Wouldn't you want to work for someone who pays for all of your expenses AND also allows you to pocket all the income you generate from your personal activities?
That's the "deal" attorney Stanley Schlein had with the City of New York until September 13, 2006, but there was a slight problem .... Apparently the City never agreed to that arrangement.
While Chairman of the New York City Civil Service Commission (CCSC), Schlein would have the CCSC Office Manager perform "non-City tasks" on "City time." And, to that end, the Office Manager would use the CCSC's "computer, telephone, photocopy machine, and facsimile machine" to assist Schlein with matters exclusively related to his private law practice.
In addition to assisting him with preparing litigation documents, the CCSC's Office Manager helped him with client correspondence and invoices.
Yet another CCSC employee delivered packages, sent and retrieved faxes, greeted visitors and secured materials from Schlein's car.
And, finally, Schlein admitted using a CCSC telephone to make some 2,000 "personal" or "law-practice related" telephone calls from January 2004 to September 2006.
At some point, the Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB) learned of the abuses and commenced an investigation into Schlein's conduct.
By a " Stipulation and Disposition ," finalized last month, Schlein conceded that he had violated the City Charter and the Rules of the City of New York which preclude, among other things, use of a public servant's position to "obtain any financial gain, contract, license, privilege or other private or personal advantage, direct or indirect."
Yet, despite all of his indiscretions, Schlein was fined a lowly $15,000. (Of course, the settlement documents are conspicuously silent as to the value of the services allegedly misappropriated or the income Schlein generated during the time that he purportedly abused his position with the CCSC.)
$15,000? That doesn't cover a secretary's salary!
What kind of penalty is that?
Click these links to download copies of the COIB 's Press Release (dated January 23, 2008) and the Stipulation and Disposition .