Chris Edwards
Are there any New York City workers you can’t bribe?
We’ve had housing authority workers taking bribes for maintenance contracts, police officers taking bribes for gun licenses, building inspectors taking bribes for approvals, coop managers allegedly taking bribes for access to publicly funded housing, and a building commissioner allegedly taking bribes for zoning changes.
New this week: DMV employees allegedly taking bribes for driver’s permits. Here’s NBC summarizing charges lodged on Tuesday:
The [Staten Island] district attorney and New York State Inspector General’s Office revealed Tuesday what was called Operation Road Test, an investigation into a Queens driving school that allegedly conspired with three Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employees who administered the road tests on Staten Island.
… Prosecutors alleged that anyone who needed a driver’s license would pay the T&E Driving School, in Flushing, up to $2,000. The driving school and the DMV employees involved would then conspire to schedule road tests with a man and woman imposter.
The imposters would take the road test on behalf of customers, according to prosecutors, who claimed the three DMV employees were paid off in cash.
“T&E used social media and strategic advertising to exploit members of the Chinese community and get licenses regardless of immigration status, language and ability to operate a vehicle,” said George Ioannidis, of Homeland Security Investigations.
… Meanwhile, investigators are working with the DMV to track down hundreds of drivers who are behind the wheel without ever being properly tested. The DA said there could be many, many out there. “We think this is just the tip of the iceberg, to put it simply,” said [District Attorney Michael] McMahon.
Local government corruption is an important issue that does not receive enough national coverage. Perhaps the NYC mayoral election will shine a light on the problem, although some of the campaign proposals would make corruption worse, not better. Bribes for government grocery store contracts, anyone?