Friday, November 16, 2012

Whitewash: Bilello Exonerated by IG & CCO

On November 7, 2012 Inspector General Scott Danielson (IG) and Chief Compliance Officer Josh Leicht (CCO), issued a four page report that exonerates Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Mike Bilello of improper conduct and finds that there was inappropriate conduct by former District Council President Bill Lebo (who was forced to resign) during a meeting (see article "Insanity") of the delegate body on July 25, 2012, where both Bilello and Lebo, during questioning, on the MWA crisis, became unhinged, harassed, intimidated, threaten and allowed members of the delegate body to disrupt the meeting, and moved to file charges against me, allegedly for revealing "strategy," by posting the names of newly hired "outside attorneys" on this blog.

The much delayed and anticipated joint report is a disgraceful whitewash in its inaccuracies and transparent motives.

And, it appears to reasonable people who have read the report that the Bilello administration has succeeded in intimidating the IG and CCO into doing its bidding.

In a November 13, email commenting on the report, Review Officer Dennis Walsh wrote:

"Though reasonable men might draw different conclusions from what they observed at the July 25th delegate meeting, I am of the view that the events which were the subject of the report represent an appalling failure of decorum and procedure and that the conduct of the chair could fairly be characterized as harassment."

In response to the report, I emailed the IG and CCO and wrote among other things, that "the joint report is filled with inaccurate quotes, lies, material taken out of context and in no way reflects what transpired at the delegate body meeting on July 25, 2012."

"You have delivered a whitewash report that misrepresented EST Bilello's response to my questions by cherry-picking Bilello's comments in an effort to exonerate and portray him in the most desirable way."

Mr. Leicht responded and acknowledged an error in the report, stating that the word "not" was missing from "the first sentence of the last full paragraph on page 3."

He said that sentence should read as follows: "We find that President Lebo did not retire from the Chair or follow established procedures when he injected himself into the exchange between you and Executive Secretary-Treasurer Bilello at the July 25 meeting of the Delegate Body."  

Leicht also said that he disagrees with my characterization of the report and he believes that the July 25 meeting was "poorly conducted and did not reflect well on the District Council as a whole, the conduct towards you did not rise to the level of constituting "harassment" or "intimidation" as those terms are commonly understood."

In response among other things I said, if you believe the meeting was "poorly conducted and did not reflect well on the District Council as a whole," (which is an understatement) why didn't you write that in the report?

The report (which took over three months to complete) is filled with errors of fact and is a sloppy and shoddy work product that does not correctly reflect what actually transpired at the delegate meeting.

The fact that the IG and CCO did not interview other delegates, the rank-and-file members in attendance, council employees or RO is a travesty of justice.

I suggested to the IG and CCO that they "tear up this atrocious report and write a new report which correctly reflects what did in fact transpire."

It is grossly inaccurate and a disgraceful whitewash for the IG and CCO to write:

"We find no evidence that Bilello "behaved improperly or inappropriately" and he responded to questions "in a generally civil manner."

Bilello's comments and conduct are entirely improper, inappropriate and uncivil.

His comments are what incited Lebo and members of the delegate body into a mob mentality, reminiscent of a scene from a Frankenstein movie where the angry village people armed with torches and pitchforks go after the Frankenstein monster (me).

Taking their cue from Bilello and following his unethical "tone from the top," Lebo and the delegates acted accordingly and behaved and conducted themselves exactly how Bilello intended, I was heckled, intimidated, harassed, and threaten.

It is an injustice and absolutely ridiculous for the IG and CCO to write, Bilello conducted himself in a "civil manner."

Below is a copy of the joint report and exclusive audio (click here for transcript) of the meeting during my questions regarding the MWA. I am the first speaker, Bilello second, then Lebo (as usual improperly interrupting within 60 seconds of questioning). The "appalling failure of decorum and procedure" starts at 10 minutes and 15 seconds into the recording.

Decide for yourself, do you agree or disagree with the findings of the IG and CCO, please post your comments.

iPhone users click here for audio.



11-07-12 - CC0-IGO Dec re JM 5F complaint

6 comments:

  1. DROP DEAD UNITY TEAM !

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  2. The following is an email I sent to the IG and CCO on November 14, 2012.

    Scott, Josh: I forwarded your report to some delegates and members who attended the meeting, all unanimously agree the report is either a whitewash or utter incompetence on the part of the IG and CCO.

    Below are sample comments and one essay from those interviewed.

    "A four page report and the only thing they find wrong is that Lebo did not retire from the chair, unbelievable."

    "I thought elected leaders are to be held to a higher standard, with this report the IG and CCO have effectively lowered that standard to below ground."

    "I can't comment until I stop laughing and take a leak."

    "They're hell bent on whitewashing the entire incident because the inherent core of the UBC & DC's and/or Locals has always been one of harassment, threats, coercion & intimidation."

    "It comes from the top down, meaning the administration view that anyone who disagrees with him or his policies is a deranged commie, loner and loser."

    "Shut up sit down, it's business as usual."

    "This report demonstrates that the council is not law-abiding and compliant institution capable of conducting its affairs properly, bring back Walter Mack."

    "I guess we can now call the IG's office Inspector Gestapo."

    "We're there two separate delegate meetings going on at the same time."

    "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil."

    "It looks like the IG's office drafted that report with a fine point crayon."

    "If I comment with my opinion will I be brought up on charges."

    "It's long overdue, Scott should be fired."

    "Scott has been watching too many detective shows."

    "Without a dead body there's no proof."

    "They gave new meaning to the word civil."

    "The opinion of the audio recording is the meeting never happened."

    "It's hypocrisy and a double standard, the rules only apply to the rank and file."

    Essay

    The joint IG/CCO “Report” on unfortunate events of the July 25, 2012 Delegate Meeting is an alarming example of the systemic institutional dysfunction that passed for governance of a large labor union.

    Clearly, the effects of the Justice Department and law enforcement to reform and rebuild the NYCDCC have been an expensive and dismal failure.

    The stench of the entrenched oligarchy of the longtime parasitic “leadership” on the 9th floor, non-accountable at the ballot box, filling their pockets with salaries double the U.S. average median income has infected every level of this organization.

    The 395 plutocracy and its various departments have no credibility, case in point the widespread apathy in a despondent and cynical membership.
    Increasingly, member opinion states outside “reformers” like Mike Bilello, Bill Lebo, Dennis Walsh and staff, Josh Leicht, Matt Walker and Dana Braunstein could not resist and caved into the pathological institutional inertia of an inept self-serving bureaucracy that wouldn’t last a month in the corporate world.

    What a shame that the above named are now seen as a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution.

    The Delegate meetings have no credibility with the membership, it is a considered a sham democracy with a council-centric super majority.

    These are the same delegates that seen fit to turn the District Council into a contractors union based upon receiving a hastily thrown together three page “summary” of a 77 page Collective Bargaining Agreement the night before.

    Sadly, the now- tarnished Josh Leicht seemingly has turned a blind eye to an unmistakable pattern of dozens of calculated By Law violations by the District Council elite over a months-long period.

    The hopelessly diseased NYCDCC is doomed, frozen in a downward plunge into organized labors dumpster of ill repute.

    ReplyDelete
  3. did i hear correctly,a carbon copy letter is better than an email.maybe you can use a piece of coal and decorate the cave wall,so it can be archived in that administrations record and saved for posterity.

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  4. This is Scott (Corruption Insulated) Danielson, Josh ( IM related to some BRIBE)Leicht. Who are these people and why should they be trusted?Maybe we could go all the way to the supreme court so we can be bashed over the head by John Roberts (McCarrons friend Bush apointee).When we are invaded by PROSTITUTES its time for all of us to petition nlrb and nlra and clean house Dennis Walsh,Doug McCaroon, Conboy collusion and corruption must be hosed away.

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  5. Now that Walter Mack is gone, we are told by The District Council and Dennis Walsh that we should be confident that the leadership is trustworthy and unbiased at 395. Time and again Scott Danielson( Head of the MOST CORRUPT OWL and Josh Leicht ( I never got to vote for this guy either)are not looking out for the members intrest. When an elected delegate can be treated in a manner that was threating and unbecoming for an high ranking member to exhibit we are all in trouble. If these are the guys that are going to pick which grivances are to be heard we must act to rid our council of men who clearly ignore the rules to satisfy an agenda that is against the memberships rights.If you dont believe me listen to the audio and you will cringe. Dennis Walsh should have followed the memberships best intrest by VETOING Scott Danielson when he was installed.Josh Leicht seems to be following an agenda not set by rank and file membership we would be wise to show him the door as well. Dear Brothers and Sisters we are going to disappear if we allow this apathy to continue. Labor Omnia Vincit!!!

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