FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BREAKING NEWS Efforts to Arrest Ratner Yield Phone Call From F.B.I and U.S. Southern District Court Confirming Evidence from Ratner - Immediate Indictment of Ratner Still Sought
What: BREAKING NEWS IN FRIDAY A.M. DEADLINE TO ARREST BRUCE RATNER
Where: Brooklyn, NY
Who: Picture the Homeless, FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality), Fightin' Freddy's (patrons of Freddy's Bar, near the shelter), and City Council member Letitia James
Contact: Steve de Seve (pronounced de sev) 917 330-6147
Arrest Ratner Call-A-Thon Website: https://sites.google.com/site/fightinfreddys/
BREAKING NEWS
In a conference call between the F.B.I., the U.S. Southern District Court, an a co-organizer of yesterday's attempted Citizen's Arrest of Billionaire Bruce Ratner, initiated at 5:03 p.m. on Thursday, January 28, Jason Halpernin, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York and Michael Mazzuca, FBI Special Agent confirmed they had evidence of an alleged bribe paid through a conspiracy, from Ridge Hill and Atlantic Yards/Barclays Center developer Ratner to former Yonkers City Council member Sandy Annabi.
"Mr. Halpernin and Special Agent Mazzuca refused to answer most of my questions," de Seve said. "However, when I asked them if they possessed evidence of a bribery conspiracy that started with Mr. Ratner and led to Ms. Annabi, they confirmed that the indictment of Ms. Annabi for allegedly taking a bribe from Ratner that led her to then change her vote and greenlight Ratner's $600 Million Ridge Hill project was still valid, and based on solid evidence."
"i will let the indictment speak for itself," Mr Halperin said.
And the indictment speaks loud and clear. In fact, there would be no indictment against Ms. Annabi, the former Yonkers City Council member, for bribery, if there was no solid evidence of a bribe from the developer, referred to in the indictment as "developer number 2."
The conversation lasted approximately 6 minutes. The Federal Attorney and the Special Agent informed Mr. de Seve that they were calling because the New York State Attorney General's Office had called to inform them that de Seve had evidence or information with a bearing on the bribery case.
"'I do,' I told them. Mr. Ratner has exhibited sociopathic behavior in closing the Pacific Dean Family Homeless Shelter in the middle of Winter. Locking away from use beds and a roof for up to 80 homeless families. When families come knocking at the door of the shelter to find a warm bed for their children, they will find that door locked."
"I also informed them," de Seve continued, "that the Southern District Court's delay in indicting Mr. Ratner, when they had evidence in hand, could cause an incorrect judgment to be reached Friday morning in New York State Supreme Court, by depriving Judge Abraham Gerges of having a clear view of one of the parties in the Eminent Domain case he would be ruling on."
"With a delay in the indictment not being corrected before the hearing, the Judge will be working with incomplete information. That will affect the case. And if the case is wrongfully decided by your delay, then there will be legal repercussions."
De Seve also informed the callers that he believes the delay to be politically motivated, since Mr. Ratner is a campaign contributor to New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has also not acted in a timely manner to indict the Billionaire.
When de Seve asked hypothetically, under what circumstances can the Southern District Court share information and evidence with an Attorney General's or District Attorney's office, Mr. Halpernin immediately clammed up.
"That was strange," de Seve said. "I can understand him being prohibited from talking about a specific case. But I know enough about the law to know a Federal Attorney is allowed to discuss hypothetical legal issues, as long as they are not specific to any case they are currently working on."
Beyond introducing himself, Special Agent Mazzuca, the person in charge of the FBI investigation of the Ratner/Annabi alleged bribe, said nothing.
"G. Gordon Liddy would have been proud of how he conducted himself. He was a rock. And said exactly as much as a rock would say."
The conference call was also initiated from a blocked number, which struck de Seve as odd.
"What does the government have to hide that they have to call from a blocked number?" he said. Probably plenty. What the Attorney failed to answer, despite repeated questioning was the question on everybody's mind: If you have evidence of a bribe, then why are you prosecuting only the recipient of the bribe, and not the briber? It's the same evidence. It's the same bribe.
De Seve ended the call with the Feds by saying, "The public has a right to know why you are letting Mr. Big, the man who made $600 Million from the alleged bribe, go, while you are going after the little fish who walked away from the alleged deal with only $60,000. It has the appearance of impropriety. The lack of an indictment at this point will color a NY Supreme Court case. And it seems like it is a case of Mr. Ratner, who has received special treatment and subsidies from many branches of government already is being once again given special treatment, especially compared with the treatment of Ms. Annabi, who was arrested and is now facing trial while Ratner is not. I encourage both of you gentlemen to work hard tonight, and see to it you indict Mr. Ratner before tomorrow's 9:30 a.m. hearing."
Community members along with members of the homeless community will continue to call the Attorney General of New York, Mr. Andrew Cuomo and Westchester County's D.A., Janet DiFiore as well as the Southern District throughout the day Friday to insist they indict Ratner for his part at the top of the alleged conspiracy that led to the indictment of Sandy Annabi for accepting a bribe on behalf of Ratner, for which she is charged with changing a vote and leading to Mr. Ratner getting approval of the $600 Million Ridge Hill project.
"Bribery is a crime in the State of New York. And the Attorney Generals Office told me that either they could prosecute Ratner, or Ms. DiFiore could prosecute him. They did not tell my why they have delayed in doing so in advance of tomorrow's Eminent Domain hearing." de Seve said.
"We have shaken their tree with our Citizens Arrest attempt and with our Call-a-Thon to Arrest Ratner," de Seve later told fellow organizers after the startling call. "Now let's shake it a little harder."
The group has also called for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to "show us the check you are sending to Ratner to return his campaign contributions to you, so there in no continued appearance of impropriety in your failure to have brought State charges against him."
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