We will know by Wednesday. That’s when the developers’ go-to law firm is scheduled to hold a fundraiser for both of the newcomers. Think about that: Having just been elected to 4-year terms in districts with huge D pluralities, the two newcomers are poised to (unnecessarily) fill their campaign coffers with bribes from developers and their law firms. Here’s what we’re talking about:
Got that? The law firm of Tarabicos, Grosso & Hoffman LLP is serving as bundlers for the entire development community in order to buy the votes of Council’s two newest members.
What’s stunning, at least to me, is that this is how business has traditionally gotten done in NCC. We’ve already chronicled the fact that the County Executive has been bought and paid for.
Tomorrow (or later today, depending on my degree of ambition), I will chronicle how every single current NCC Council member, with the notable and praiseworthy exceptions of David Carter and Dee Durham, have accepted bribes from developers and their lawyers.
If any Council member takes umbrage at my description of them as bribe-takers, please feel free to come on here and tell the world how having your campaigns funded by developers and their law firms does not constitute bribe-taking. These developers and their law firms depend on favorable consideration from the County to get their proposals approved with the least restrictions on them. They’re not paying off elected officials b/c they value their good government ethics. They’re providing their payoffs to ensure that good government ethics don’t even play a part in the approval process.
Valerie George and Brandon Toole: You’re on the clock. You can publicly reject any funding from the development community and announce that you will neither participate in this fundraiser nor accept the bribes that will be flowing in. Or you can make it clear that you too have been bought off by the people you’re supposed to impartially oversee.
We’ll be watching. And reporting.