The Manhattan DA’s Office has an international reputation for fighting economic crime and corruption, which have been priorities since Thomas E. Dewey was elected District Attorney in 1937. Legend has it that the first person indicted after the Office moved into 100 Centre Street was the building’s contractor - for paying kickbacks to City Hall. Cases like these - made by prosecutors, not just police - take many months and sometimes years of hard work. They require experienced investigators and lawyers with specialized skills and the leadership of a District Attorney who knows how to build these difficult cases and win convictions fairly.
Economic crime, often called white-collar crime, hurts everyone – small business owners, retirees, workers, consumers, colleges, and not-for-profits that help those most in need.
As a prosecutor and trial lawyer who has specialized in white-collar crime for 25 years, I know how to evaluate complex cases fairly. I also know how to build these difficult cases to achieve a successful prosecution. I understand that a DA’s reputation for robust and incorruptible investigations makes criminals think twice. I know that the federal government hasn’t always done what is in the best interests of New York because Washington’s priorities are not always the same as Manhattan’s. And I know that successful prosecutions yield huge tangible benefits. This year alone, the Manhattan DA’s Office collected $350 million for city and state taxpayers from just two cases.
As District Attorney, I will make economic crime a top priority.
- Wall Street’s Integrity. Nowhere else in the country are the fortunes of Main Street and Wall Street so closely inter-linked. Twenty percent of New York State’s tax revenues are generated by its financial services sector, and every job on Wall Street creates jobs for three more workers. This means that crime that hurts Wall Street hurts every New Yorker. We need to increase, not cut, the number of staff working on corporate fraud and other crimes that damage our financial services sector.
- Money Laundering and Terrorism. Terrorists, narcotics and arms traffickers, white-collar criminals, and tax evaders often use Manhattan’s banks to facilitate their criminal activities. The Manhattan DA’s Office has developed into a center of excellence for combating large scale money laundering. We must continue high-level money laundering investigations and prosecutions. These cases protect the integrity of our financial system. They also bar terrorists from using our banking system to finance their operations. And they generate information that helps the New York Police Department and federal law enforcement agencies protect our city and country from terrorist attacks.
- Economic Justice. Laborers and labor organizations are a key partner in building safer communities. Our office will enforce prevailing wage laws to ensure that employees of contractors and subcontractors that bid on municipal projects are not injured by sub-standard wages, or that county taxpayers are not hurt by loss of tax revenue. The Office will vigorously enforce prevailing wage laws to protect working men and women.
