Quote of the Day

“There’s a case out there; I myself cannot speak about the case. However, I would ask the community, each and every one of you, to keep me in your prayer.”

— Spring Valley, NY mayor Noramie F. Jasmin, at the first public meeting after she was arrested for accepting a bribe from a developer who was cooperating with the FBI (from an article in today's New York Times). As happens far too frequently, Mayor Jasmin turned the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent into a prohibition on her to speak honestly about the allegations made against her.

There is no "case out there." Until she responds to it, the case is hanging like a cloud over her head. Instead of dealing with it, she refuses to admit or deny allegations based on taped conversations, and she tries to have herself seen as a victim.

It also appears from the village website and googling that, although an ethics code was passed in 1995 requiring the formation of a board of ethics, there is no such board. Mayor Jasmin should explain to the public that, whether there was a quid pro quo or not (that is, whether or not she is guilty of a crime), taking a gift of more than $75 from a developer is an ethics violation. Thus, there is also a case that is not "out there," but which is smack in the middle of the village. And the mayor has an obligation to deal with this case, since she is at least partially responsible for there not being a board of ethics.

For more on the Spring Valley matter, see my recent blog post.

Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics

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