The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

14 March 2007

Air America Radio, Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club Scandal

STILL NO JUSTICE

Gloria Wise Swindlers Get Another Big Break







Attention would- be looters of inner- city charities: New York is the place to be!

Despite community outrage in the Bronx, former Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club executives have continued to generate a peculiar level of sympathy from local judges. Is something funny going on in the Big Apple?

From today's New York Post:


SLAP FOR BOYS CLUB RIP-OFF
By TOM TOPOUSIS


March 14, 2007 -- Two top executives accused of looting the former Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club of $1.2 million - including $875,000 for lefty radio network Air America - got off with a slap on the wrist yesterday when they were ordered to repay a mere $70,000.

As part of the plea deal worked out with the state Attorney General's Office late last year, Charles Rosen and Jeffrey Aulenbach will not serve any jail time - a move that continues to anger residents of Co-op City, where the taxpayer-funded club was based.

Bronx state Supreme Court Justice John Byrne decided to sentence Rosen and Aulenbach under the terms of the plea deal. Byrne had postponed sentencing in December after Co-op City residents presented him with petitions and hundreds of letters of protest.

Rosen will have to pay $38,575 in restitution, while Aulenbach has to repay $32,363.


And, from the New York Times:


Ex-Leaders of Bronx Charity Avoid Prison in Fraud Case

By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS and CASSI FELDMAN
Published: March 14, 2007

Two former executives of a Bronx charity avoided prison sentences yesterday and instead will be fined for their roles in a fraud scheme in which they stole money intended for children and the elderly to make renovations to a beachfront apartment, to purchase cars, and to donate $875,000 to a financially struggling radio network.

Charles Rosen, 64, the former executive director of the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club, based in Co-op City, had pleaded guilty in October 2006 to charges of grand larceny and forgery, both felonies, and of obstructing government administration, a misdemeanor.

Jeffrey Aulenbach, 46, the charity’s former deputy executive director, had pleaded guilty to charges of grand larceny and of obstructing government administration.

...

For Mr. Rosen, the imposition of the sentence represents an ignoble chapter in a well-known public life. In 1975, he led a famous rent strike at Co-op City, and later became chairman of the RiverBay Corporation, which manages the sprawling Co-op City complex and its more than 15,000 apartment units. He has been an influential political power broker in the northeast Bronx for decades.

During the past several months, thousands of Co-op City residents signed petitions and wrote letters to the judge in the case, Justice John N. Byrne, requesting that he impose jail sentences on the two men despite the plea agreements. Dozens of Co-op City residents showed up in Justice Byrne’s courtroom for each of the four sentencing dates, three of which were postponed while the judge reviewed documents and considered his legal options.

Yesterday, Justice Byrne said he agreed with the plea deal.

“This court is mindful and sensitive to the wishes of the various people of Co-op City who felt that this was an unjust sentence,” he said in court.

But after consulting with the attorney general’s office, Justice Byrne said, he had concluded that “the promised sentences are appropriate to stand.”

Mr. Rosen walked out of the Bronx Criminal Courthouse without speaking to reporters. His lawyer, Frederick H. Cohn, said the sentence was just.

“The judge did what he should have done,” he said.

Mr. Aulenbach’s lawyer, Richard S. Goldberg, blamed the charity’s board of directors for his client’s troubles.

“Virtually no monies were lost to community endeavors,” he said. “The vast majority of what the community was complaining about were acts that were brought to the board’s attention and approved of by the board. They elected a board of directors that was simply a rubber stamp.”

Juanita Garrido, a sister of Gloria Wise — who founded the organization in 1977 and died in 1993 — said the plea agreement seemed tied to Mr. Rosen’s political influence.

“I just think it was a travesty of justice, but that’s the way it goes here in New York,” she said. “I guess it’s who you know and not what you do.”

The Rev. Robert A. Smith Jr., pastor of the Church of the Savior and president of the Coalition of African American Churches and Community Organizations in Co-op City, said the group was considering filing a civil lawsuit against Mr. Rosen.

“This case is not finished,” he said. “Either way, justice is going to prevail.”

After a two-year investigation by the city’s Department of Investigation, the two men admitted their roles in stealing or misallocating nearly $1.2 million, including an $875,000 payment to a radio network, Air America, that had been concealed from the charity’s board of directors.

The payment, which the charity later said was a loan, had been requested because Evan Montvel-Cohen, an executive at the Boys and Girls Club, had a financial stake in Air America. The money was paid back after investigators told Air America officials that the financial transaction was under investigation.


Of course, regular Radio Equalizer readers know that last paragraph represents a gross over- simplification of what really happened. While Air America did eventually repay the money, it first tried every stalling tactic in the book.

Even now, these questions remain: why weren't any of Air America's executives charged with crimes? After all, they took the money.

In addition, how is former Air America host Al Franken planning to deal with this issue during his Minnesota US Senate race? At some point, Stuart is sure to be asked about this disgusting scandal.


AAR Scandal: Darleen Click, Sorry: David A Lunde, Frankengolf: Pete at IHillary


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16 Comments:

  • Brian,

    Don't expect Stuart Smalley to face the music over this swindle. It is small potatoes compared to the other swindles accumulating. The media does not want their beloved Democrats getting the jail time they deserve.

    If firing a US Attorney means you must resign, then Hillary is long over due to resign.

    By Blogger PCD, at 14 March, 2007 14:00  

  • Liberal Outlaw,

    Why isn't Bill and Hillary in jail and disbarred for bilking the Treasury out of funds to run their 92 campaign by overbilling for transportation of their Secret Service detail?

    Why aren't you saying the same for Democrats that took money from Abrahamoff?

    By Blogger PCD, at 14 March, 2007 15:24  

  • Oh my GAWD.

    You're STILL dragging Al Franken into this inappropriately - now even more so.

    He didn't initiate the loan. He wasn't responsible for accepting the loan. He didn't swindle anyone. He couldn't manage the swindle, as he was completely unattached from it and had no responsibility for it whatsoever.

    The money has been paid back - and Al Franken had nothing to do with that, either.

    You are so disingenuous, it's incredibly sickening.

    If there was any doubt before that you simply have an unhinged, incredibly incomprehensible hatred of all things Al Franken, there is none any longer.

    Please, don't seek professional help. Please, don't lose your partisanship & knee-jerking. Keep focusing on the red herrings. Keep making shit up without any meat.

    Please - you're just too much fun.

    By Blogger TJ, at 14 March, 2007 21:23  

  • GOP dirty trickster Baloney and the other flabby pastyfaced rightloons always conveeeeeeeniently fail to mention that CEO Evan Cohen was unmasked in the very HBO movie that documented the early days of Air America. He had lied to everyone about how much money he had, then tried to scrape it together when things started hittin the fan. None of the talent or even the founders knew about this. They actually discovered it onscreen in the movie!

    Desperate for anything they could point to as a liberal or Democrat scandal, since the right wing was aflame in one sordid scandal after another, they tried to flog this transparent incident into some kind of grand scheme involving Al Franken, Webb Hubbell, the Mena, Ark. Airport, and every other pseudo scandal of the fat freakshow right. When the press wouldn't bite because they saw it was clearly a non-scandal, the porkers attacked the press.

    This is how the filthy pigs lie. They say all Presidents replace their U.S. attorneys halfway through their second terms, failing of course to mention that these were the exact Republican U.S. Attorneys who had prosecuted some of the biggest GOP crooks, had a docket of other GOP crook cases ready to go, and had been pressured by GOP thugs to phony up charges against Dems to prove party loyalty! What incredible lying scum.

    No wonder 12 million voters threw your waddling tub butts out. Your lies aren't going unanswered anymore.

    By Blogger gregrocker, at 15 March, 2007 03:05  

  • "Which Democrats took money from Abramoff?"

    L-O, try this on for size:

    Harry Reid:
    http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/
    2006/1/6/100900.shtml

    Patrick Leahy:
    http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/
    2006/1/24/225132.shtml?s=ic

    Howard Dean:
    www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/
    2006/1/9/90733.shtml

    Byron Dorgan:
    www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/
    2005/12/5/154201.shtml

    HILLARY CLINTON:
    http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/
    2006/1/5/125414.shtml

    Just copy, cut and paste. Can't seem to get the knack of creating links at this site.

    Of course, the left-wing press will want to make sure this doesn't get out to protect their precious little socialist meal ticket! Yes, as you can tell these are links to NewsMax articles.

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 15 March, 2007 08:14  

  • oh, he's just excited because his friends from aipac happen to be in town

    and yes, this was an evan cohen issue, not an al franken issue, and not even an aar issue, since cohen has not been affiliated with aar for several years

    but brian wants you to believe that this is more interesting and integral to the "aar story" than his friend bernstein suddenly being hired as program director at aar

    and it's really not

    and hasn't been, for years....and years....and years.....

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 15 March, 2007 11:30  

  • Brian

    what you are doing is called defamation of character. If I were Franken I would sue you personally. Franken obviously has nothing to do with the loan which was paid back.
    Luckilly for you Brian, Franken has no idea you even exist. Maybe I should copy the link and show this to his legal represntation, not that I'm a fan of Al but you are defaming a person and accusing him of a "swindle" which he had nothing to do with. You are a hack, a desperate hack.


    Of corse the 4 radical right wing half wits who read your blog will buy it. Just like they buy the comparison of clinton firing attorneys at the start of his term to the Gonzales scandal. Right wingers are gulliable morons, functionaly retarded

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 15 March, 2007 11:36  

  • More hackery from Maloney

    While Air America did eventually repay the money, it first tried every stalling tactic in the book.


    This is a business tatic, I used to work for a small company that owed $800,000 to ABC networks for advertising, they stalled the payment for years, went to court to try to say that the network did not provide the advertising they were billed for in an effort to drag their feet. Nothing new in the business world.

    Are you not more concerned with halliburton moving their business to the UAE??? so an American company can do business with Iran?

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 15 March, 2007 11:42  

  • Hash & Mini-Prop:

    A quote from (drumroll.....) Radio Equalizer:

    NOTE TO UNHINGED MOONBATS: we have never accused Al Franken of being involved in the loan swindle itself, what we did prove was that Franken knew about it before he claimed on the air and that he pushed for a huge raise while the company was trying to figure out how to handle the mess, before it became public.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 15 March, 2007 18:49  

  • missouri, that is typically disingenous

    what exactly would the difference be, in the context of a smear

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 16 March, 2007 00:00  

  • While hash and the other left wing extremists are defending the rape of the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls club and decrying the move of Halliburton to Dubai, maybe they'd want to read this artile from Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2161652?nav=tap3

    And I cut and paste from the Viking Pundit, "The Halliburton "tax dodge" - As Slate explains, the oil services company won't save anything on U.S. taxes by re-locating to Dubai; all of the savings would be from a reduction in foreign taxes. Nevertheless, Patrick Leahy called Halliburton's move "corporate greed at its worst." Damn capitalists, providing thousands of jobs and paying millions in corporate taxes!"

    Will the cockroaches accept the given light or scurry for cover and obfuscate?

    By Blogger PCD, at 16 March, 2007 10:05  

  • While hash and the other left wing extremists are defending the rape of the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls club and decrying the move of Halliburton to Dubai, maybe they'd want to read this artile from Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2161652?nav=tap3

    And I cut and paste from the Viking Pundit, "The Halliburton "tax dodge" - As Slate explains, the oil services company won't save anything on U.S. taxes by re-locating to Dubai; all of the savings would be from a reduction in foreign taxes. Nevertheless, Patrick Leahy called Halliburton's move "corporate greed at its worst." Damn capitalists, providing thousands of jobs and paying millions in corporate taxes!"

    Will the cockroaches accept the given light or scurry for cover and obfuscate?

    By Blogger PCD, at 16 March, 2007 10:05  

  • Pcd You sick America hating degenerate

    only a piece of excrement like you would defent Halliburton moving to UAE , so they can now get contracts from IRan. This is why they are moving, so they can do business with IRan

    look at what you defend, you filthy filthy little bastard

    you support the war raquet, no problem with a company that gets $6 billion a year in US contracts, now getting business from Iran and other banned countries
    you sick little bastard

    you just proved exactly what you are

    an enemy of America
    $6 billion of our tax dollars going to a degenerate company
    and your wetting your pants over Gloria Wise and AAR

    sick fucking bastard

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 16 March, 2007 10:31  

  • TJ & Hash,

    Reexamine the post from TJ:

    He didn't initiate the loan. He wasn't responsible for accepting the loan. He didn't swindle anyone. He couldn't manage the swindle, as he was completely unattached from it and had no responsibility for it whatsoever.

    There is a saying from blacksmithing, "Strike while the iron is hot."

    So we all know now that Air America has had financial difficulties from day one. However, at certain times, the AAR managements spent money lavishly, such as 1) on their start-up gala, 2) on their studio makeover, and the big 3) on their marquee talent, Franken. Also, to the not completely informed, they seemed to have money at times, such as when they had the cash "obtained" from Gloria Wise in their hands.

    So regarding Al Franken's supposed non-involvement:

    He demanded and received excessive compensation at the time when it appeared, but was not true, that AAR had the resources to pay him. He then lied about when he learned about the AAR finances (signed documents versus on-air claims).

    Perhaps Brian should include a group photo instead of highlighting Franken, but like those purists who used to complain about people saying "Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones", sometimes the front man gets both excessive blame and credit: That's life.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 16 March, 2007 10:38  

  • "He demanded and received excessive compensation at the time when it appeared, but was not true, that AAR had the resources to pay him. He then lied about when he learned about the AAR finances (signed documents versus on-air claims)."

    MSM, that hardly raises to the level of scandal Brian denotes in this article.

    It is slander, pure and simple.

    The backstory has been regurgitated enough - however, by providing an entire backstory & slamming Al Franken into it (inappropriately), it conflates whatever Al's involvement was.

    So - he asked to be paid as the headliner of the network. So what?

    So he asked to be paid in spite of the loan - why not? How was the loan his fault?

    So he refused to make any on-air comment about the "scandal", and _MAYBE_ disseminated in his knowledge of it - there's still no PROOF he knew more than the faxed page he signed. Again - SO WHAT?

    Was he under oath?

    This is a dead horse - the horse was dead long before the pronouncement.

    Like Al Franken demanded compensation for his fame that added "weight" of sorts to AAR, Brian is trying DESPERATELY to keep the story alive by constantly and inappropriately looping in Al Franken - using Franken's fame to try to increase Brian's own noteriety.

    If you cannot see that for what it is, you're hopeless.

    Once again - Al did nothing wrong. Al did nothing worthy of being constantly roped in with those who did in fact behave unethically.

    Brian already knows all of this - he just desperately wants his Right-Wing buddies to put him on TV again so he can advance himself.

    Shame that he has to do it in such an incredibly lame way.

    By Blogger TJ, at 16 March, 2007 14:37  

  • well, let's see

    possible causes for brian's continuing obsession with franken, and the continuing lies regarding him

    the fact the brian has deliberately avoided the biggest story in aar news this week, green's appointment of david bernstein as aar program director

    bernstein's past history with many conservative talk outlets, including wrko

    brian's overall spotty work history in conservative radio, including wrko

    any semblance of qualification on the part of brian to objectively comment with credibility on any aspect of talk radio in general

    any conflicts with accurately and completely reporting on events at aar 2.0 without a serious breach of ethics being involved

    benefactress malkin's overall dissatisfaction with brian's level of effectiveness at persecuting america's few left-wing media professionals in general, and undermining aar in particular

    benefactress malkin's plunging readership, on it's own

    choose your favorite explanation

    all roads lead to one conclusion at any rate

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 16 March, 2007 23:23  

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