THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS
March 10 to March 14, 2014
TOP HEADLINES
Schneiderman Details Success Of His Homeowner Protection Program In Capital Region
Attorney General Schneiderman was joined in Troy by local officials and housing advocates to announce his office’s efforts to help New York recover from the devastating impact of the foreclosure crisis, from his Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) to legislation addressing “zombie properties” and increase the number of land banks statewide. In the first 15 months of HOPP, the Attorney General’s program has connected 740 homeowners in the Capital Region to free housing counseling and legal services.
Read this Troy Record story on the announcement, or catch this Time Warner Cable News clip. You can also view some of the Times Union’s photos, or watch the full press conference on the Attorney General’s YouTube page.
Schneiderman & Major League Soccer Strengthen Policies Against Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation
During his remarks at the “Out in Law” Leadership Summit, Attorney General Schneiderman announced his office’s “Don’t Cross The Line” initiative with Major League Soccer to protect players from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Along with expanding sensitivity training and centralizing a complaint system, the new initiative will include the posting of a Player Code of Conduct in league locker rooms.
Check out the Huffington Post and Associated Press stories on this powerful message that harassment will not be tolerated in any form in the world of major league sports.
Schneiderman Ends Illegal Hiring Practices Of Four Background Check Agencies
Attorney General Schneiderman secured agreements with four of the nation’s largest background check agencies to prohibit them from automatically disqualifying applicants with a criminal past, which is illegal under New York State law. In his announcement, the Attorney General asserted that “New Yorkers who have paid their debt to society deserve a fair shot at employment opportunities.”
Schneiderman Busts Bronx Pharmacy Owners And Pharmacist For Running Illegal Prescription Buyback Operation
The Attorney General arrested three men who ran a prescription buyback scheme out of a Bronx pharmacy, paying vulnerable patients to forgo necessary anti-retroviral HIV medications and collecting on the fraudulent Medicaid claims. The Attorney General also seized some of the defendants’ assets as part of the investigation.
This news was covered widely in print, television and radio, including stories in the New York Daily News, Eyewitness News and WCBS Radio.
Schneiderman Tours Hauppauge Gun Show
The Attorney General was joined by Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone for a tour of the Hauppauge Gun Show, which was led by gun show operator Don Fiore. The visit highlighted the success of the Attorney General’s Model Gun Show Procedures, a collaborative effort that has ensured background checks are conducted on every firearm sold at a New York gun show.
Schneiderman & NYS Tax Commissioner Mattox Arrest NYC Cigar Distributor For Failing To Pay $1.7 Million In Taxes
With the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the Attorney General announced the arrest a Brooklyn tobacco distributor who imported and resold cigars without paying $1.7 million in state taxes. By cheating New Yorkers out of millions, he was also able to generate astounding profits that investigators are still continuing to trace.
Schneiderman Calls For Full Analysis Of Keystone Xl’s Climate Change Impact
Attorney General Schneiderman called on the U.S. Department of State to hold off on any decision regarding the Keystone XL pipeline until a full analysis of its environmental impacts has been completed. If the Keystone XL project goes forward, that pipeline and other Canadian tar sands oil transport mean will emit 14 times more climate change pollution than New York does in a single year.
Schneiderman Makes $6.2 Million Tax-Related Recovery From Lantheus Medical Imaging & Bristol-Myers Squibb
Attorney General Schneiderman reached a $6.2 million settlement resolving a whistleblower case alleging that a medical imaging company made millions in New York sales while evading State and City taxes. This major settlement is just the latest tax-related recovery resulting from the New York False Claims Act, one of the strongest in the nation.
Schneiderman Announces Sentencing Of Dentist Who Lied About Past Conviction
Attorney General Schneiderman announced the sentencing of an Albany dentist who lied about a past conviction in South Carolina for illegally distributing Vicodin. The defendant will serve up to three years in prison.
Schneiderman Secures Jail Sentence In Albany Elder Abuse Case
The Attorney General secured a jail sentence of 30 days for a nurse’s aide at an Albany nursing home who fractured the arm of her elderly patient during a confrontation.
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