentations and omissions that induced people to invest in private placements and other purported securities investment opportunities. In fact, investor funds were substantially used to enrich the defendants and others; to pay excessive, undisclosed commissions to brokers; and to pay off victims who had lost money through prior purported investment opportunities.

In connection with the scheme, brokers, acting primarily from the offices of Thornwater and Sky Capital, LLC, in New York, New York, raised a total of approximately $140 million from investors. MANDELL allegedly controlled the operations of both broker-dealers.

As part of the scheme, brokers at Sky Capital, LLC, manipulated the market price of the stock of two affiliated entities, Sky Capital Holdings Ltd., and Sky Capital Enterprises Inc. (collectively “Sky Capital”). SHEA and others directed the market manipulation of Sky Capital stocks by enforcing a “no-net sales” policy designed to inflate the price of Sky Capital stocks. SHEA, and allegedly MANDELL and HARRINGTON, made undisclosed payments to Sky Capital brokers in exchange for their assistance with this aspect of the scheme.

* * *

SHEA, 38, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy and securities fraud charges. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and the securities fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. SHEA faces a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense on the conspiracy count, and a maximum fine of $5 million on the securities fraud count. SHEA also faces mandatory restitution to the victims of his crimes. The charges against MANDELL and HARRINGTON remain pending and are merely accusations. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

* * *

Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance in this matter.

This case was brought in coordination with President BARACK OBAMA’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, on which Mr. BHARARA serves as a co-chair of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Working Group. President OBAMA established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.

The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.

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