Hon.RoseGillHearn Commissioner NYCDepartmentofInvestigation 80MaidenLane,17thFloor NewYork,N.Y.10038 DearCommissionerGillHearn: Recentnewspaperreports,andareportissuedbytheNYCDepartmentofInvestigation, raisedisturbingquestionsaboutCityCouncilmemberDanHalloransconductintheaftermath oftheDecember2010blizzard. WhileDOIhasinvestigatedtheunderlyingissuesrelatingtothesnowstorm,asa constituentofCouncilmemberDanHalloran,Iamwritingtoformallyrequestaninvestigation intowhetherCouncilmemberHalloranhasviolatedanyCityorStatelaw. AccordingtoareportissuedbytheNYCDepartmentofInvestigationduringthedays followingtheDecember26,2010blizzard,CouncilmanDanielJ.Hallorangavemediainterviews allegingthatsomeDSNYsupervisorshadengagedinaslowdown.

n.Asaresultoftheallegations ofpossiblewrongdoingsurroundingthissnowstorm,DOIbegananinvestigationintohowthe Cityhandledthissnowstorm.1Inaddition,federalprosecutorsopenedacriminalprobeinto allegationssanitationworkersconspiredtoparalyzethecity.2CouncilmemberHalloranalso demandedafullinvestigationintohisallegationsbylawenforcement.3 Theresultsoftheinvestigationseemtoindicatethatnosuchslowdowntookplace,and thatCouncilmemberHalloranmayhavemisledthepublicandinvestigatorsonthismatter. AccordingtotheNewYorkTimes,thereportfound,Mr.Halloranhadnoevidenceforhis

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http://www.nyc.gov/html/doi/downloads/pdf/june11/snowreport_60311.pdfP.3 NYCblizzard:Fedsopencriminalprobeintoallegedcityworkerconspiracyduringstormresponse,DailyNews, 1/4/11.http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/01/04/201101 04_nyc_blizzard_feds_open_criminal_probe_into_alleged_city_worker_conspiracy_during.html#ixzz1PrEbRJJ3 3 http://halloran.org/?p=1023&option=com_wordpress&Itemid=27

accusation,andhisaccountofconversationswithtwoworkersdifferedsharplyfromwhatthe workerstoldinvestigators.4 TheDOIReportsaidinpart:thestatementsgiventoDOIbyMr.Halloranwerestrongly disputedbythetwoDOTpersonnelMr.Halloransaidhespokewithaboutaslowdown,andMr. Halloranassertedattorneyclientprivilegeastothreeotherworkershesaidhespokewithfrom DSNY.Intoto,Mr.HalloransinformationaboutCityemployeestatementscontributedno actualevidenceaboutapossibleslowdown.5 AstheDailyNewseditorialized,Asforbigmouthed,publicitylovingHalloran,DOI concludedthathisaccountofbeingtippedoffbysupervisorswasbogustothecore.Thetwo mensworeunderoaththattheyhadnevertoldHallorananythingremotelylikethefantastic talethatputhimonthefrontpage.6 Under240.50oftheNewYorkStatePenalLaw,apersonisguiltyofaClassA

misdemeanorwhenknowingtheinformationreported,conveyedorcirculatedtobefalseor baseless,he: 1.Initiatesorcirculatesafalsereportorwarningofanallegedoccurrenceor impendingoccurrenceofacrime,catastropheoremergencyundercircumstancesin whichitisnotunlikelythatpublicalarmorinconveniencewillresult;or 2.Reports,bywordoraction,toanofficialorquasiofficialagencyororganization havingthefunctionofdealingwithemergenciesinvolvingdangertolifeorproperty, anallegedoccurrenceorimpendingoccurrenceofacatastropheoremergencywhich didnotinfactoccurordoesnotinfactexist;or 3.Gratuitouslyreportstoalawenforcementofficeroragency(a)thealleged occurrenceofanoffenseorincidentwhichdidnotinfactoccur;or(b)anallegedly impendingoccurrenceofanoffenseorincidentwhichinfactisnotabouttooccur;or (c)falseinformationrelatingtoanactualoffenseorincidentortothealleged implicationofsomepersontherein.

CityReportFindsNoWorkSlowdowninBlizzardCleanup,NYTimes,6/3/11. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/nyregion/noslowdowninblizzardcleanupnycreportsays.html 5 http://www.nyc.gov/html/doi/downloads/pdf/june11/snowreport_60311.pdfP.21 6 BounceCouncilmanDanHalloranforboguschargeofsnowstormslowdownbysanitationworkers,DailyNews, 6/4/2011. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/06/04/20110604_hallorans_snow_job.html#ixzz1Pr49Qhen

WhileIhavenofirsthandknowledgeoftheeventssurroundingthecitysresponseto

theDecember2010blizzard,theDOIreport,andvariousnewspaperaccounts,seemtoindicate thatquestionsregardingwhetherCouncilmemberHalloranviolated240.50ofthePenalLaw shouldbeaddressed. report: Mr.HalloranrefusedtogiveDOIthenamesofthethreeDSNYemployeesbecausehe statedtheCitySanitationemployeeswereseekinglegaladvicefromhim...Mr.Halloran assertedprivilege.7 CouncilmemberHalloranalsoseeminglyrefusedtocooperatewithfederalprosecutors. Aspartoftheinvestigationintohisallegations,CouncilmemberHalloranapparently

refusedtoanswercertainquestions,citingattorneyclientprivilege.AccordingtotheDOI

AccordingtotheDailyNews,Federalprosecutorsaremovingtoslapacontemptofcourt chargeagainstaQueensCitycouncilmanforrefusingtocooperatewithaninvestigationinto themassiveDecemberblizzardHehasinvokedattorneyclientprivilege,claimingtheworkers cametohimseekinglegaladvice.8 AsaconstituentofCouncilmemberHalloran,Iamgreatlyconcernedabouthisclaim

thathewasactinginhisprivatecapacityasanattorneyinthismatter,ratherthanasa Councilmember.ItismyunderstandingthatNewYorkCitylawprohibitsanypublicofficial fromusingtheirpublicofficeonbehalfoftheirprivateclients. Subdivision2of2604ofChapter68oftheNewYorkCityCharterprovidesthat:No

publicservantshallengageinanybusiness,transactionprivateemployment,orhaveany financialorotherprivateinterest,directorindirect,whichisinconflictwiththeproper dischargeofhisorherofficialduties.

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http://www.nyc.gov/html/doi/downloads/pdf/june11/snowreport_60311.pdfP.5. BlizzardloomsforDanHalloran,councilman:Fedseyecontemptrapforsanitationslowdownclaim.NYDaily News,6/3/11.http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/06/03/201106 03_new_york_sanitation_workers_did_not_sabotage_snow_blizzard_cleanup_in_december_i.html#ixzz1PqjKrZGd

AccordingtotheDOIreport,theagencysGeneralCounselapparentlypointedoutthe

provisionsofthissectiontoCouncilmemberHalloran.9WhileIhavenofirsthandknowledgeof thefactsofthismatter,theDOIreportandvariousnewspaperpublicationshaveraisedserious questionsastowhetherCouncilmemberHalloranviolated2604oftheNewYorkCityCharter. Thesequestionsshouldbecomprehensivelyexamined. Inaddition,sinceCouncilmemberHalloranclaimstohavebeenactingonbehalfofhis

privateclients,itseemsrelevanttoexaminewhetherheusedcityresourcessuchasstaff, letterhead,phones,email,faxmachines,orelementsofhispublicofficetoadvancetheagenda oftheseprivateclients.TheConflictsofInterestBoardhasfinedCityemployeeswhoused theirCitytelephonesand/orfaxmachinestorespondtomessagesabouttheirprivate businesses.UseofaCityphonenumberforcommercialpurposesis,itself,aviolationofthe ethicslaws.CommercialactivitiesshouldbeperformedonlyonnonCitytimeandonlyusing nonCityresources.10 TheCOIBalsowarnspublicemployeesthatyoumaynotuseyourofficialCityposition, confidentialinformation,orCitypersonnelorequipmentforthejob.11 Inaddition,theCOIBdirectscityemployeesthattheymaynotuseCityletterhead,

officespace,resources,materials,orequipment,suchascomputers,fax,orcopymachines.As longasyoudontappearbeforeanyCityagency,itisnotaconflictforyoutoactasattorneyfor yourclient.However,itisaviolationifyou: UseCityletterheadforyourcorrespondenceonyourclientsbehalf; UseyourofficialCitytitleinanycorrespondenceorphonecall; Threatenofficialactionagainstyouradversarytogainanadvantageforyour client.12

Duringthefirstseveralweeksfollowingtheblizzard,CouncilmemberHalloranwas quotedindozensofarticlesonthismatterusinghisofficialtitle,ratherthanbeingidentifiedas

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doi/downloads/pdf/june11/snowreport_60311.pdfP.5. http://www.nyc.gov/html/conflicts/downloads/pdf2/leaflets/misuse.pdf 11 http://www.nyc.gov/html/conflicts/downloads/pdf2/leaflets/moon02.pdf 12 http://www.nyc.gov/html/conflicts/downloads/pdf2/leaflets/law04.pdf

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anattorneyinprivatepractice.13Healsoreiteratedhisallegationsonhispoliticalwebsiteand againinvokedhiscitytitle.14 CouncilmemberHalloranshouldbeawareoftherequirementsofNewYorkCityethics lawssinceheisbothanattorneyadmittedtopracticeinNewYork15andevenbroughtacopyof theNewYorkCityCouncilsethicsmanualtoBulgariawhenhe,andastaffperson,travelledto thatcountryattheexpenseofafarrightBulgarianpoliticalparty.16 WhileIhavenofirsthandknowledgeofCouncilmemberHalloransactions,published reportsandtheDOIinvestigationraisealogicalquestion:if,infact,heactedinthismatterasa privateattorney,werecityresources,orhisofficialcapacity,usedtoadvancetheinterestsof hisprivateclients?Asoneofhisconstituents,Ibelievethatthisquestiondeservesaclear answer. Igreatlyappreciateyourattentiontohismatter. MatthewSilverstein Sincerelyyours,

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GoogleNewsresultfortheperiod12/26/101/31/11forthetermsCouncilmanDanHalloranSnow. http://bit.ly/lPGXhk 14 http://halloran.org/?p=1023&option=com_wordpress&Itemid=27 15 http://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/attorney/AttorneyDetails?attorneyId=5627355 16 http://bayside.patch.com/articles/halloranleavesethicsmanualforbulgarians