Post by bohica9 on Sept 23, 2014 20:54:24 GMT -5
I WONDER IF HE EVER WENT TO OHEKA WITH THE BOYS
A good man once told me, "Politicians should be changed as often as diapers and for the same reason."
Long Island State Senate Candidate Accused by Own Law Firm of Stealing $2M Through Fraudulent Billing
David Denenberg, a Nassau County legislator who’s running for the Senate as a Democrat, billed for fictional expenses from the day he arrived at the firm in 2006 through most of last year, according to a lawsuit the firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron says it will file Tuesday. Denenberg’s former colleagues call him a 'criminal mastermind still inexcusably running for public office.'
BY Greg B. Smith
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 2:30 AM
A Long Island state Senate candidate who promises voters that “Nobody Works Harder!” stole $2 million by routinely billing for lawyering that never happened, his own law firm charges.
David Denenberg, a Nassau County legislator who’s running for the Senate as a Democrat, created an elaborate narrative to justify years of fake bills, according to a lawsuit the firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron filed Tuesday.
The firm alleges Denenberg even drafted pretend court orders and forged judges’ signatures to justify some of his make-believe billing.
Denenberg, 51, was fired, and the matter was referred to Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, according to the law firm. Her office declined comment Monday.
In their blistering lawsuit, Denenberg’s former colleagues called him a “criminal mastermind still inexcusably running for public office.”
Denenberg is running against Republican Mike Venditto for the seat vacated last year by Republican Charles Fuschillo Jr.
David Denenberg, 51, was fired by the law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron.
The outcome of that race could affect who runs the Senate, where Democrats and Republicans share almost equal numbers and a wavering group of Independents has handed control to the GOP — for the moment.
Denenberg’s importance was highlighted Monday with the announcement that Senate Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins plans to attend a fund-raiser for him Sunday.
In 2005, Denenberg pleaded guilty to falsely affirming that he’d witnessed some nomination petition signatures. (ala OHEKA.....)
He was put on probation and suspended from practicing law for 90 days. His rival, Venditto, has hammered him for this in recent TV ads featuring Denenberg being escorted by law enforcement.
In the lawsuit, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron charged Denenberg’s “misconduct was not an accident but a cold, calculated scheme conducted without remorse over an eight year period. It involved at least 374 separate acts of mail fraud, and resulted in his personal receipt of many hundreds of thousands of dollars he did not deserve and should not have.”
The firm alleges Denenberg billed a corporate client, Systemax Inc., $2.3 million “for nonexistent work on cases that had already been terminated and/or never existed.”
The lawsuit accuses Denenberg of a 'cold, calculated scheme' over a period of eight years.
The scheme took place almost from the day he arrived at the firm in 2006 through most of last year, the suit alleges.
Denenberg also put in for $800,000 in fictional expenses for out-of-town court appearances that didn’t occur and for supplies and phone expenses that didn’t exist, the suit says.
He couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.
In a statement to the Daily News Monday, the law firm stated, “We are deeply saddened that we have had to file court papers today against a former partner, David Denenberg. Mr. Denenberg’s actions concerning billing irregularities involving one of his former clients together with phony expense submissions left us no choice. Internal reviews conducted both by our client and (the firm) and subsequent confirmation by Mr. Denenberg conclusively established that he acted on his own and without the knowledge of anyone at (the firm).”
When confronted, Denenberg confirmed he’d billed for nonexistent hours, the firm alleged. But he balked at resigning, allegedly stating, “I don’t want to be let go. You’re going to make me go? For this?”
