No matter how you cut it, it’s called fraud

The insurance industry spends millions of dollars a year in advertising trying to get people to report it. Whether it's arson to collect money or staging accidents in a scam, trying to gain a benefit for yourself or someone else that they are not entitled to is fraud. The benefit you get is a benefit someone else is denied, someone who may deserve and have earned that benefit.

When the North Greenbush Pipeline received copies of these documents initiated by the Town Supervisor and his hand picked acting assessor John Harkin, it really surprised everyone who was familiar with the hiring process. Mr. Harkin is a State retiree. He was also the tax accountant for "Victory Lane" a company allegedly run for profit from the county office building under investigation by a special prosecutor. To collect his retirement and another public salary, Harkin needs a waiver from the State. To qualify, the town must certify under penalty of perjury, that there was no other qualified candidate available for the job who did not require a waiver. In other words, a qualified, willing, non retiree.

Some background, the Supervisor is trying to get a political pal hired as town assessor. To make that more likely, he did everything possible to discourage the other applicants. The letter sent to the State Civil Service by Evers on May 17, 2007, some 5 months after Harkin was on the job in violation of Section 211 of the Retirement and Social Security Law requiring approval of the employment of a retiree PRIOR to the effective date of employment, clearly states that “ Mr. Harkin was the only candidate with the qualifications…” Another candidate, Mr. Surprise, is a certified assessor, which Mr. Harkin is not. He also does not require a waiver allowing him to collect his retirement from the State and his salary from the town. He also wanted the job and stated so in the Troy Record and to the town board. That presented a problem for Evers.

Evers writes in an attachment to the letter to the State that Surprise “was set up twice with times for interviews and did not attend..” In reality, Evers notified the candidate the night before each interview in the hope he would not be able to attend. Mr. Surprise in fact was out of town each time. The third time he was given more notice because a board member got wise to Evers and gave Surprise more time to schedule. He attended that third interview and was not appointed.

Evers as town supervisor signed the following declaration. “I, the appointing authority, hereby affirm under penalty of perjury as provided for in Section 210 of the Penal Law, that the statements made herein (and on the attached papers) are true and correct,….and that there are not readily available for recruitment non retired persons qualified to perform the duties of such position.”

Yet Evers did just that, certified that there was no other qualified person and non retiree available for the position. Mr. Surprise was a more qualified applicant, a certified assessor. He was not a retiree and would not require a waiver. Another applicant, as qualified as Harkin, Ms. Razzano, was also not a retiree but we are not certain of his statement that she declined the position due to the short unexpired term. She is, however, asking the town to have her credentials reviewed by the State to be certified as an assessor.Again, Evers stalled sending the request to derail her potential candidacy so the town board passed a resolution doing it for her.

So what does it take to get the District Attorney or the State Attorney General to act? First, Evers gave a check for $83,000 to a political pal without board approval and now this. Trying to defraud the State retirement system and working with the applicant to obtain a waiver and a financial benefit he does not deserve at the expense of someone else. Ms. DeAngelus and Mr. Cuomo, are you listening?