BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
Corruption has been, unfortunately,
a consistent factor
in politics in every time
period, and in every political
system. But the corruption
that has plagued U.S. politics
in the 21st century is a far
more dangerous, far more insidious
variety that threatens
the very foundation of the nation.
It has metastasized to such
a dangerous degree due the
partisanship of the media that
has, in the past, served as a
check against corruption’s
survival and growth. While
neither side of the ideological
divide has been blameless, the
reality that leftist politicians
have their offenses hidden, excused
or obscured allows them
to get away with far more both
This is a copy of the cover of the U.S. Constitution. Photo Getty Images
in quantity and in the seriousness
of their harmful actions.
The trend escalated in earnest
during the Obama administration.
In a move largely
ignored by many major media
sources, a federal agency
violated the Constitution, was
unlawfully used for partisan
purposes, and refused to
comply with a court order to
cease and desist in its illegal
actions. That was the essence
of a verdict by the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
in 2016, in a case involving
the targeting of groups that
merely disagreed with the
Obama administration’s political
CIVIC CENTER
Korony Post 253 From Councilman Mark Gjonaj
perspectives. Thirty-eight
non-profi t organizations from
22 states were subjected to violations
of their First Amendment
rights. Information obtained
under a Freedom of
Information Act request revealed
that offi cials “orchestrated
a complex scheme to
dump conservative and Tea
Party non-profi t applicants
into a bureaucratic ‘black
hole.‘” Another 294 pages of
documents … also recently released
by Judicial Watch further
establish that “top IRS
offi cials in Washington, including
Lois Lerner and Holly
Paz, knew that the agency was
specifi cally targeting ‘Tea
Party’ and other conservative
organizations two full years
before disclosing it to Congress
and the public…”
The media also did not
dwell on offenses such as Hillary
Clinton’s fi nancial gain
from her approval, as secretary
of state, of the sale of uranium
— the basic ingredient of
nuclear weapons — to Russia.
The Biden Justice Department
has found time to attack parents
disagreeing with politicized
curricula, but has been
absurdly reluctant to move on
Hunter Biden’s fi nancial ties
to China.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, N 46 OV. 19-25, 2021 BTR
The most salient example
remains, of course, the fraud
perpetrated on the American
public during the 2016 campaign
by the Clinton campaign.
The “Russian collusion”
charges against the
Trump election team were
wholly fabricated.
Lee Smith, writing for The
Federalist reported in 2018
that “Half the country wants
to know why the press won’t
cover the growing scandal
now implicating the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and
Department of Justice, and
threatening to reach the State
Department, Central Intelligence
Agency, and perhaps
even the Obama White House.
After all, the release last week
of a less-redacted version of
Sens. Charles Grassley and
Lindsey Graham’s January 4
letter showed that the FBI secured
a Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act warrant to
search the communications
of a Trump campaign adviser
based on a piece of opposition
research paid for by
the Clinton campaign and the
Democratic National Committee.
The Fourth Amendment
rights of an American citizen
were violated to allow one political
party to spy on another.
If the press did its job and reported
the facts, the argument
goes, then it wouldn’t just be
Republicans and Trump supporters
demanding accountability
and justice. Americans
across the political spectrum
would understand the nature
and extent of the abuses
and crimes touching not just
on one political party and its
presidential candidate but the
rights of every American.”
It’s Smith’s belief that “The
Media Stopped Reporting The
Russia Collusion Story Because
They Helped Create It.
The press has played an active
role in the Trump-Russia
collusion story since its inception.
It helped birth it.”
Corruption that fi nancially
enriches politicians is
bad, but actions by elected offi
cials that threaten the stability
of the Republic and the
rights of each citizen is even
worse.
The actions of the Biden
administration to diminish
border controls and circumvent
American immigration
laws, in the belief that they
will gain politically from the
tidal wave, represent the ongoing
nature of this apex of corruption.
CIVIC CENTER
Community Action
Civic Association
BY TONY SALIMBENE
Next meeting: Nov. 21
10:30 a.m., American Turners
NY.
A pleasure to see great
Americans at the neighborhood
Veterans Day ceremonies,
especially our 253 Color
Guard getting recognized by
the East Bronx History Forum.
Great job Korony Post
members at all locations.
Thanks again to Mr. Lucchase
at Dormi Funeral
Home for the generous annual
stick fl ags donation the
wife and I distribute. And a
thanks to NYC Parks for getting
Peace Plaza shipshape
and the crew from the John
Fraser Bryan Post 19 family
for a long afternoon of hot dog
duty.Please contribute to the
PPC Joseph Mazzariello Annual
Christmas Toy Drive.
It was Joe’s dream that every
kid gets at least something
for Christmas. Speaking of
the season, our December
meeting and Annual Christmas
Party info coming soon.
Until Next Time: Cmdr. Gene
and all of us wish you a happy
and bountiful Thanksgiving.
BY MARK GJONAJ
Entering into Thanksgiving
and the holiday season,
my constituent services
team is preparing for our annual
Thanksgiving turkey
giveaways. At a time where
personal fi nances are tight
and infl ation is hitting food
prices hard, I am pleased to
be able to relieve some of the
costs and pressures of the
holiday season. Especially
as we’ve come off a period of
acute isolation and distancing
this last year, it is more
important than ever that our
community enjoy the company
of family and friends.
Earlier this week, on
Sagamore Street end Cruger
Avenue, I partnered yet
again with the tireless Wildcats
Service Corp to perform
graffi ti clean up and repaint
the wall of the elevated
tracks. This year we have
held district beautifi cation
and clean up nearly once a
week on average, if not more.
Our district residents deserve
beautiful and clean
neighborhoods and I have
done my best to ensure that’s
what they get. Stay tuned to
my social media to see where
Team Gjonaj and its community
partners venture for
cleanup next.
On the legislative side,
I was pleased to join the
United Federation of Teachers
and fellow councilmember
Treyger for discussion about
Intro 2374, a bill to reduce
classroom size in our public
school. The bill has also stimulated
important conversations
about infrastructural
shortcomings in our school.
The fi ght for educational parity
is not over, but this is a
huge milestone on that journey.
I look forward to working
with my colleagues to pass
this bill.
For information about upcoming
events and services
as we are carried to the end
of the year, please reach out
to my district offi ce at either
MGjonaj@council.nyc.gov or
at (718) 931-1721. Thank you,
stay safe, and enjoy your loved
ones this late fall season.
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