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| CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEY GUS MOUNTANOS |
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| CORRUPT SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT LEN SARVER |
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| CORRUPT SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JUDITH JOHNSON |
Mount Vernon Exposed has learned that a complaint was filed
with the United States Attorney’s office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and
the 2nd Department Grievance committee regarding corruption and
criminality involving school board attorney Gus Mountanos.
Gus Mountanos is an unscrupulous attorney that works for the
law firm Ingerman Smith, LLP. Mount
Vernon Exposed previously revealed that Gus Mountanos in cahoots with school
board President Len Sarver and Interim School Superintendent Judith Johnson,
intentionally tampered with the hiring and contract negotiations of
Superintendent of Schools and Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds. These three individuals, through a series of
manipulative events, tainted the process so they can bring in persons that were
favorable to them and their political allies.
The strategic placement of central office personell by these three
individuals would ensure that millions would continue to flow from the school
district and into companies and persons of their choosing.
News of tampering with the hiring for key positions at the
Board of Education came to light last week during an executive session meeting
with Board members. Gus appeared to try
to get ahead of the scandal by coming clean with board members, but it was
already to late as some board members had already contacted law enforcement
authorities demanding an investigation into Gus Mountanos and the law firm
Ingerman, Smith, LLP. about the way contract negotiations were handled for the
Superintendent of Schools and the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds
positions.
Gus Mountanos has been covering up the corruption in the
Mount Vernon School district on orders from Interim School Superintendent
Judith Johnson and School Board President Len Sarver.
Taxpayers are also on the hook because the law firm of
Ingerman Smith has been recklessly billing taxpayers for fees that are totally unnecessary. To add insult to injury Ingerman, Smith and
Gus Mountanos is refusing to turn over documents in response to F.O.I.L.
requests, a violation of New York State law.
It is standard practice for Ingerman Smith to send a team of 3-4
attorneys to everyboard meeting.
Taxpayers are billed at a rate of close to $300 per hour per
attorney. Board meetings typically last
anywhere from 4-8 hours, 3-4 times per
month.
The reckless billing of Mount Vernon taxpayers by Ingerman
Smith began when they took over the F.O.I.L. process from central office, a
moved that has angered School Board Trustee Brenda Crump. Trustee Crump is a victim to the shenanigans
of Ingerman Smith.
The takeover of the F.O.I.L. process by Ingerman Smith
ensured that the money would continue flowing out of the door and into the
pockets of unscrupulous cronies.
Ingerman Smith would also use legal tactics to refuse to hand over
public documents that shows how taxpayer’s monies are spent.
School Board Trustee Brenda Crump was repeatedly told that
as a sitting Trustee that she could not have direct access to documents. Trustee Crump was told that she had to file a
F.O.I.L. request with the school district for the documents she was
seeking. It would then take months
before Trustee Crump would receive said documents and not before having to
address the board as a member of the public at a public school board
meeting.
Gus Mountanos and Ingerman Smith saw the takeover of the
F.O.I.L. process as an additional revenue stream. There would be additional man-hours needed to
handle the voluminous F.O.I.L. requests.
The additional hours would be billed to taxpayers at a rate of $250.00
per hour.
There were four candidates for superintendent that made the
final cut. Out of those candidates,
board members voted to hire Mr. Robert Wayne Harris as the next Superintendent
of Schools. Gus Mountanos was then
ordered to send out a contract and start the negotiation process. Gus Mountanos started the process out with
bad intentions.
Gus Mountanos offered Robert Wayne Harris $230K for the
job. Interim School Superintendent
Judith Johnson currently rakes in $265K per year. Why would Gus Mountanos offer a new candidate
a much lower salary than what is currently being paid? This is just one of the tampering tactics
that Gus Mountanos used to try to get Robert Wayne Harris from taking the job
in the district.
The status quo, Interim Superintendent Judith Johnson,
School Board President Len Sarver, Mayor Davis and others want Richard Tomko as
the next Superintendent. Having Tomko is
place would ensure that the gravy train would continue to run without any
detours.
Just last month School Board Frances Wynn suffered a stroke
and was hospitalized. Sources have told
Mount Vernon Exposed that Wynn’s family members having been putting pressure on
Wynn to resign citing her health issues.
Wynn is the sister-in-law of Mount Vernon Mayor Ernie Davis.
While Wynn may not becoming back because of her health
issues, Gus and the Ingerman Smith law firm issued an opinion and gave a
directive that it is ok for Trustee Wynn to vote via Skype. How is that for ethics? Trustee Wynn may not
be of sound mind but Gus feels the need to ok her to vote via Skype. The corruption never ends.
Gus admitted to Board members that he “told” Robert Wayne
Harris’ attorney about “Mount Vernon Exposed” and “Samuel L. Rivers”. Just exactly what Gus “told” Mr. Harris’
attorney is unknown, but sources familiar with the investigation told Mount
Vernon Exposed that Gus mentioned that Mr. Harris is going to be written about
on the blogs, so therefore he shouldn’t take the job. This was all done to keep Mr. Harris away and
get Gus’ guy Tomko in the door. Sources
have told Mount Vernon Exposed the Mr. Tomko was seen in recent at central
office walking around with Judith Johnson as she was introducing him as the next
Superintendent of Schools.
Gus has subsequently been removed from all future
negotiations with any Superintendent candidates, however the damage has already
been done. Taxpayers cannot be made
whole until Gus and his law firm Ingerman Smith is prosecuted for the crimes
they committed against the City of Mount Vernon taxpayers.
All of these events could not be possible without a majority
of the Board of Trustee voting in favor.
Trustee Rosemarie Jarosz, who is considered a swing vote on the Board,
appears to be heading in the direction of School Board Trustee Len Sarver and
his corrupt cronies. Trustee Jarosz
admitted publicly that Trustee Sarver called her and tried to get her to change
her vote to approve a position for Renee Davis, daughter of Mayor Ernie
Davis. It was later discovered that
Renee Davis was not even qualified for the position and a subsequent
investigation revealed that Renee Davis has issues with her temper and lost
cost several times in the classroom in front of students.
It is appears that Sarver is up to his old tricks
again. Sarver has been bragging to
members of the public and fellow board members that Trustee Jarosz is in his
pocket and she will vote whatever way he tells her to. It is appears that Trustee Jarosz is rapidly
loosing her creditability as an independent thinker.
To be continued……….
