Blumenthal Investigates Criscuolo's City Work

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Blumenthal Investigates Criscuolo’s City Work

by Paul Bass | Jul 30, 2010 1:54 pm

(13) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: City Hall

Melissa Bailey File Photo Connecticut’s attorney general is investigating the conduct of a politically connected state marshal after an audit described cases of him shaking down local businesses.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal first announced he was looking into whether to launch an investigation a day after the Independent reported on the audit, which the city had kept secret for a year. At the time Blumenthal declared himself “deeply disturbed” by allegations concerning the marshal, Peter Criscuolo.

On Friday Blumenthal’s released the following statement:

“My office, in coordination with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, is investigating allegations concerning state Marshal Peter Criscuolo’s handling of tax warrants. Our inquiry is active and ongoing.”

Blumenthal, who’s currently running for U.S. Senate, had no further comment.

“It’s useful for the attorney general to aggressively review complaints,” Mayor John DeStefano said. “If there’s substance to this complaint, the city will take action.” DeStefano also said that the marshal reform has saved the city a lot of money. He praised aldermen for pushing for it.

Criscuolo did not return calls seeking comment Friday.

Auditors hired by the city reported eight examples of Criscuolo allegedly collecting excessive fees based on “coercion,” an erroneous tax warrant, or misrepresented facts. Criscuolo managed to “coerce” a $5,000 delinquent tax fee from one business that had already paid up—and “misrepresented” facts in order to collect a $2,000 fee on a $133 tax bill, according to the audit. (Click here to read the audit report, which was prepared by the firm RSM McGladrey, Inc.)

At the time, Criscuolo—a political fundraiser and chairman of North Haven’s Democratic Party—was the city’s highest-grossing marshal, and its only go-to man for hunting down personal property tax scofflaws. Whenever a business hadn’t paid its personal property tax, the city would hire Criscuolo to issue an alias tax warrant. By law, he could collect up to a 15 percent fee on the overdue tax bill.

Meanwhile, the city continues to give Criscuolo work, including serving papers on government foreclosures of people’s homes. Mayoral spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said Friday the city couldn’t say exactly how much money the marshal is making from government these days.

“Under the Marshal Ordinance passed by the Board of Aldermen last year, Mr. Criscuolo receives work as one of many on the City’s Marshal List, who work through outside counsel performing tax foreclosure work on the City’s behalf. His presence on this list is a function of him currently satisfying the ordinance’s various requirements, as is the case with everyone else on the list, and nothing more,” Mayorga wrote in an email message. “On foreclosures, marshals are selected on rotation by outside counsel and not the city using the list of qualified marshals made available to outside counsel by the city.”

Comments

posted by: Brian V on July 30, 2010 2:10pm

KING JOHN:

“If there is substance” -REALLY?

“Auditors hired by the city reported eight examples of Criscuolo allegedly collecting excessive fees based on “coercion,” an erroneous tax warrant, or misrepresented facts.”
Is that not enough ‘substance’ to fire this guy? What exactly did you hire these auditors for? Find someone else to bundle campaign $ for you.
This is just one more of your continuing insults to your constituents. ...

posted by: Sunday on July 30, 2010 5:04pm

Jessica need to flip her scripts that she write, it’s becoming boring and obviously some un-truthfulness. What more do Criscuolo need to do before they “can him”?

posted by: Deeply concerned on July 30, 2010 7:04pm

DeStefano’s comments are laughable, he created the problem by giving Criscuolo full reign. For what reason? Criscuolo treated the tax office as his own. Mayorga’s comment regarding city policy serving foreclosure documents is a recent policy. what about his activity in ALL city business that’s what Blumenthal’s office needs to fully investigates.

posted by: Jeffrey Kerekes on July 30, 2010 7:21pm

A few things:

1) this audit cost $15,000 according to the controller.
2) where is the final report? Why was only a draft released?
3) Isn’t McGladrey’s audit sufficient grounds for termination? It might still need an investigation by Blumenthal to throw the guy in jail, but why is it insufficient for the Mayor? He said” “If there’s substance to this complaint, the city will take action.” DeStefano also said”. How about a $15,000 independent audit by a licensed auditing firm that found 8 things in the small 3 month window the looked at. This guy had the run of the place for 5 years. And the Mayor needs more information to take action???? Come on!!!!!!! The action the Mayor should take is to step down.
4) The Marshall is a fundraiser for the Mayor.

Check out http://www.johndestefanojr.com

posted by: MM on July 30, 2010 8:30pm

Jessica Mayorgas answer is disturbing. Its very easy for someone in city hall to say to an attorney use Criscuollo or you dont get the work. Political patronage is always possible. A future FOI request for attorneys invoices and who paid what to who when is the obvious answer. Publish the results in October 2011 for maximum effect.

posted by: cba on July 30, 2010 9:13pm

why does the city continue to use this guy when it is clear that his activities are suspect and cast the city in a very negative light ? its time to clean house starting with this “marshal”

posted by: observer on July 30, 2010 9:26pm

it´s about time someone went after this guy since the Mayor won´t do it. The audit findings are more than enough to fire him from city work and initiate at least a criminal investigation into his practices. It´s about time!

posted by: streever on July 31, 2010 6:08am

O’Brien & Criscuolo—both questionable individuals. Is it possible that the mayor won’t fire them because they have dirt on him?

posted by: Mark McD on July 31, 2010 9:37am

A Democrat attorney general is investigating a Democrat town chairman who is the chief fund raiser for a Democrat city mayor who is one of the strongest supporters of said Democrat attorney general who running for US senator as a Democrat.

Only in conflict of interest free Corrupticut could such a wonderful thing happen.

Have any of you NHCAN people made a complaint to the FBI yet? They may actually do something.

posted by: Jeffrey Kerekes on July 31, 2010 9:44pm

You can easily submit a tip to the FBI here: https://tips.fbi.gov/ or send an email to the team in the New Haven office here: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

You do not need to be a witness but feel free to share your concerns or any leads that the FBI can follow up. Its their job to confirm the facts so feel free to submit your valid tip and let them do the follow up work if you have something that would interest them. Feel free to complain about something you read in the newspapers. Reports report the news, they do not submit complaints to any agencies. just because you read about it in the news does not mean any official agency received even one complaint.

If you have concerns about corruption in the DeStefano administration and have any tips, contact the FBI with that information for them to follow up upon.

posted by: the eye on August 1, 2010 12:30pm

Blumenthal should appoint a special counsel to investigate this so called ” marshal’s actions and if he can’t, he should refer it to the FBI

posted by: William B. Meyer on August 2, 2010 8:09am

So it’s “useful” for the AG to investigate? I’d say that’s an understatement. I’d recommend the first thing you do if the guy shows up at your door to “collect” (allegedly, ok NHI?) is call the cops. Also, City of New Haven: Whatever the logistics of selecting these people, ever think of suspending the use of this vendor pending the outcome of the investigation?? Pretty common practice, no?

posted by: Morris Cove Mom on August 2, 2010 8:17pm

It’s about time! But trying to fire one of the “good old boys” who are employed by the City or friends of the City seems impossible.

DeStefano practically runs a mob-type situation out of City Hall. You either agree with him, or you get shut out.

My concern is this: Does Blumenthal have enough time to devote to this now that he’s also campaigning?

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