Tuesday, July 14, 2009

City Councilman Miguel Martinez resigns amid Dept. of Investigation probe into slush fund scandal

Updated Tuesday, July 14th 2009, 11:47 AM

Noonan for News

New York City Councilman Miguel Martinez

City Councilman Miguel Martinez resigned Monday as prosecutors revealed he's agreed to plead to federal charges after an extensive probe of a nonprofit group to which he steered more than $500,000.

The Manhattan U.S. attorney's filed notice a criminal information will accuse Martinez of a crime as early as Tuesday. It would be the first criminal charges against a Council member in the city slush fund scandal.

The notice doesn't disclose the charges, but indicates Martinez has agreed to plead guilty to the unspecified accusations.

Martinez, a Manhattan Democrat, has represented the 10th Council District since Jan. 1, 2002, which includes parts of Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill.

A Martinez ally and other sources said the charges involve the nonprofit group Upper Manhattan Council Assisting Neighbors (U-CAN), which received city member-item funding through Martinez.

Martinez' sister was once a U-CAN board member. In March, the city's Department of Investigation seized records from U-CAN's offices, as part of a broader investigation into possible abuses of City Council member item funding.

Two weeks later, City Council officials yanked $528,000 in funding to U-CAN earmarked for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Martinez had repeatedly denied knowing of misuse of funding by U-CAN.

He had been in the process of seeking reelection to another four-year term, made possible by the Council's decision late last year to extend term limits.

The vacancy will be filled in this year's September primary and November general elections.

No comments: