Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver released a public statement saying there is no need for an investigation into Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera’s hiring of Tommy Torres, a City Council hopeful in Brooklyn who is reportedly romantically involved with Rivera. Here’s the statement:
There are no violations to investigate regarding the employment of Mr. Thomas Torres by the New York State Assembly.
As part of our standard employment review process, Assembly counsel double checks to make sure employment by an individual doesn’t violate the Assembly’s dual employment policy. Counsel’s prior approval is required to ensure there are no conflicts of interest or conflict of hours. Legal counsel’s approval was received for Mr. Torres. His timesheets are consistent with the work of a part-time community liaison.
The NY Post published a story on Sunday about the hiring, reporting that Rivera’s Facebook page showed dozens of intimate photos of her and Torres and called into question his employment as the assemblywoman’s community relations director at the end of 2010. During his employment with Rivera, the Post reported, Torres was also a full-time gym teacher and part-time sports coach with the Department of Education. The Post and Rivera’s primary challenger Mark Gjonaj have called for an investigation into Torres’ employment with Rivera.
Despite Silver’s statement, questions remain. The Post said the Comptroller’s office had Torres listed as a “full-time” community relations director, but Silver’s statement specifically says his “timesheets are consistent with the work of a part-time community liaison.”
So was Torres part-time or full-time? Was he a director or just a liaison? The Post reported that Torres made $18,123 over four months or $1,100 per week. We’ve reached out Rivera’s office and Silver’s office to get more details, including copies of the timesheets. Stay tuned.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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No investigation needed? Oh I wish I could use taxpayer money to employ my girlfriends in part time “community liason” work… No investigation needed? Sheldon Silver is unbelievable. With all the corruption in the Bronx, even the appearance of impropriety should be investigated!
No investigation? No wrongdoing? Okay, then someome please tell me what Mr. Torres did in 4 months time to deserve approximately $4000 a month in salary. She won’t have my vote again.
Wow.. something fishy is going on here. She’s not getting my vote
Whose brain washing who.
It makes me wonder how someone who wouldn’t want their children going to school with them minorities, but Mark Gonaj is looking to get their votes.
So many of his people would come to him and say “Oh” my kids will have to be attending such-n-such school but there are too many blacks and spanish there can you help me get them into the City Island school.
Sure no problem he says, and fills out the paperwork showing always with sufficient proof that they now live in his building on City Island…By doing this it keeps the minorities from Co Op City out.
So whose being brainwashed