The Mayor yesterday defended not disclosing the relashionship between Jim Caiola and his brother-in-law.
The Mayor and the Parks Department revenue division have cost the city millions of dollars in lost revenue due to thier handling of the concession.
Manhattan
The winning bidder on the Tavern on the Green franchise did “exactly the right thing” by not disclosing his relationship to one of Mayor Bloomberg’s top confidants, Hizzoner said yesterday, according to the New York Post.
“If they had proactively disclosed it, you would be asking me why they tried to get special treatment by name-dropping,” Bloomberg said. “This restaurant group did not disclose it, which is exactly the right thing to do.”
The Post reported on Saturday that one of the partners in the company picked by the Parks Department to run the famed Central Park restaurant is the brother-in-law of Kevin Sheekey (pictured), a former deputy mayor who was Bloomberg’s top political adviser and is now an executive at Bloomberg LP.
Officials said the winners — Jim Caiola and David Salama of the Philadelphia-based Emerald Green Group — got the 20-year franchise strictly on the merits.
Bloomberg said it’s not possible that the Parks Department showed any favoritism since no one at the agency was aware there was a Sheekey tie.
“But even if they did, there’s no problem with that. Kevin Sheekey doesn’t work for the city. Hasn’t for a long time,” he said.
Comptroller John Liu, who gets to vote on whether to approve the deal as a member of the city’s Franchise & Concession Review Committee, has promised an investigation.
Read More:
New York Post - August 21, 2012 - By David Seifman
A Walk In The Park - August 19, 2012
A Walk In The Park - August 18, 2012
A Walk In The Park - March 30, 2012
A Walk In the Park - February 24, 2012
A Walk In The Park - December 30, 2011
A Walk In The Park - November 4, 2011
A Walk In The Park - January 27, 2011
A Walk In The Park - October 15, 2010 - By Geoffrey Croft
A Walk In The Park - June 14, 2010
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