Manhasset 2022_12_30

Dems, GOPers blast serial liar Santos

Call for probes of congressman-elect

Republican Congressman-elect George Santos has received criticism from officials on both sides of the aisle, including Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, for lying about his personal and professional background along with a challenge from the Democrat he beat in the race for Congress in November.

Blakeman and newly-elected U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Bay Shore) called for the House Ethics Committee to launch an investigation into Santos’ past riddled with discrepancies as outlined by the New York Times last week. Blakeman told Newsday that

the congressman-elect’s record has now come into question.

“I think that he’s entitled to a hearing with the [House] Ethics Committee, and that they should do a thorough investigation to see if he violated any laws or any ethics rules,” Blakeman told Newsday. “I think that we have to let the process unfold, which I think will happen fairly swiftly.”

“New Yorkers deserve the truth and House Republicans deserve an opportunity to govern without this distraction,” LaLota, who will represent the state’s 1st Congressional District, told Newsday.

Hochul signs first Kyra’s Champion bill

The first bill championed by lifelong Manhasset resident Jacqueline Franchetti was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul Friday.

The bill is the first of five that Franchetti has pushed for to reach this point. It requires court-ordered forensic evaluations and visitations be done by a licensed psychologist, social worker or psychiatrist who completed

training from the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, among other things.

“Our judicial system just got one step closer in protecting children from abusive parents. This is the first of many bills that we need to become law,” Franchetti said in a statement. “This law took a tremendous amount of effort — personal time and effort spent. This is why showing up in Albany and sending emails mean so

much.”

Before the bill was signed, child custody evaluators previously had no training on family violence, child abuse and trauma.

The law first appeared on Hochul’s desk on Dec. 12 after unanimously passing the state Senate in June. The bill is sponsored by state Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who was chairman of the Judiciary Committee at the time Franchetti first told

him about her tragedy.

On July 27, 2016, 2-year-old Kyra’s father shot her twice in the back while she was sleeping at his Fairfax, Va., home on an unsupervised, courtsanctioned visit. He then set the house on fire and shot himself to death.

After Kyra was killed, Franchetti founded Kyra’s Champions and the Kyra Franchetti Foundation, whose mission is to protect children in custody cases from being ordered by a

court into the home of an abusive parent.

Franchetti’s advocacy has led to multiple bills, including Kyra’s Law, which would makechild safety the top priority in Family Court, increases judicial training on family violence and eliminates the use of forensic evaluators.

The bill’s signing comes one year after Hochul released a report from

East Side Access won’t open until early 2023

Project will provide LIRR access to Grand Central Station

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that the agency’s East Side Access project will not be opened fully until early 2023 after projecting a start date before the year’s end.

The 700,000-foot terminal to allow for Long Island Rail Road access into Lower Manhattan does not have a specifc opening date in 2023, but the agency has arranged for shuttle trains between the LIRR Jamaica station and Grand Central Madison to run in the interim.

“It isn’t every day that customers get access to a world-class new train terminal, so we wanted to open up the opportunity to see the space weeks in advance of the full-scale new service

going into efect,” LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi said in a statement.

The new terminal will be able to handle increased capacity from the LIRR’s North Shore train stations as a result of continued express service on the Port Washington line and more commuters from the agency’s 3rd Track Project.

After proposing changes to the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Washington branch that would have eliminated express service as part of the East Side Access project, transit ofcials said they abandoned plans to do so in October.

Overall, the branch will receive an 11% boost in service, with more trains becoming available for commuters on the Port Washington Branch, according to the draft schedules following

the agency’s announcement. A total of 103 trains per day will be servicing the branch, 10 more than the current schedule has, ofcials said. On weekends, a total of fve more trains, 81 in total, will be operating along the branch.

The draft morning rush hour schedule includes 15 trains arriving in Manhattan between 6:16 a.m. and 9:51 a.m., a 36% increase from the current 11 that arrive at Penn Station between 6:21 a.m. and 9:34 a.m., according to ofcials.

The branch’s afternoon and evening rush hour schedule will also see a 43% increase in service, including three express trains. A total of 20 trains will leave Manhattan between 4:06 p.m. and 7:43 p.m., six more than the 14 trains that currently provided that service to commuters on

Voters not denied in GCP election: Cooper

Mirabile won commish seat by a

Garden City Park Fire and Water District Commissioner Alan Cooper told Blank Slate Media the district did not deny anyone’s right to vote in the recent commissioner election.

On Dec. 13, Rob Mirabile defeated Joe Wendling by one vote in a race to fll the seat left vacant by Commissioner Kenneth Borchers. The district said a total of 303 votes were cast in the election.

Wendling told Blank Slate Media he was contesting the results and that four people who live in the district were denied their right to vote in a ruling by the commissioners.

The district is currently unaware of any appeal or challenge that was made regarding the election.

Cooper said in a statement the election was conducted by the Nassau County Board of Elections, not the district itself.

“Any potential voters that do not appear on the voter registration list that is given to the water/fre district by the Nassau County Board of Elections, are referred to the Board of Elections for verifcation,” Cooper said.

Cooper, who was elected last year, clarifed that three people, not four, were referred to the county, which declared them ineligible to vote and that the commissioners did not and don’t have the power to deny anyone from voting.

The district covers parts of Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, parts of New Hyde Park, parts of Mineola, parts of North Hills, parts of Roslyn, parts of Williston Park, parts of Albertson and parts of Garden City.

vote

Garden City Park Fire and Water Commissioner Alan Cooper said the district did not deny anyone’s right to vote in the recent election.

Mirabile frst became chief of the Garden City Park Fire Department in 1991 when he joined Hillside Heights Engine Co. 3. Professionally, he works with the Department of Public Safety at Adelphi University, operates the food truck Roscoe’s Roadside serving old-fashioned hot dogs and is a content creator on YouTube for Axle’s Garage.

Professionally, Wendling is a private investigator for the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School District, the same role he held for Herricks over a decade ago.

Roslyn Times: Steven Keehner 516-307-1045 x214 • skeehner@theisland360.com

Williston Times: Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215 • bduffy@theisland360.com

Port Washington Times: Steven Keehner 516-307-1045 x214 • skeehner@theisland360.com

Pironi, Lafazan clash over FTX funds

Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan (D-Woodbury) said in a statement to Blank Slate Media that his campaign never received contributions from a PAC funded by Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, who is charged with wire fraud and money laundering in the cryptocurrency exchange’s multibillion-dollar collapse.

Bankman-Fried, 30, is a former billionaire who was detained in the Bahamas and extradited to the United States after federal prosecutors filed charges following FTX’s implosion in November that revealed an $8 billion hole in its accounts.

Paolo Pironi, a Republican who in 2021 ran against Lafazan for the county’s 18th Legislative District and lost by 220 votes, called on Lafazan to return funds he received from Bankman-Fried.

“I call on Josh Lafazan to return the more than half-million dollars in stolen funds he received from Sam Bankman-Fried during his failed congressional campaign,” Pironi said. “To secure these contributions, Lafazan abused his position in the county Legislature to curry favor by encouraging donors to invest in this ponzischeme,” Pironi said in a Facebook

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post.

FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange Bankman-Fried founded, was established in 2019 and is currently bankrupt after becoming the thirdlargest cryptocurrency exchange by volume at one point.

“From creating a taxpayer funded “cryptocurrency” task force, to writing op-eds, and lobbying elected officials, Lafazan focused on delivering for himself — not his constituents, Prioni said. “It’s time this fraud is held accountable for his actions.”

Lafazan said the funds in question were independent expenditures that did not go to his campaign.

“By its nature as an independent expenditure regulated by federal law, my campaign never received a dollar from this entity,” Lafazan said in a statement to Blank Slate Media. “Because of that, no campaign contributions exist to be returned. Any implication to the contrary is ignorant at best, and at worst, a bald-faced lie designed to deceive the public.”

Independent expenditures are used for communication that expressly advocates for the election or defeat of a candidate. They are not contributions and cannot be made in consultation, cooperation or at the request of a candidate or their committee.

Lafazan was a candidate in the

Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District but eventually lost to Robert Zimmerman.

Bankman-Fried is currently awaiting trial on multiple charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

One of the charges BankmanFried faces is violating campaign finance laws. Federal prosecutors alleged that Bankman-Fried sourced donations from his cryptocurrency hedge fund, Alameda Research, and falsely reported them as coming from other people.

In 2022, Bankman-Fried donated roughly $40 million to mostly Democrat politicians either personally or via political action committees.

Of the $38,837,000 from Bankman-Fried, 99.6% of it went to liberal politicians, according to Open Secrets.

Of the total, $27 million was contributed to the Protect Our Future Pac, which was founded in 2022.

Protect our Future is an “organization designed to help elect candidates who will be champions for

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Man arrested for N. Shore burglaries

A Hempstead man was arrested last week in a string of North Shore burglaries and larcenies, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

Lameek Dean, 38, was the target of a nine-month investigation launched by the detectives, officials said, for allegedly committing crimes in Great Neck, Floral Park and Manhasset since March. Dean is suspected of burglarizing Bob’s One Hour Photo at 405 Plandome Road in Manhasset March 28, Golden Sun Spa at 11 South Middle Neck Road in Great Neck Sept. 17 and Lai Acupuncture at 266 Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park Nov. 7, police said.

Dean was charged with two counts of third-degree burglary, three counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and petit larceny, officials said.

He was scheduled to be arraigned at the First District Court in Hempstead Dec. 20, but efforts to reach officials for further comment were unavailing.

1 in 5 Long Islanders are poor: Study

Poverty on Long Island should be defned as twice the federal government’s standard, based on $55,500 for a family of four, which means about 20% of Long Islanders are in fact poor, a new study says.

The Sufolk County Legislator’s Welfare to Work Commission published “Still Struggling in Suburbia: The Unmet Challenges of Poverty in Sufolk County” on Dec. 8. The report says federal poverty standards misrepresent the economic situation for Nassau and Sufolk County residents.

“Using the woefully inadequate 2022 Federal Poverty Level defnition of poverty ($27,750 for a family of four), only about 6% of Long Islanders are poor,” the report says. “But due to our high cost-of-living, exacerbated in 2022 by the 8.5% infation rate, the true defnition of poverty on Long Island should be twice the federal government’s defnition, or $55,500 for a family of four, in which case about 20% of Long Islanders are poor.”

The report is based on public hearings and focus groups held from May to November 2022. Itdescribes itself as being framed around strong American historical and cultural prejudices toward the poor.

It cites several structural factors for causing poverty on Long Island. These include a lack of afordable housing, health care disparities, underfunded child care and racially divided suburbs.

“Another structural cause of poverty are racially and class segregated housing patterns that have made Long Island one of the 10 most racially segregated suburbs in the nation,” the report says. “This segregation creates substantially underfunded schools with major discrepancies in services such as lower paid teachers or a lack of guidance counselors, thereby tracking many lowincome children – particularly Blacks and Hispanics – into lives of poverty.”

Paule Pachter, president and CEO of Long Island Cares, said that the Emergency Food Assistance Network serves 250,000 Long Islanders in his testimony. He noted that of these people, 79,000 are children who need emergency food aid through the network or their local school district’s

free or reduced-price lunch program.

“As of September 2021, both Long Island Cares and Island Harvest together provided 13,612,453 meals to Sufolk County residents,” he said. “These meals equate to the food banks’ providing 104% of the total meals required to feed the hungry in Sufolk. In comparison, during the

same period, both food banks provided 119% of the total emergency food required in Nassau County.”

Furthermore, 75,000 of the 250,000 work two to three jobs to meet the cost of living.

Census data reveals the median household income in Nassau County was $126,576 from 2017 to 2021.

During this time, the per capita income was $55,763.

(The median household income is the point at which half of all households earn more and half earn less. Total personal income divided by total population equals per capita income.)

It also says that 6.1% of Nassau

residents are in poverty, which is below the national average of 11.6%.

Over a ffth (20.8%) of Nassau residents faced “severe housing problems” in 2021, according to Data USA. This declined by 1.45% from 2014 to 2021.

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Blakeman announces contract with union

County, police benevolent association commit to 8 1/2-year agreement with increased pay

Nassau County and the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association agreed to a tentative 8-1/2- year contract last week, according to a Newsday report.

Efforts to reach the association or county officials for confirmation and further details on the report were unavailing.

The contract, officials told Newsday, would run retroactively from Jan. 1, 2018 until July 1, 2026 and increase the top base pay for officers from $122,000 to $141,000. The starting pay for new officers would also be increased from $35,000 to $37,333, according to the report. Officials did not disclose what the overall cost of the contract would be, but told Newsday that the tentative agreement “follows a template similar” to other contracts between the county and various unions.

The proposed contract would need to be ratified by the association before being sent to the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state board in charge of overseeing the county’s finances, and then the Nassau County Legislature.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman described the negotiations between the two parties as “exhaustive,” but expressed his pleasure with the agreement.

“I believe this agreement keeps our police department at the highest levels of salary in the nation but at the same time has provisions that enhance the safety of our communities and guards the taxpayers money,” Blakeman told Newsday.

The county failed to come to an agreement with the 1,800-member union

during the tenure of Democratic County Executive Laura Curran. Contract proposals of the same length were submitted and provided officers with a 25 percent raise over the eight-and-a-half years.

Annual stipends of $3,000 for officers wearing body cameras was agreed on by the county and the union, which officials said costs taxpayers $8 million each year.

The county selected Ronkonkoma-based Island Tech Services to provide the camera technology and handle training and technical support for the officers.

Body cameras were one of several measures included in a 424-page plan to reform Nassau County’s policing that Curran released in February 2021.

The plan, which the county Legisla-

nearly 7,400 major crimes this year, a 38% increase from 2021, according to an analysis of statistics conducted by Blank Slate Media.

The county’s police department reported 5,230 major crimes as of Oct. 10 this year, which surpassed last year’s total of 4,015. The list of major crimes includes murder, rape, criminal sexual acts, sexual abuse, grand larceny, commercial robberies, other robberies, assault felonies, residential burglaries, other burglaries and stolen vehicles.

The 2021 year-end major crime statistics were obtained by Blank Slate Media under a Freedom of Information Law request submitted to the Nassau County Police Department. The 2022 major crime statistics on the department websites were the most up-to-date figures published as of Friday.

larceny incidents in 2022, a 38% increase from 2021.

Residential and “other burglaries” combined to surpass 2021’s year-end total of 506 at 643 for 2022.

Blakeman, who has been outspoken in his displeasure with the state’s reformed bail laws since he launched his campaign for county executive last year, said there is a “state of lawlessness” throughout New York and it has resulted in repeat offenders coming back to Nassau County to commit crimes.

“We have to get serious about changing the laws so that we don’t give criminals more rights than victims,” Blakeman said. “Unfortunately, that’s the way it is now. We’ve got people committing crime after crime and judges are not given the discretion whether or not to hold these people and I think it’s a huge mistake.”

ture approved 16-3 in March, was submitted in accordance with an executive order that Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed in June 2020 requiring police agencies to devise plans to “reinvent and modernize police strategies” after Minneapolis cops killed George Floyd.

Nassau County spends $1,148 per capita on police and fire protection while the national median is $359, according to U.S. News & World Report finding that named Nassau County the safest community in America in 2020 and 2021. Public safety professionals account for 1.26% of the county’s population, compared with the national median of 0.70%.

Despite the recognition and reported pay raises, the county is on pace to report

Nassau has reported six murders, nine sexual abuse incidents, two criminal sexual acts and seven rapes so far this year. By comparison a total of 10 murders, 11 sexual abuse attacks, 10 criminal sexual acts and 19 rapes were reported in 2021, according to the statistics.

The violent crime categories of murders, rapes, criminal sexual acts and sexual abuse were the only four categories with decreased reports in 2022. Murders decreased by 14%, rape decreased by 59%, criminal sexual acts decreased by 75% and sexual abuse instances decreased by 18%.

The largest increase in major crimes was an 87% rise in stolen vehicles, with 796 reported so far this year. Commercial robberies also increased by more than 51% this year, with 165 reported as of Oct. 10. Police reported 3,354 grand

New York implemented bail reform laws in January 2020, with modifications passed in April of that year and the spring of 2022. The laws eliminated bail for misdemeanor and non-violent felony charges.

State officials said the modified laws eliminated pretrial detention and optional cash bail in an estimated 90 percent of cases.

While judges throughout New York have the option to set bail in almost any case involving a violent felony, they may also release individuals in almost all other cases on their own recognizance or enact certain terms to make sure they ultimately return to court.

What judges cannot do, under the new bail reform laws, is to consider an individual’s “dangerousness” when setting those terms.

Funds coming to N. Shore orgs

Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) was scheduled to announce nearly $14 million in funding for multiple North Shore and New York City-based groups on Wednesday ahead of his departure as New York’s 3rd congressional representative.

Suozzi was scheduled to make the announcements at the Roslyn Grist Mill from 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., followed by the Sid Jacobson JCC from 11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.

The groups getting funds vary from government agencies to nonprofit organizations. Some North Hempsted-based organizations, such as the Great Neck Senior Center ($464,500) and the Roslyn Grist Mill Rehabilitation ($500,000), will be amongst the beneficiaries.

Other recipients include the Center for Women in New York ($1,000,000); India Home Colon Cancer ($500,000); Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ($2,000,000); LGBT Network ($500,000); Northport flooding ($1,392,000); Asharoken flood abatement ($1,000,000); Garvies Point ($294,300); Services Now for Adult Persons, Queens ($750,000); YMCA Huntington ($250,000); Met Council ($750,000); City of Glen Cove Duck Pond Road Aeration Station ($3,452,972); New York City Office of Emergency Management ($926,813); and LIU “Exploring Presidential Stories” ($149,500).

Suozzi is coming off a failed gubernatorial primary campaign in which he lost to Gov. Kathy Hochul in late June. He also did not run to keep his congressional seat, which he has held since 2017.

$10k grant for Girls Rising

Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) is proud to announce that the full Legislature voted unanimously on Dec. 19 to provide final approval for a $10,000 Hotel-Motel Occupancy Fund grant for Girls Rising, a Sea Cliff-based not-for-profit founded by the members of the all-female rock group Antigone Rising.

Those funds will be dedicated toward advancing the mission of Antigone Rising’s Girls Rising Foundation, which seeks to empower and inspire girls and LGBTQ+ youth to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated fields.

Girls Rising partners with school districts and youth centers to provide strong role models for

youth and create innovative programs that inspire youth through live performances, presentations and workshops. The Girls Rising Music Festival, which is held annually in Glen Cove’s Morgan Park, is a cornerstone of the organization’s outreach efforts.

“I have known the members of Antigone Rising for almost my entire life and it has been wonderful to watch their careers thrive and the scope of their philanthropy blossom,” Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton said. “I thank Parks commissioner Darcy Belyea for working with us to amplify the Girls Rising Foundation’s efforts to continue delivering resources that help young girls thrive and fearlessly pursue their dreams.”

Drucker, Sid Jacobson JCC ‘Shine a Light on Hunger’

Nassau County Legislator Arnold W. Drucker (D — Plainview) joined with his colleagues in government and leaders of the Sid Jacboson JCC on Thursday, Dec. 15 to “Shine a Light on Hunger” and spotlight young leaders in the fight to end food insecurity.

The event is an outgrowth of the Sid Jabocson JCC’s advocacy on this issue — one that impacts more than 41 million people in the United States. In partnership with Island Harvest, the Sid Jacobson JCC’s Community Needs Bank serves a collection site and distribution center of non-perishable and perishable foods, personal care items, and household items for individuals and small local food pantries in Nassau County.

The facility is also a dedicated vocational training site for young adults with special needs.

“At a time when every Nassau County resident is grappling with increasing expenses, the Sid Jacobson JCC’s commitment to fighting hunger is more important than ever, and it is heartwarming to see that they are instilling the importance of this mission in our next generation of leaders,” Drucker said. “Congratulations to all of the young ‘Ray of Light’ honorees, each of whom has made our community stronger and more compassionate through their hard work!”

George Santos should resign. Now

Congressman-elect George Santos should resign.

Not on Jan. 3, when the new Congress is sworn in and he can cast a vote to help determine the next speaker of the House of Representatives.

Not later this week as more instances inevitably surface of how he lied about his professional background, educational history and property ownership in defeating Democrat Robert Zimmerman to represent the 3rd Congressional District in November.

No, Santos should resign immediately.

Before voters in northern Nassau County and northeast Queens can be further embarrassed by the fraud he committed in winning a seat in the House.

How do we know that Santos lied repeatedly over the course of two congressional campaigns?

He admitted he lied, but insisted on calling it something else.

“My sins here are embellishing my résumé,” Mr. Santos told The New York Postin one of several interviews he gave on Monday.

Embellished? The word is lied. Over and over.

Santos told interviewers Monday he lied about working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. He lied about graduating from Baruch College and New York University.

“I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume,” he said. “I own up to that … We do stupid things in life.”

He lied about forming Friends of Pets United, an animal rescue group as a tax-exempt organization.

He lied in saying he had a familyowned real estate portfolio of 13 properties. He also lied that he owned “a mansion” on Tiffany Lane in Oyster Bay Cove and “a mansion” on Dune Road in the Hamptons,

He lied in claiming he lost four employees at the Pulse nightclub shooting

in 2016. He said Monday the four people were not yet employees but instead were in the process of being hired.

He lied that he was an “American Jew,” while also saying he was religiously a Catholic. But he said, he considered himself “Jew-ish.”

Santos, who ran for the House as the first openly gay Republican, also acknowledged a years-long marriage he had never disclosed.

“I dated women in the past. I married a woman. It’s personal stuff,” he said to The Post, adding that he was “OK with my sexuality. People change.”

Then, again, perhaps the marriage was a sham.

Santos also acknowledged that a string of financial difficulties had left him owing thousands to landlords and creditors that resulted in his being evicted twice.

Perhaps even more concerning than the lies Santos has admitted are questions still unanswered about his finances.

Santos reported an income of $55,000 in his unsuccessful 2020 race for Congress against Tom Suozzi.

But in 2022, he claimed a $750,000 salary and over $1 million in dividends from his “family firm,” the Devolder Organization, in financial disclosure forms. He said earned the salary and dividends by managing $80 million in assets at Devolder.

He did lend his campaign more than $700,000 during the midterm election and donated thousands of dollars to other candidates in the last two years, according to campaign finance forms.

But his 2022 congressional financial disclosure did not reveal any of the Devolder organization’s clients. That is an omission that could be a violation of election law. It also raises questions of just who his clients were. If there are any.

The Devolder organization was formed after the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Harbor City Capital, Santos’ alleged most re-

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cent employer, of operating a $6 million Ponzi scheme.

Santos was named Harbor City’s New York regional director in June 2020 but was not named in the complaint filed by the SEC in April 2021.

Data obtained by Blank Slate Media from the Federal Election Commission reveals that in 2022 the Republican received nearly $30,000 in campaign donations from Andrew Intrater, the cousin of Russian oligarch Viktor Vekslberg, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The oligarch’s $90 million, 255foot yacht was seized by the Spanish government in April at the order of the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice said the yacht “was subject to forfeiture based on violations of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering, and sanction statutes.”

Is there a connection between the campaign donation and the Devolder organization’s sudden good fortune — if that is even true?

According to Florida business records, Santos was also a manager of

REPORTERS

a political consulting firm called Red StrategiesUSA, a Florida-based company set up in the weeks after the SEC exposed the alleged Ponzi scam at Harbor City.

Two other Harbor City alumni were listed as authorized managers of Red Strategies, which worked on the QAnon-friendly campaign of Tina Forte, a Republican who unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez (D-N.Y.) in the recent election.

Forte’s campaign paid Red Strategies USA $110,000 between June 2021 and December 2021 for “digital consulting and fund-raising,” according to campaign finance records.

Santos Monday also denied committing a crime anywhere in the world, even though The Times had uncovered Brazilian court records showing that Santos had been charged with fraud as a young man after he was caught writing checks with a stolen checkbook.

State Attorney General Letitia James said she has started her own investigation into Santos following the publication of a blockbuster New York

Times story detailing many of his campaign falsehoods.

Calls have also come from many, including Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan that the federal government should launch an investigation.

We suggest they look for possible campaign finance fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing false statements to the FEC.

Decency, respect for the public and good governance would call for Santos to resign before he further damages the trust of the 3rd Congressional District.

But Santos said he had no intention of stepping down, dismissing concerns that his lies will impact his effectiveness in representing New Yorkers in the lower chamber in the new year.

“I campaigned talking about the people’s concerns, not my resume,” Santos told The Post.

“I intend to deliver on the promises I made during the campaign — fighting crime, fighting to lower inflation, improving education,” he added, saying that “the people elected me to fight for them.”

Robert Pelaez, Brandon Duffy, Steven Keehner COLUMNIST Karen Rubin

BACK ROAD

The fight for a more perfect union

In her 2021 book “Strongmen,” historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat explores the nature of authoritarian figures in world history and how to oppose them.

“A strongman’s drive is singular, to control and exploit everyone and everything for personal gain,” Ben-Ghiat writes. Though strongmen publicly profess reverence for the rule of law, they encourage lawlessness and violence to achieve their ends.

Sound familiar?

If you will recall, on June 1, 2020, just six months in advance of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, a disturbing scene unfolded outside of St. John’s Episcopal Church at Lafayette Square in Washington D.C.

Horses, riot shields, batons, pepper spray, rubber bullets and tear gas were employed to clear the area of demonstrators peacefully protesting against racial injustice.

Upon his arrival at the Ashburton House, the church’s parish house, the ex-president held up a bible in his right hand in a masquerade of nobility and virtue, neither of which he actually possesses.

Was such an extensive show of

force necessary for a presidential photo op?

Two days later, former Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis could no longer contain himself, stating that “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.”

“We are witnessing three years of this deliberate effort,” Mattis continued, “the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society.”

Can we?

While it was a promising sign that we can unite, America didn’t suddenly turn all warm and fuzzy after the 2022 midterms, when predictions of a big red wave turned out to be little more than a pale trickle of vermillion orange.

Glimmers of light led a number of fence-sitters to blink and think and rethink as they entered the voting booth. An undeniable shift occurred at the ballot box, that hallowed place in our civil society where conscience, privacy, faith and hope meet up every few years to confer with one another, step up and do

ANDREW MALEKOFF The Back Road

the right thing.

“At the heart of the strongman rule,” Ben-Ghiat emphasizes, “is the claim that he and his agents are above the law, above judgment and not beholden to the truth.” Even so, she continues, if public perception changes, the authoritarian’s “aura of specialness” can leave him without any legitimacy.

Is public perception of the former president’s “aura of specialness” changing? Has the fever broken?

“I’d like to say that the fever is broken, but that seems premature,” wrote journalist Nicholas Kristoff in his Dec. 10 piece in the New York Times. “We can’t confidently heal America’s body politic unless we do a better job treating our nation’s broader social and economic dysfunction,” he added.

This must be reckoned with for Americans to unite.

On Jan. 6, 2021, after viewing more than three hours of televised mayhem at the Capitol Building from his perch in the White House, Trump finally told the thousands of supporters that bought into his election fraud fantasy to go home. His sendoff message: “We love you — you’re very special.”

Perhaps, on some level, he was tapping into the emptiness, social isolation and depression that a growing segment of the American people have come to feel about their own place in the country.

What Trump’s criminally-belated dismissal on January 6 signaled to those that are loyal to him, though, is hardly true love; rather co-dependency by desperate people caught up in irrational belief systems and mob mentality, absent critical dissent.

Stephanie Grisham, former White House press secretary, recalled that the ex-president was so enthralled with the graphically violent TV images broadcast from the Capitol Building, that he carried on rapturously — “Look at all those people fighting for me.”

That was his dominant sentiment as his deranged minions laid waste to the Capitol Building — trespassing, vandalizing, defecating, rifling through documents, bludgeoning and bearspraying police, constructing gallows, and chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” and “Nancy!” “Nancy!” “Nancy!”

Love was in the air!

In Alexandra Pelosi’s documentary film “Pelosi in the House,” former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi shared the following story that she recalled being posted on a hospital building in Africa:

“When I die one day and happily go to my maker; when I go before him, he will say: ‘Show me your wounds.’ And, if I have no wounds to show him, he will say: ‘Was nothing worth fighting for?’ ”

Will our nation unite?

Only if we believe it is worth fighting for.

ON THE RIGHT

2022’s top national political losers

As 2022 draws to a close, here’s my list of this year’s biggest political losers on the national scene.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The congresswoman, who is under a congressional ethics violation investigation, talks a lot and accomplishes little.New York Times columnist, David Brooks, recently wrote, with tongue in cheek, that AOC “became a major political figure thanks to her important contribution in Instagram.”

The avowed socialist has, time and again, advertised her ignorance of the structure and workings of the U.S. government. On one occasion she said, “we have three chambers of government, the presidency, the Senate and the House.”

When called on her misstatements, the self-righteous AOC said it didn’t matter because she is “morally right,” even if her facts are not.

Upset by the losses of New York Democratic Congressional candidates this fall, AOC complained that her party in New York is “not a small ‘D’ democratic structure” and condemned the “idea of pure moderate politics.”

Reacting, Democratic representative

Sean Maloney said this about AOC: “I didn’t see her one minute of these midterms helping our House majority. So, I’m not sure what kind of advice she has, but I’m sure she’ll be generous with it.”

He also said, “When it comes to passing our agenda through the Congress or standing our ground on the political battlefield, she was nowhere to be found.”

Sen. Rick Scott: The junior senator from Florida is another rich guy who believes his wealth entitles him to hold public office.

In 2018, Scott spent 83 million dollars to win a US senate seat by only 10,000 votes out of 4.2 million cast.

Like other millionaires in the Senate, Scott is known to be aloof and politically dense.

As chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee this year, Scott was a flop. His policy program that called for new taxes and the sun setting of Social Security and Medicare drove voters to support Democrats.

Challenging Sen. Mitch McConnell for the leadership post was just plain dumb. McConnell, like predecessors Henry Clay, Lyndon Johnson and Bob

J. MARLIN On The Right

Dole, is a “Master of the Senate.” He understands what it takes to manage the Senate rules and customs to promote legislation and to check Democratic opposition.

The tin-eared Scott does not possess the know-how to be a senate leader and his colleagues were wise to reject his bid to topple McConnell.

Beto O’Rourke: After losing to Sen. Cruz in 2018, and failing miserably as a

LETTERS POLICY

presidential candidate in 2020, this darling of the leftist media went down again in 2022. Texas Gov. Abbott handily beat him by 10 points.

Robert Francis O’Rourke, a child of privilege, has a Messianic belief he is destined to be a national leader.

For example, O’Rourke told Vanity Fair in 2020, “I’m just born to be in it.” He went on to claim he never prepared a speech “because every word was pulled out of me. Like, by some greater force, which was just the people there. Everything I said, I was, like, watching myself, being like, how am I saying this stuff? Where is this coming from?”

Fortunately, voters had the good sense to reject O’Rourke’s “mystical experiences” at the ballot box.

The Texas journalist, Daniel Kalder, summed up O’Rourke thusly: “He has spent many years failing upwards…. [T] he guy isn’t that deep [h]e is incapable of engaging in effective action. At age 50, the superfluous man of Texas politics is going to have to find something else to do with his life.”

Stacey Abrams: For four years Abrams was an election denier. She refused to concede that she lost the

Georgia governor’s race to Republican Brian Kemp by 50,000 votes. “Concession,” she said “means to acknowledge an action is right, true, or proper. As a woman of conscience and faith I cannot concede.”

In the rematch this year, the far-left Abrams lost big time—by 10 points— and finally conceded to Kemp.

During the campaign, Abrams made a ludicrous proposal to fight inflation: more abortions.

She explained on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, that “having children is why you’re worried about your price for gas. It’s why your concerned about how much food costs…. You can’t divorce being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy from the economic realities of having a child…. We don’t have the luxury of reducing it or separating them out…. But let’s not pretend that women—half the population—especially those of childbearing age, they understand that having a child is absolutely an economic issue. It is only politicians who see it as simply another cultural conversation.”

It is time for Stacey Abrams, to go back to doing what she is best at, writing paperback romance novels.

Masks rather than stockings on the mantle

As the year ends, it is customary to attempt a year-end review. The year 2022 can be characterized as the year of ‘The New Normal’ which includes the wearing of masks, booster vaccinations, labor shortages, supply chain nightmares, inflation, weather destabilization and a general feeling of fear and exhaustion.

This is a grim picture indeed and has most of the population reeling. That’s why this holiday season is more crucial than ever. The popular Christmas poem “Twas the night before Christmas,” begins with the lines “Twas the night before Christmas, and all thro the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”

This poem was written over two hundred years ago and contains the simple magic of Santa Claus who spends his Christmas Eve dispensing gifts to all the children of the world.

The holiday asks us to slow down, feel some magic and enjoy the feeling of giving.

Gift-giving is so pervasive this time of year that I was told “No charge sir” when I was in Staples having a photograph developed for Christmas day.

What a nice surprise that was. We have all grown so accustomed to answering “No” to those annoying and manipulative donation requests every time you make a purchase that this gift of “No charge sir’ from the clerk in Staples nearly floored me.

One of my patients said that gifts are potent because they’re memorable. And I agreed with him. When I think of my childhood some of my most vivid memories involve gifts. I recall getting a pro football from my godfather on Christmas, checks from my aunt and how my father’s friend George Gray would say to me “Hey T-bone, come over here” and he would then slip me a few bucks.

Of course, conversely when you are given a cheap gift you will recall that as well. One of my uncles would only give me a candy bar for Christmas and that left me wondering what was wrong with him.

The art of generosity and gift-giving is something you learn from your parents I suspect. I recall how my fa-

ther would always stop at the bakery before we got the golf club on weekends.

He would buy two dozen donuts, bring them to the grill room when we got to the course and people would feast on them. Years later it was no surprise to me when I found myself stopping at a bakery before I got to a conference and then putting the donuts on the conference table for all the scholars to feast on.

Academics like donuts just as much as golfers do. It sets a nice tone.

An essential part of business is learning the art of gift-giving. It’s so easy to do and it leaves a very good

EARTH MATTERS

impression. One of the most successful patients I ever treated would do the following.

When he learned that one of his clients was having a child he would find out if it was going to be a boy or a girl and what the name would be. He would then call up his grandmother and ask her to knit a blue or pink baby blanket with the child’s initials sewn into the garment. Do you think that made an impression?

Of course, you don’t have to be that elaborate to show caring and to make a good impression in business. Just remembering someone’s birthday is enough to set you apart from 99 % of your competitors.

Each Christmas I make the rounds of the shop keepers in town and drop off candy or cookies or some other kind of goodie. I am certain they love it. Everyone likes gifts. It’s an easy and fun way to spread a little love around.

The year of The New Normal is harrowing and even somewhat depressing. One wonders if America is nearing the end of the line and that we have not figured out how to live, to enjoy life and to find meaning. Perhaps it’s time to go back to the future and embrace familiar traditions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Easter.

These lovely traditions are our human foundation which allows time to rest, celebrate and feel a little magic.

We are engaged in a battle between “The Old Ways” versus “The New Normal.”

The old ways are Bing Crosby singing “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” and this new normal is some computer voice reciting a poem “I’m Dreaming of Covid.” The first lines would go like this: “Twas the night before Christmas, and all thro the sinuses, Not a germ was a stirring, not even some viruses. The masks were hung by the chimney in fear, In the hopes that a doctor soon would appear.”

Alas, 2022 was a challenging year but the human spirit is strong and patient and clever and resilient and things always seem to work out in the end. You may recall what Henslowe said about the theatre in the film “Shakespeare in Love.”

He was about to be tortured by the irate theatre producer Fennyman and explained “Our natural condition is one of the insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.” Fennyman then asks “So what do we do?” to which he answers “Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.” “How?” he is asked, and Henslowe says “I don’t know. It’s a mystery.”

2023 resolutions for you and the planet

Many of us make a list of resolutions as the new year rings in—a tradition that actually dates back 4,000 years to the ancient Babylonians! Most popular on our lists today are personal health goals, such as losing weight, getting more exercise, joining a yoga class, learning to meditate, quitting smoking, drinking less, eating more vegetables, etc. All good ideas.

But list makers beware! An online 2019 survey of more than a million people came up with Jan. 19 as “Quitters Day,” the day most people default on their resolutions. Why? Some of the most common reasons were too many resolutions, lack of commitment and busy schedules. I can relate as I have always been accused of biting off more than I should.

Despite this disappointing statistic, it is still a positive thing to strive for better health, and maybe just focusing on one resolution would be easier to keep. I have some ideas to share, ones that “kill two birds with one stone,” an idiom frequently used in the environmental health world to call attention to the interconnectedness between the planet’s health and ours.

Clean air, clean water and a clean food supply are essential for our personal health, and yet not a day goes by when we don’t hear about the deterioration of these precious natural resources. No doubt, much of the harm

is caused by industry’s smoke stacks and wastewater, but individuals play a significant role in polluting our environment by just purchasing and using everyday products. For instance, consider the potential harm to our air and water and to our personal health from something as mundane as doing the laundry.

Let’s start with the laundry detergent that you buy in the grocery store. Most people today purchase liquid laundry detergents that contain multiple chemical ingredients to clean, remove stains, brighten colors and add artificial fragrances. In addition to these intentionally added chemicals, you may also find 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen that is emerging as a major threat to public water supplies.

It’s a chemical that is actually created during the manufacturing process to make cheap detergents less harsh, and getting it out of our water has turned out to be a very difficult and expensive process. Other ubiquitous chemicals in liquid laundry detergents have been identified as asthmagens, neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors, posing a threat to both people and wildlife.

And that’s not the whole story. Manufacturers of the fragrances used in laundry products are not required to disclose their “trade secret” chemical formulations, but much research

has been done in this area as they contaminate both water and air. An analysis of the captured air from dryer vents found more than 25 volatile organic compounds, including seven hazardous air pollutants.

Two of the chemicals, benzene and adetaldehyde, are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as carcinogens, for which the agency says there are no safe exposure levels. Repeat. There are no safe exposure levels for just two of the chemicals we know are used in artificial fragrances that are venting from millions of clothes dryers into our surrounding air. Researchers see this as a particularly problematic source of pollution because emissions

from dryer vents are unregulated and unmonitored, unlike those coming out of smokestacks or tail pipes.

And what we wash is as important as what we use to wash it. For instance, a lot of our clothing is made from synthetic (or plastic) fabrics. Fleeces, while soft and warm, are the most problematic. When these items are washed, millions of plastic fibers end up going down the drain and out into the world. Wastewater treatment plants don’t capture these nanoplastics and microplastics which are now commonly found in most aquatic plants and animals. As smaller fish are consumed by larger fish, they rise up the food chain until they end up on your plate in a fancy restaurant. Dryer vents are also releasing these microscopic plastic fibers into the air, so think about this the next time you toss a fleece jacket into the laundry basket.

If this is compelling enough for you to think twice about how you do the laundry, you could make it your one resolution for 2023. Here it is:

1. Choose unscented powdered laundry detergent or a liquid detergent that you have vetted carefully.

2. Don’t use dryer sheets. One cup of white vinegar added to the washing machine makes clothes soft, or purchase reusable wool dryer balls for the same result.

3. Find a product that uses only natural essential oils if you want to

scent your laundry.

4. Final Note: When kids grow out of their clothes or you want to replace some older items, choose natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, wool, silk, bamboo, and hemp over plastic synthetics.

There are other resolutions that don’t require a lot of personal sacrifice, but do require you to change your habits or routine. I know that brand loyalty is passed down from generation to generation, but if you can protect your family and the natural resources we depend on by making a switch, why not just do it! My laundry list (no pun intended) of other simple one-off resolutions to protect your health and the environment are:• Filter your water at home, fill reusable bottles and stop buying water in plastic bottles.• Avoid buying food in “single use” plastic packaging.• Don’t take the BPA-coated receipt from stores and gas stations unless necessary.• Look up sources of PFAS in cook wear, clothing and food containers and AVOID.• Find an organic landscaper who doesn’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

And lastly, don’t ever feel that your actions are too insignificant to make a difference…collective actions add up! Author Alice Walker said, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

Happy New Year!

Who owns Santos? That is the question

The most burning question arising from the scandals swirling about Republican Congressmanelect George Santos isn’t who Santos is, but who owns Santos.

More serious than the apparent fact that Santos was a customer service agent rather than a financier with Citibank and Goldman Sachs, and by the time he launched his first run for the House, in November 2019, was earning $55,000 in salary working at a company called LinkBridge Investors, or that instead of his family company owning three mansions and a collection of properties, he faced two evictions and multiple suits for nonpayment, is how the man managed to go from that to having $700,000 to “loan” his own campaign for U.S. Congress.

In Santos’ telling, he was the living example of the “American Dream” he wanted to “restore,” rather than living in luxury on shady deals and campaign funds.

The New York Times reports that after LinkBridge, he went to Harbor City Capital, a Florida-based investment company, which was in short order accused by the SEC of being a Ponzi scheme; then, his company, Devolder, partnered with Harbor City Capitol investors to form Red Strategies USA to do political consulting for the candidate opposing Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez before being dissolved in September, failing to file an annual report, according to the New York Times’ expose.

In the disclosure filed with the House of Representatives, Santos claimed to be Devolder Organization’s sole owner and managing member, which paid him $750,000 salary and dividends between

$1 million and $5 million. Devolder was dissolved for failing to file an annual report, the Times reported.Equally serious to his source of income is the source of his campaign money. It has been reported that he received nearly $30,000 from Andrew Intrater, the cousin of Russian oligarch Viktor Vekslberg, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But where does the rest of that $750,000 “salary” actually come from?Why is this so significant? Because in addition to supporting the Jan. 6 coup, Santos has expressed sympathy for Russia and would be part of the proPutin Sedition Caucus in Congress that intends to withhold further funding for Ukraine’s war for democracy and independence from Russian tyranny. (And yet, he stood side-by-side with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman as Blakeman bestowed a citation on Ukraine’s Consul General.)

Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand, who pushed Democrat Minnesota U.S. Sen. Al Franken to resign over a prank photo when he was a comedian, years before he was elected, said that once Santos takes office, the only thing 3rd District constituents can do is to vote Santos out in two years.

Two years! Santos has already proved to be a reliable seditionist –boasting that he was at the Eclipse on Jan. 6 and contributing into the insurrectionists’ legal fund.

That alone should disqualify him to take the oath of office to “preserve and protect the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic.”

But there are a series of actual federal crimes he is credibly accused of, that would disqualify him, as outlined in a letter Nassau County Legislator Josh

Lazafan presented to the U.S. Attorney, Eastern District, New York calling for an investigation: voter fraud due to falsely listed residency; potential conspiracy to defraud the US arising from campaign donations connected with Russian oligarchs; lies on his FEC candidate financial disclosures, and questionable use of campaign funds for lavish travel and personal use.

“This is not about harmless embellishments, but federal crimes,” Lafazan said.

“In addition to Mr. Santos’ fully concocted resume, his unearthed criminal record abroad, his growing trail of misleading home addresses, his political and financial ties to Russian oligarchy, his undisclosed and otherwise inexplicable origin of wealth that helped selffinance two campaigns, along with his presence as a protester on Jan. 6, bear warning signs of a potential national security risk,” asserted Brad Schwartz, a 3rd district constituent and a doctorate candidate of international affairs at the

MY TURN

Johns Hopkins School of international studies who studies disinformation.

“Unfortunately, in the current House environment, the ambition to secure every last vote for the GOP speakership and upcoming majority appears to be keeping George Santos insulated even at the expense our best national and security interests. We now find ourselves at a dangerous juncture if partisan and personal politicking is permitted to supercede what is an ethically unambiguous step. No one from either party believes Mr. Santos is qualified to serve in Congress, where his mere presence will further dilute the institution’s prestige and integrity to say nothing further of the security danger it may pose George Santos is a detriment to our democracy. There is no reasonable, legitimate excuse to allow him near the Capitol he tried to subvert in 2021 — let alone seat him there as an exposed criminal, con artist and potential national security threat,” Schwartz stated at a press conference organized by Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan.

You would think that the Republicans would themselves act to remove this blight on their brand (“law and order” is so 1990s).

But it has become a new pattern: instead of public servants, Republicans enlist pirates and profiteers. And their fawning over Putin? It’s because Russia has proved such an efficient and generous promoter of disinformation, and propaganda, sowing the seeds of chaos and distrust in the foundation of our democracy, a free and fair election, the pinnacle of success being the installation of Trump in the White House.

The Republican Party is no longer a political party but a crime syndicate.

Santos is the culmination of failing to hold the Ultimate Conman accountable. Trump has proved a role model for grifting, money laundering, tax evasion, bribery and extortion, who sees political office as a sanctuary against prosecution, while (in Trump’s case) having the power to pardon those who commit crimes on his behalf.

Indeed, while constituents who feel cheated by the scam are absurdly blaming candidate Robert Zimmerman and the Democrats for failing to do sufficient opposition research, and the New York Times and Newsday for failing to expose this charlatan before the election (the Times reporter said the expose arose in the course of preparing a profile of the first openly Gay Republican Congressman), it is the Nassau County and the National Republican committees who are to blame for failing to vet the candidate they put forward. And if Santos is indicted for conspiracy to defraud the US, the Republican committees are coconspirators.

Lafazan is proposing the county legislature adopt a Campaign Honesty Bill, “a first-of-its-kind piece of legislation here on Long Island to make sure that candidates do not commit voter fraud and are honest with the people they want to serve We have to take action to restore people’s trust in their elected officials.”

Most urgently, Santos cannot be allowed to take the oath of office. What is an oath to this man? And what kind of representation can the 3rd district expect from a man who hides from the public, refuses to give a true accounting of his past, and has demonstrated a willingness to be a pawn of those who fund him.

Disagreeing without being disagreeable

Why are our disagreements so disagreeable? Why does it seem so difficult to find common ground? Why can’t we see that our similarities are greater than our differences? Don’t we all start each day seeking good health, economic security, and continued growth as human beings for our family, neighbors, and community members?

And don’t we agree that we have these opportunities because we live in a nation based on the rule of law and a Constitutional order that not only guarantees certain rights but also contains the means by which we, the people, can create a more perfect union?

Because I believe in this nation and these principles, I am increasingly concerned by efforts to substitute political for expert judgments in public health, to ban celebrated and historic books because of the ideas expressed, and to deny historical facts like slav-

ery and the Holocaust because they run counter to a preferred narrative. What can we do to create more robust but civil discussions about policies, ideas, and history?

The youth development organization, Global Kids, Inc., uses one approach and may show the way. Founded in 1989 and based in New York City and Washington, D.C., GK serves students in some of the most underresourced public schools. It teaches leadership and research skills through classroom-based learning, the arts, and community participation in order to prepare students to become college-ready and active citizens.

Because GK brings together youth from diverse backgrounds, it developed a set of guidelines to promote robust but civil discourse. These guidelines include “One Mic’”, “Safe Space,” “Participation,” and “Think Globally and Act Locally and Globally.”

“One mic’” means that one per-

son speaks at a time. They do not shout over each other. They value other voices. They listen respectfully to what is being said instead of waiting impatiently to rebut what another is saying. They eschew ad hominem statements and critique the ideas not

the person.

“Safe space” means that ideas can be expressed without fear of retribution or vicious reaction. It is a space that is safe “for” exploring ideas, not safe “from” new thoughts. It does not mean a space where individuals are guaranteed protection from uncomfortable ideas. A safe space is one in which ideas can be explored, books discussed and policies debated with freedom of thought and speech.

“Participation” means that everyone is expected to contribute to the fulfillment of the exercise, the task, the program. It is the responsibility of each person to prepare carefully, participate actively and be a partner in achieving a new level of accomplishment or agreement. Participation is the act by which the individual becomes part of the community.

“Thinking globally and acting locally” means that we can learn from others, even those in other countries, and that we should use this knowl-

edge in our local activities. With the guidance of this principle, young people have learned what other countries do about topics such as healthcare policy, gun control, housing and nutrition, and race relations. Other topics include immigration, economic justice, policing, voting, and schooling, among others. They then can discuss these issues with more knowledge and a larger context.

If these principles and guidelines can be employed successfully, and over time, by high school youth, why can’t we adopt them for Congress, school boards, and other public and private settings? Let young people show the way to learning how to discuss and disagree without being disagreeable.

Dr. Robert A. Scott, President Emeritus, Adelphi University

*Dr. Scott is married to the founder of Global Kids, Inc., Carole Artigiani

What lessons I learned running 105 miles

Let me begin by stating up front. I don’t like to run.

I’m not a natural runner and only started to become serious about it when I turned 50 a few years ago. To date, I’ve run three ultra-marathons. My first was 32 miles, my second was 44 miles and my last one was 105 miles.

When people hear I ran an ultramarathon that was 105 miles, they ask me many questions. Many questions have to do with how long did it take? Did you sleep? How much did you eat and drink? And of course, the number one question…why would you ever want to do something like this?

Most people share they wouldn’t want to run that far (which I totally get) and most state they can only run

a few miles or a half marathon. This is where I try and share that if I can do something like this, anyone can.

More important, it’s important to try hard things. Like most challenges in life that seem impossible, we place limits on ourselves or fall back to a default of “I can’t do this”.

When I signed up for the 105 ultra, I only wanted to finish the race. I didn’t care how long it took or what place I came in.

Unfortunately, during the race I sprained my ankle twice and to my surprise finished in 13th place in over 32 hours. I did not run fast nor did I have fancy equipment, but I did have a mission, which was to cross over the finish line at all costs.

Here is what I learned during this 105-mile odyssey:

We can all do hard things and mindset is everything. Completing this race required me to shift my

thinking that 105 miles is a very long way in a car, nevertheless a race. I chunked the race into much smaller races within a race. I can apply the same thing to life challenges. When something seems overwhelming and impossible, break it up into small chunks and tackle what you can at the moment.

Being uncomfortable (both mentally and physically) makes you powerful. Not just physically but more important, mentally. You develop a superpower. I was in pain, had no sleep and ran in the woods through the night with a little headlamp on. You find out a lot about yourself under those conditions.

There are good people in the world and to not judge a book by its cover. I met some of the most

amazing people of all ages, shapes and sizes. Some people were in their late 60s and some looked like your average person, not like an elite athlete. Some of them blew right by me in the way to finishing in the top 10!

Finally, it teaches you about who you really are and what you are capable of. The adventure will push you further than you ever thought physically possible and further than you ever thought mentally possible.

I learned that when we stop at something, there are many more gears we are capable of shifting into. I now apply that to my work and projects outside of running. What a gift and hope you do the same.

This new year, push your envelope like you never have before, you won’t regret it. Happy New Year!

If Santos has sense of decency, he will resign

Have you no sense of decency, sir”

In 1954 these words were uttered by the attorney, Joseph Welch, to Senator Joe McCarthy during the government hearings about communist infiltration in government, the military and academia.

It marked the beginning of the end of the McCarthy hearings and the end of the McCarthy saga. In 1954 these words carried some weight with

the public at large.

Was Joe McCarthy a criminal? No. He was a political creature using the power of his office to lie and deceive not only his constituents but people across the U.S.A. and in every walk of life. He was a liar and a disgraced politician.

During the last 70 years, the American people have been exposed to so much deceit, hyperbole, and lying at every level of government,

2022/2023

A rocket streaked into the dark sky, though not by accident. The timing was perfect, like a switch thrown for a new year, rising higher and higher above shadow from one street over.

Delivering up a lattice of bright, a rainbow of hope and all festivals of light: Christmas trees, Kwanzaa joy, Hanukah lights, pious prayers to Allah, indigenous pow wows, confessions of Love, Times Square cheer and all beautiful tidings born out of humanity and necessity.

Tomorrow I will knock on the neighbor’s door to thank them.

Certainly there is peace, happiness, prosperity, that we don’t wait till the end to share.

Time and again, isn’t this the sunshine, the warmth of spring and summer, the wholeness that makes us divine and strong?

Dear friend, respectfully, this must be understood and agreed between us.

Alas, no one else can ward off darkness.

academia, financial markets, and congressional vetting that the “sense of decency” has lost its significance and receives a shrug in judgment. “Nothing anyone can do about it.”

For all the young parents who are very challenged in raising their children to be truthful and respectful and forthright in coping with all the events of their young daily lives this disregard for “decency” is sad and haunting.

For all the older parents who are trying to help their children cope with finding successful career opportunities without lying and cheating in the process is also very challenging and difficult.

If George Santos goes to Congress as a representative of our congressional district we are confirming once again that lying, deceit and hyperbole are now fully acceptable and “anything goes” as a means to an end.

George is probably a “nice” guy struggling to find a career path. So what if he lied?! Somehow he also even found the funding to finance his campaign. To whom is he indebted?

George, please do us, your constituents, a favor and resign. The thought that you represent me is abhorrent.

Condemn Santos for his lies

Open letter to Great Neck’s Republican Jewish Community: Will you condemn George Santos’ despicable lies about being Jewish and his grandparents fleeing the Holocaust?

The Republican Jewish Community in Great Neck worked hard to elect George Santos.

However, since the revelations of his intentionally repeated bold faced lies (let’s not whitewash what kind of statements they were by saying he “misspoke” as this conman would have us believe) were exposed the group has yet to condemn a single one of the laundry list of lies.

These lies included but were not limited to lack of educational and professional qualifications (no history of college or work at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs) and perhaps the most egregious fabrication, his appalling claim to be Jewish and a descendant of Jewish grandparents who fled persecution in Ukraine and then the Holocaust.

Not a single one of these deceptions that was perpetrated on the public at large by a conman this group promoted has been denounced by said group.

The Forward confirmed through genealogy records that Santos’ grandparents were born in Brazil and were Roman Catholic. Santos’ fiction that they were born in Europe and fled Hilter and the Holocaust

in 1940 is not substantiated by him, but the timeline makes no sense as his mother was born in Brazil in 1962, 22 years after his grandparents would have arrived in Brazil.

Santos did not misspeak, he crafted a web of falsehoods to hoodwink the public and play on our sympathies and experiences, all while many of our local Republican Jewish leaders promoted him in every public space available in our town.

A large segment of the Republican Jewish Community in Great Neck fell for Santos’ lies, welcomed him into their homes, synagogues and community as a Jew. Santos in fact bragged that Great Neck was his second home.

The Republican Jewish Coalition confirmed that Santos told them he was Jewish and has banned him from any future events.

He was embraced by influential Great Neck Jewish leaders, politicians and a Great Neck mayor.

Santos has appeared in multiple photographs on social media with these local leaders. He was with them at an RJC Chanukah lighting, on election night, and in our Great Neck Park District with park district commissioners where he spoke at at least one confirmed rally.

He is a stain on the Jewish community in Great Neck and a blight on our district

at large. While Great Neck’s Republican Jews were large and loud supporters of Santos, to this day their leaders have been unusually and uncharacteristically quiet as they have yet to condemn the despicable, egregious breach of the public trust and integrity Santos has brought on all of NY 03 residents.

By failing to do so, they are complicit in having disgraced the memory of 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

Great Neck Jewish Republicans, you still have time to speak out.

It is up to you to not only condemn this repulsive repugnant behavior, but to call for him to resign as this morally bereft liar is not fit to be seated. Will you?

Or will you go around, like one of your leaders has done, justifying this embarrassment of an elected conman by pointing fingers instead to imaginary pedophiles and other boogeyman who you purport have done some in kind, harm to some imaginary victims. Is the need for a rubber stamp in Congress so great that you will accept a characterless fraud and his claims that he is “Jew-ish”? I’m waiting.

LETITIA JAMES KEYNOTER FOR MLK JR. SERVICE

Letitia “Tish” James, the 67th attorney general for the State of New York, will keynote Temple Beth-El of Great Neck’s extraordinary Martin Luther King Jr. Shabbat service on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, at 7 p.m.

The annual worship service will commem-

As the reverend’s important words continue to resonate with the synagogue, the community and the country, Temple Beth-El is honored to once again welcome the entire community to memorialize Dr. King and continue sharing his message—which is as relevant today.

New York and the first woman to be elected attorney general. When she was nominated public advocate for the City of New York in 2013, she became the first woman of color to hold citywide office.

Under her direction, her office has handled

Led by Rabbi A. Brian Stoller and Cantor Adam Davis, the service will not only include special musical and choral highlights but also readings especially selected for this meaningful, free event.

Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, the peninsurst synagogue, was founded in 1928. To learn more, visit www.tbegreatneck.org, call

Toby Tobias to perform at Temple Isaiah

for the rest of us.

Toby Tobias, a South African-born, Huntington Station-based musician, composer and songwriter who has been living in the United States for 35 years.

He has a Music Composition degree from the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, Israel and lived in Israel for ten years. He completed a stint in the Israeli Army, met his American-born wife in Jerusalem and came to live in America in 1988.

As a solo songwriter he has created his one-man show “Journey from Johannesburg” which he will be performing and discussing.

It is the story of his life growing up in apartheid South Africa then moving to Israel and finally settling in the United States, characterized as one man’s struggle to find freedom

Toby has immersed himself in many genres of American Music while never leaving behind his roots in the rhythms and melodies of his homeland. His keen ear for intuitive arrangements is a hallmark of his writing and performance. He has garnered a strong following on Long Island and the tristate area and has performed all throughout the Northeast as well as a national tour in 2018.

His eight-piece band, The Toby Tobias Ensemble plays modern folk and jazz, influenced by funk and world rhythms. The fantastic arrangements and joyful, exhilarating sounds of the band inspire and entertain.

To find out more about Toby, his music and his schedule please visit his website tobytoby.com.

Toby will be performing select scenes from “Journey from Johannesburg” as well as his uplifting and positive songs at Temple Isaiah of Great Neck. Following the presentation, there will be a question and answer period.

The fee is $15 for an afternoon of music, discussion and delicious Ice Cream refreshments. Temple Isaiah of Great Neck is located at One Chelsea Place in Great Neck.

Please contact the Temple at (516) 4875373 to R.S.V.P. or for further information.

The basics of meditation

practitioners employ their senses of smell, sight, sound, and touch during a session, which may be led by a guide or teacher.

Mantra meditation is another form of the practice in which individuals silently repeat a calming word, thought or phrase. The repetition is designed to block out distractions.

Mindfulness meditation is a popular form of the practice that emphasizes awareness, or mindfulness, and acceptance of living in the moment.

The Mayo Clinic notes that individuals practicing mindfulness meditation will focus on what they experience during meditation, such as the flow of their breath, as they attempt to observe their thoughts and emotions.

Dos and don’ts of healthy weight loss

Taking steps to safeguard mental health is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that mental health affects how individuals think and feel, the choices they make, and how they relate to others, which underscores just how important it is to prioritize mental health.

Meditation is a popular practice with a history so lengthy it may surprise even its most devoted practitioners.

According to Psychology Today, some archaeologists trace the origins of meditation all the way back to 5,000 BCE. The global spread of the practice is believed to have started around the fifth or sixth century BCD, when trading along Eurasia’s famed Silk Road exposed the practice to various cultures.

The lengthy history of meditation is proof that the practice is no mere fad. In fact, people from all walks of life have much to gain from meditation. Novices can start their meditation journeys with this basic rundown of a practice that has inspired devotees for thousands of years.

What is meditation?

The Mayo Clinic notes that meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine that intends to produce a tranquil, relaxed state of mind. When practicing meditation, individuals focus their attention and aspire to remove potentially stressinducing, jumbled thoughts from their mind.

Are there different types of meditation?

The Mayo Clinic reports that there are various ways to meditate. Guided meditation is a popular form of the practice in which individuals form mental images of places or situations they find relaxing. Guided meditation

How do I meditate?

Mindful Communications, which offers corporate training, practical advice and other insights regarding mindfulness and meditation, notes that meditation is both simpler and more complex than most people think. But the following seven-step prospectus can serve as a useful foundation for meditation novices.

1.Take a seat. Individuals are urged to find a calm, quiet place to sit.

2.Set a time limit. A short session between five and 10 minutes can help novices.

3.Notice your body. Individuals should be stable and sit in a position they can maintain for a while.

4.Feel your breath. As you breath in and out, make an effort to feel the sensation of your breath.

5.Notice if your mind wanders. It’s likely that your mind will wander to other places during your sessions. Pay attention to when it does and then refocus your attention to your breathing.

6.Don’t judge yourself. Wandering thoughts during meditation are not deserving of scorn. When the mind wanders, simply return to meditating without obsessing over the thoughts that came into your head when your mind wandered off.

7.Close with kindness. As your session draws to a close, gently lift your gaze and take a moment to notice your surrounding environment, how your body feels and your thoughts and emotions.

Meditation can pay numerous dividends. More information about meditation can be found at mindful.org.

Maintaining a healthy weight promotes longterm health. Being overweight or obese are risk factors for various conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The World Health Organization reports that the worldwide obesity rate has tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight. Of these, more than 650 million were obese.

Health issues related to obesity are largely preventable. Losing weight in a healthy manner is essential for safe and lasting results. Individuals aspiring to lose weight can follow these guidelines on what to do and what not to do.

DO add lean protein sources to your diet. Healthline indicates the body burns calories when digesting and metabolizing protein, so a highprotein diet can help to shed up to 80 to 100 calories per day. Protein also helps you to feel full, reducing the propensity to overeat.

DON’T get hung up on numbers early on. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that even modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight is bound to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood sugar levels, cholesterol and blood pressure. Start small and gradually build up.

DO eat at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits daily. Produce contains an abundance of vital nutrients and is often fiber-rich

and low in calories, which helps you to feel full.

DON’T overlook the impact of beverages on weight loss. The calories in sugary beverages, including some all-natural fruit juices, can add up quickly. Stick to water, tea or other unsweetened beverages to help with weight loss.

DO get moving more. The Mayo Clinic notes that while it is possible to lose weight without exercise, getting moving can help burn off the excess calories you can’t cut through diet alone. Exercise boosts metabolism and benefits mood and strengthens muscles and the cardiovascular system as well.

DON’T go shopping while hungry. If you do, you may make impulse buys that compromise healthy eating plans.

DO speak with a doctor if you are vetting diet and exercise plans. A healthcare professional can assist you by indicating if a particular diet or fitness routine is acceptable for your age, goals and current health status.

DON’T forget to track eating. Most healthy diets involve some sort of calorie-counting, whether they actually require you to document your intake or use a formula to attribute “points” or another measure related to what you eat. Writing or tracking the foods and beverages you consume will provide the most honest assessment of habits that could affect weight loss.

DO include foods you enjoy. Completely restricting access to occasional treats may cause you to resent healthy eating, which can derail weight loss goals. The principle of moderation can apply to healthy weight loss as long as you account for the more calorie-dense foods.

Losing weight in a healthy manner is achievable when you seek guidance and follow some timetested techniques.

The World Health Organization reports that the worldwide obesity rate has tripled since 1975.

Is a pet good for my child’s mental health?

1. Kids will promise the moon and stars to get a pet, but as the adult, you are likely to be the one who does most of the caretaking, so make sure you are ready for the responsibility.

Question: My son is begging my wife and me to get him a dog. We both grew up having dogs in our homes and found it to be very rewarding. But we also know that it’s a lot of work and takes a big commitment to care for a pet – especially a dog! We are inclined to say yes, especially since the pandemic left him feeling pretty low, and we hope this will lift his spirits. Plus, he promises he’ll take on the bulk of the responsibility. What do you think we should do?— Pet Parenting Puzzle

Dear Anxious Parents: You are wise to take this decision very seriously. Dogs, as well as other pets, do require a lot of care, and if you are lucky, they will be part of your family for many years to come.

You’re also right in realizing that pets can offer many mental health benefits for kids. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, developing loving feelings about pets can contribute to a child’s selfconfidence. Positive relationships with pets can aid in the development of trusting relationships with others. And a good relationship with a pet can help in developing non-verbal communication, compassion and empathy.

Some other benefits: Having pets leads to an increase in physical activity; reduces stress; provides companionship and social support; and fosters a connection with the natural world.

Pets provide unconditional love, which is important for every child, but especially helpful for kids who are having difficulties with depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. In fact, research indicates that children with pets tend to have higher levels of self-worth compared to those who don’t have animals. They can also help children with issues such as shyness and autism with their social skills.

All kids, whether or not they have mental health challenges, benefit from their relationships with animals, but if you are considering bringing a pet into your family, here are some factors to consider:

2. Take finances into consideration. Caring for pets can be an expensive proposition, with estimates running from $500 to well over $1,000 each year.

3. Do you have little ones in the house? Children under three or four need to be supervised with pets at all times, since they may be impulsive and risk harming the pet or themselves.

4. When choosing a pet, do your research. The pet should be a good match for your lifestyle. For example, if you live in an apartment, you might want to avoid getting a highly active dog. But if you have a fenced-in yard and enjoy tossing the ball around, an energetic pup may be the right fit.

5. Are you out of the house for a large part of the day? Pets require care and love, so if you and your family aren’t home most of the time, a dog or even a cat might not be the right pet for you.

6. Do your kids have asthma or other allergies? Despite the hype, there really are no allergy-free cats or dogs—but there are some breeds that are less allergenic than others. Ask your vet for suggestions.

Adopting from a shelter is a great way to save the life of an animal. If you decide that you want a specific breed or your heart is set on the type of dog you had as a kid, consider a rescue or shelter pet. Either way, always make sure you speak with the shelter or breeder about the individual history and personality of your prospective pet. Everything is not always apparent when a fury creature is first introduced at a visit.

Whatever you decide, we wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday!

North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, Long Island’s leading children’s mental health organization, is seeing clients both remotely via telehealth platforms and in person, depending on the clients’ needs. No one is ever turned away for inability to pay. To make an appointment, call 516-626-1971 or email intake@northshorechildguidance.org.

Looking back on ‘22, what’s ahead in ‘23

Well, it was an amazing moment in time, if you bought when rates were considerably lower in 2021 and in the beginning of this year.

However, if you waited too long for whatever reason, you paid considerably more per month. Locally on Long Island, where housing is more expensive, you paid a lot more as home prices had escalated to the highest point in history.

According to the New York State Association of Realtors report, record median sale prices were set in Suffolk County at $559,500, which was an increase of 10.7% year over year through November. In Nassau County, they were even higher at $720,000, which was an 11.9% year-over-year increase.

It was obvious that with the insane demand from all those waiting online at open houses and the bidding wars that ensued, the prices went through the roof, way beyond what would be considered normal.

For those who could afford to buy, you were fortunate, and congratulations. However, there were many who became locked out due to the much higher interest rates and/or the losses in the stock market that would have

fueled their purchase.

Then there were those who were able to find a rental if they were lucky and locked in a 2-year lease and then there were those who were forced to pay considerably more as rental prices skyrocketed.

Inventory in One Key MLS as of the end of November was still very low (11,565 1-4 family homes, condos, and coops for sale according to One Key MLS. Inflation is still historically high, but really higher, when factoring in energy and food, affordability for housing has become unreachable for many more families and individuals.

However, prices have still been increasing, but at a much slower pace, due to a lack of inventory and high-interest rates. Moreover, sales have been slowing and declining over the last few months due to the latter reasons too.

However, if you price your home correctly with the most recent comparables the demand is still there to purchase.

Looking ahead to 2023, home prices will slow further. Depending on what our recession outlook will be will determine how slow the sales

will be. We just may be heading into a bit more of a buyer’s market, if sales continue to slow.

It is projected that interest rates will continue to rise by another ½% in March. So it might be a prudent time to begin or continue to search for a home and lock in current rates. Also, depending on the job loss data leading to higher unemployment that will be occurring, and whether or not we will have slower growth, or a

more severe recession, this will have an adverse effect on the housing industry.

As long as available inventory is low with higher interest rates, sales will continue to decrease. Long Island has a strong economy, but predicting what will happen is a difficult task and no one can be precise in their expectations and the end results.

From April 1, 2020-July 1, 2021 New York lost 319,020 people according to the U.S. Census Bureau population estimates. It continues to lose more families and individuals than are moving in, than any other state, due to the cost of living, taxes, employment opportunities, expensive rents, etc.

Market Watch has an informative article that expands further on the problem, https://www. marketwatch.com/story/no-morenew-york-people-are-trying-to-fleethe-empire-state-for-warmer-destinations-no-thanks-to-higher-rents-andcost-of-living-11663097876

Those that are in charge must continue to anticipate what negative issues will be coming down the pike as the exodus of people continues in 2023 and its effect on our housing

market. We must ponder and come up with solutions to stem the tide of our population loss otherwise our business environment will erode further and so will home prices.

I want to wish all my readers a healthy, happy and enjoyable, and more lucrative New Year in 2023.

Continue to Donate to the Ukrainian Crisis and save a life or 2:

IOM’s Ukraine Response

OR The International Organization for Migration a 501(c) 3 Corporation: OR:http://donate.iom.int

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 40 years of experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certified International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S) as well as the new “Green Industry” Certification for eco-friendly construction and upgrades. For a “FREE” 15-minute consultation, value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Com or via https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com

TECH

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HTTPS helps to secure websites that send or receive sensitive data. Simply put, any website that requires login credentials or involves financial transactions should use HTTPS to ensure the security of users, transactions and data. This includes personal or business information exchanged by online banking services, online retailers and healthcare providers.

A malicious actor can easily impersonate, modify or monitor an HTTP connection. HTTPS protects against these vulnerabilities. As a result, it ensures that no one can tamper with these transactions, securing users’ privacy and preventing sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

Small and medium-sized business managers should be mindful to check for the secure HTTPS when accessing websites for banking, shopping online, and SAAS (software-as-a-service) programs. We highly recommend coaching all employees to look for this, as well. Human error is behind the majority of IT breaches and is avoidable with proper training and reinforcement. Contact Sandwire Technology Group for information on affordable cyber security training for your company.

Cyber Security

Business&RealEstate

Carrie Adduci elevated to partnership at Certilman Stein succeeds Hynman as managing partner

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, Carrie Adduci will be elevated to the partnership at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

Adduci, who was previously an associate, practices in the Real Estate Group.

Adduci, a resident of New Hyde Park, concentrates on acquisitions, sales and refinances of commercial and residential properties. She also represents developers with regard to the sale of their newly constructed residential homes.

Prior to joining Certilman Balin, Ms. Adduci was a Real Estate Associate at a small Long Island law firm.

Adduci also co-taught a course in Applied Legal Analysis at her alma mater, St. John’s University School of

Law. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude in 2012 and her Bachelor of Science, summa

cum laude, with a major in Legal Studies and a minor in Theology.

Adduci was named to the 2022 and 2021 Rising Stars list of Metro New York Super Lawyers. She was also recognized with a Leadership in Law Award and as one of the “Who’s Who in Professional Women” by Long Island Business News, as well as one of the “Rising Stars” by Real Estate Weekly.

She is admitted to practice in the state of New York and is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association and New York State Bar Association.

For additional information, contact Debra Scala Giokas, Director of Marketing, at dscala@certilmanbalin.com.

Bernard Hyman has built his career as an established authority on real estate valuation, while simultaneously managing the second-largest law firm on Long Island, Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP . His dedication to his clients and his leadership has steered the firm through 34 years.

Hyman serves on the executive committee and will continue to do so, but now he will be stepping down as managing partner while he continues to concentrate on his tax certiorari clients.

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, Howard M. Stein, chair of the Real Estate Group, will be the firm’s new managing partner.

Stein, who has practiced at the firm his entire career and serves on the Executive Committee says, “Bunny has led our firm for over three decades. His imprint is evident on the firm’s success.

“I am honored that my partners feel confident in me to

No such thing as a free ride

In ancient Rome, the government attempted to curry favor with the masses by offering free bread and circuses. Now we have a call for free NYC Transit bus rides by state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.

They would have residents ride buses for free for four years. Will this apply to $6.75 express buses as well?

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority currently faces a multibillion dollar multi-year financial deficit. This does not include future wage increases that the Transit Workers Union will ask for when their current contract expires in May 2023.

The MTA only budgeted 2% per year for the next contract. The TWU

will obviously ask for far more just to keep up with inflation Whatever the TWU wins, other LIRR and Metro North Rail Road unions will ask for parity.

The MetroCard introduced in 1996 affords a free transfer between bus and subway. Prior to this, riders had to pay two full fares. A majority of residents purchase either a weekly or monthly NYC Transit bus/ subway Metro or OMNY Card. NYC offers a “Fair Fares” program to help New Yorkers with low incomes manage transportation costs.

Using the Fair Fares NYC MetroCard, eligible NYC residents receive a 50% discount on subway and bus fares.

Financial viability of the MTA has always been a four-way dance between farebox revenue, City Hall,

Albany and Washington.

All we ask in return is a reliable, safe, on-time trip and as periodically necessary — a reasonable fare increase that doesn’t exceed the current inflation rate. There also needs to be real legal consequences to those who don’t pay their way and contribute to fare evasion which will reach $500 million in 2022.

There is no such thing as a free lunch or in this case ride for everyone who uses mass transit.

Larry Penner Great Neck

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously served as a former Director for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management.

continue what he has created,” Stein said. “His are big shoes to fill.”

Stein is well-known for his counsel in matters relating to real property acquisitions, downtown redevelopments, sales, leasing, real estate finance and loan workouts, as well as all legal facets of assisted living

communities and senior condominium living.

He serves on the Board of Governors of Touro Law Center and was chairman from 2005 until 2022. As community leader, he serves on the Board of ABLI as well as Vision Long Island. He also actively champions for charitable causes.

Hyman said, “Managing our firm was one of the greatest joys in my life. I know that Howie will continue to grow our firm, engage our people and provide the best services for our clients. With his reach into the community, there are so many possibilities. I look forward to continuing my work in the field of real estate valuation and looking ahead to our future.”

For further information, contact Debra Scala Giokas, Director of Marketing at dscala@certilmanbalin.com or 516.296.7087. Click here to learn more about Howard Stein.

Santos should resign. Now

Continued from Page 12

Could House Republicans, who take control on Jan. 3, block Santos from taking office? Or launch an investigation immediately afterward? Perhaps, but the chances of that happening are slim to none.

The New York Post had reported earlier that Santos’ professional biography became a “running joke” among senior House Republicans. But they did nothing.

And consider that Santos is about to be sworn in to a Congress where a majority of his fellow Republicans supported President Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election by not certifying the vote — after a mob attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

This was based on the Big Lie –the false claim pushed by the twiceimpeached president who was found to have lied thousands of times about his business care

Santos himself was quoted as saying he was “at the Ellipse on Jan. 6,” the day of rioting at the U.S. Capitol, and that he “wrote a nice check for a law firm” to aid the rioters who

stormed the building.

He has already announced that he would cast a much-needed vote for Kevin McCarthy in his bid to become the next speaker in a House held by Republicans with a razor-thin margin.

Perhaps some fellow Republicans in Nassau and Queens will join with Democrats to speak up against Santos being seated.

Joseph G. Cairo Jr., chairman of the Nassau County Republican Party, told The Times that the allegations raised in its initial story were “serious” issues that he believed Santos should address.

But so far no other local Republican has spoken up – just as none has called for Trump to give up a run for president despite the Jan. 6 committee’s overwhelming evidence of criminal conduct against the former president.

Which begs the question: Is the bar really so low for Nassau Republicans for someone to represent Nassau voters in Congress?

We hope not. We hope Nassau Republicans join Democrats in calling for Santos to resign. Now.

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verbal cancellations must be approved by a supervisor. There are no refunds on cancelled advertising. An advertising credit only will be issued.

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NOVENAS/PRAYERS

HOLY SAINT JUDE Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful and intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Please help me in my present and urgent petition. (Here describe the nature of your personal need) In return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. St. Jude, pray for us and all who invoke your aid. Amen. This Novena should be said for nine consecutive days. After reciting the Novena, pray 3 Our Fa-lication must also be promised. M.H.

NOVENA TO SAINT CLAIRE Ask Saint Claire for 3 favors. 1 business and 2 imwith lighted candles. Pray whether you believe or not. Publish on 9th day. “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adorned and glorified today and every day.” Request will be granted no matter how impossible it seems. Publication must be promised. M.H.

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (Never known to fail). Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine of Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin assist me in this necessity. Oh Star of the Sea help me and show herein you are my Mother. Oh Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth I beseech thee from the bottom of my heart to succor me this necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh show me herein you are my Mother. Oh Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to Thee (three times). Oh Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (three times). Thank you for your mercy to me and mine. Amen. This prayer must be said for three days and after three days your request will be granted. The prayer must be published. Grateful thanks. M.H.

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (Never known to fail). Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine of Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin assist me in this necessity. Oh Star of the Sea help me and show herein you are my Mother. Oh Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth I beseech thee from the bottom of my heart to succor me this necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh show me herein you are my Mother. Oh Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to Thee (three times). Oh Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (three times). Thank you for your mercy to me and mine. Amen. This prayer must be said for three days and after three days your request will be granted. The prayer must be published. Grateful thanks.(YMV)

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Sports

Leiderman shooting for the playoffs

Roslyn senior leads Roslyn High School with 18.6 points a game, tops in county with 3-pointers

When Avery Leiderman was in third grade, her recreation league basketball program had a draft to assign players to teams.

If you’ve ever been in a school gym class, you know this experience can either be thrilling (if you’re chosen high) or absolute drudgery (if you’re one of the last picks).

The humiliation of standing around looking plaintively at the captain, imploring with your eyes to “please pick me!” is never a fun one.

Leiderman thought she was a pretty good athlete, so she was very surprised to not get

taken until the fourth round.

“I was super small, like super short, and it was like they didn’t think I could play well because of that,” she recalled recently.

Fresh off that snub, Leiderman said, she worked very hard that season, and in the offseason, to get better in every part of her game. By the time the next year rolled around “I was the No. 1 overall pick,” she said proudly, with a smile.

“So that was kind of my first proof that I can get better if I just work really hard.”

Fast forward eight years and the Roslyn kid who was overlooked is very much visible, front

and center, these days on the hardwood.

The 5-foot-6 shooting guard has been impressing opponents for four years now on varsity. As a junior Leiderman averaged 17 points per game and made more 3-pointers (57) than 2-pointers (50).

In her final varsity season, Leiderman has led the Bulldogs to a 6-3 start through Christmas and is pumping in 18.6 points per contest.

Her 28 3-pointers are the highest total in Nassau County, and Leiderman’s all-around game has improved to the point that she’s a good bet to once again be named all-county.

“She’s a kid who loves the game so much,

and leads by example to the other kids,” said Roslyn coach Noreen Naughton. “She’s one of those kids who is a conduit to other players; what the coaches need done, she makes sure everyone explains it.

“She’s become such a terrific player.”

Leiderman’s basketball success is even more impressive considering she hasn’t had the “typical” hoops path; unlike just about every other prep star, she doesn’t play AAU and summer ball.

“I have loved going to sleepaway camp since I was little, and didn’t want to give up that part of my life,” she said. “And the rest of the year, I’ve really wanted to focus on academics more than sports.”

That focus has landed Leiderman an acceptance to Northwestern University in Illinois, where she’ll be super-close to a fellow high achiever, her brother Hayden.

Two years Avery’s senior, Hayden Leiderman is a baseball player at the University of Chicago and is a former basketball player as well.

“He’s my hero,” Avery said of her sibling. “We never really fought that much as kids, and when we played basketball I learned a lot. I attribute a lot of my success to him.”

As a freshman Leiderman struggled to find her place on varsity at first, she said, but Naughton said her skills were apparent.

“She was mainly just a shooter then but she could really, really shoot,” Naughton said. “Over the years she’s developed a much better scoring mentality, able to score from inside the paint and in other ways.”

With defenses keying on Leiderman more and more this year, she’s had to find a way to get through a variety of opponents’ strategies. Getting help from teammates Gia Patane and Daureen Abukaush, Leiderman has continued to lead the way and get buckets.

“It gets frustrating sometimes when the best defender on the other team is always on you,” she said. “But they want you to get frustrated, so I try not to let it bother me, and just fight through it.”

Leiderman, whose parents Marni and Darren were both scholastic athletes as well, said she hopes to study human behavior at Northwestern and wants to do something in the sociology/psychology arena as a career.

For the next few months, though, the human behavior she wants to study is that of her teammates, as she tries to help the Bulldogs reach the postseason for the first time in her career.

“It’s our last chance, as seniors, to make ourselves known and get there,” Leiderman said. “Me and the other co-captains, we’re really trying to do everything we can to motivate everyone and help everyone play their best because we want to make it really badly.

“We only have one more chance to do this.”

Herricks welcomes WWII vets Herricks’ Lau gets arts awards

Herricks High School senior Carolyn Lau recently earned a Merit Award for Writing/Creative Nonfiction and an Honorable Mention in Classical Music/Flute from YoungArts. This is the second year in a row Lau has earned a Merit Award from the organization.

Each year thousands of performing, visual and literary student-artists apply to the national competition. Finalist, merit and honorable mention award levels receive mentorship and financial awards as well as gain access to a lifetime of creative, professional development and funding opportunities.

YoungArts was founded in 1981 and identifies exceptional young artists, amplifies their potential, and invests in their lifelong creative freedom. The organization helps artist connect, create and collaborate.

S’town School orchestra concert

Students at Searingtown School in Herricks shared the sounds of the holiday season during their school’s recent winter concert.

The fourth and fifth grade orchestra students played under the direction of Andrea Somma and shared several musical selections including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Tis the Season,” and

“A Jazzy Jingle” among others. After the performance, guests had the opportunity to write personalized notes to their student musician sharing feedback about their favorite piece. The district celebrates the talents of our students and appreciates the hard work that went toward this fantastic performance.

Herricks High School recently welcomed eight World War II veterans and one Vietnam veteran for a meaningful educational event held in collaboration with English 12 classes. The day was organized to honor and learn about the sacrifices made by the nation’s veterans.

WWII veterans Harold Cohen, Dominick Critelli, Arthur Grabiner, Lenard Jindra, Jack Stahl, Arman Tarantelli, Eugene Zanger and Vietnam veteran John Igor all discussed their experiences protecting their country during wartime. Additionally, Mr. Igor, who sacrificed finishing his high school career to enter the service, was presented with an honorary high school diploma during the events of the day.

Students expressed sincere gratitude for welcomed guests, all of whom hold numerous medals for heroism and selfless actions. Herricks senior Celeste Zhang said, “We owe them all respect and thanks for our freedoms.” She went on to say, “We are honoring those who honored our country with its highest form of service, those who once wore the uniform of our military.”

After introductions, the honored

guests and students broke into small groups, and each veteran shared stories about the challenges faced, lessons learned, roles held, training, machinery, locations and more while serving the country. They also answered questions from students, who learned about the military civilian di-

vide prior to this visit.

The event was held in both of the school’s gymnasiums, and each were decorated with patriotic messages of thanks and appreciation. The schedule of events concluded with the presentation of thank-you letters and lunch for the veterans.

Pironi, Lafazan clash on FTX funds claim

pandemic prevention” according to its website.

The organization gave $710,849 worth of independent expenditures to Screen Strategies Media, a for-profit media placement company to buy and produce advertisements supporting Lafazan.

Protect our Future also gave $250,662 to Screen Strategies to buy and produce advertisements supporting former Hemp-

stead Supervisor Laura Gillen, a Democrat who lost to Republican Anthony D’Esposito in the race for the 4th Congressional District, according to ProPublica.

Earlier this year, Lafazan amended his 2021 and 2022 Nassau financial disclosure forms to reflect a “student loan” from billionaire investor Bryan Lawrence and his wife Elizabeth. The loan given to Lafazan in 2020 totaled between $50,001 to $100,000.

Both candidates were endorsed by a nonprofit called Guarding Against Pandemics, which was founded by Gabe Bankman-Fried, Sam’s brother.

In response to the recent scandal revolving around Congressman-elect George Santos, Lafazan introduced the “Campaign Honest Bill” that makes it a misdemeanor for a candidate to lie about registered addresses, employment history, education and income sources.

Dems, GOPers blast serial liar Santos

Continued from Page 1

Droves of elected ofcials have criticized Santos for providing false educational and professional experience for his biography. Santos admitted to the New York Post that he “embellished” parts of his resume but still intended to serve in Congress.

“This [controversy] will not deter me from having good legislative success,” Santos told the Post Monday. “I will be efective. I will be good.”

Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joe Cairo said in a statement: “While I have indicated that the congressman-elect deserves a reasonable amount of time to respond to the media, voters deserve a sincere accounting from Mr. Santos.” Cairo has since said that Santos should still serve in the House.

“Congressman-elect Santos has broken the public trust by making serious misstatements regarding his background, experience and education, among other issues,” the Republican leader said. “He has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of voters and everyone who he represents in Congress.”

Robert Zimmerman, who lost to Santos in the 3rd Congressional District election, bashed the congressman-elect for fabricating his resume and urged him to step down from his seat and run against him again in a special election.

“George, if that’s even your real name, if you’re so convinced that #NY3 voters still trust you — resign & run against me again in a special election,” Zimmerman tweeted from his personal account on Tuesday. “Face the voters with your real past & answer questions about your criminal history. Let the voters decide.”

Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan (DWoodbury) who lost in the 3rd District’s Democratic primary earlier to Zimmerman this year, has also called on Santos to resign.

“George Santos has now publicly admitted to what we have all known for a week: he is a liar and a fraud,” Lafazan said in a statement. “Any one of George Santos’ lies would be grounds for dismissal for any ordinary citizen in a job. And when taken together, George Santos’ behavior has disgraced the 3rd Congressional District and the House of Representatives in which he wants to serve.”

Lafazan, last week, submitted an ofcial letter asking the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York to launch an investigation into federal crimes he claims Santos has committed, including voter fraud and fraudulent campaign fnance flings.

The legislator has also introduced the “Campaign Honest Bill” that makes it a misdemeanor for a candidate to lie about registered addresses, employment history, education and income sources.

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, who endorsed Santos, expressed her disappointment in his falsehoods but did not retract her endorsement of the Republican.

“I have dedicated my career in government service to bringing honesty, transparency, and accountability to the public,” DeSena said in a statement. “Elected ofcials must hold themselves to the highest standards of conduct, and that is why I believe it was critically important for Congressman-elect George Santos to take the frst step in admitting his false statements and embellishments that have caused voters hurt and disappointment.”

Anthony D’Esposito, a Republican who won the state’s 4th Congressional District election last month, also condemned Santos for lying about his background.

“While Santos has taken a required frst step by ‘coming clean’ with respect to his education, work experience, and other issues, he must continue to pursue a path of honesty,” D’Esposito said in a statement.

Congressman-elect George Santos faces questions about the legitimacy of his educational and professional resume along with his genealogy.

State Attorney General Letitia James said her ofce would review the allegations made against Santos by The Times last week.

Santos was accused by The Times of lying about earning degrees from NYU and Baruch College as well as working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Neither college could confrm his enrollment to multiple media outlets while neither company could confrm his employment.

Santos, in a previously published biography on his campaign website, described himself as “an associate asset manager” in Citigroup, but a company spokesman told The Times that they could not confrm his employment. The spokesman also said Citi sold of its asset management operations in 2005 and was unfamiliar with Santos’ job title listed on his biography.

A Goldman Sachs spokesman also failed to confrm Santos’ employment, while the Republican did not list a specifc time frame for his time at the companies in biographies.

The congressman-elect told the Post that he never graduated from “any institution of higher learning” and that he “never worked directly” for either organization but that a company called Link Bridge, where he served as vice president, worked with both companies.

Santos’ campaign website says the Republican’s grandparents “fed Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium and again fed persecution during WWII.”

A review of genealogy reports done by The Forward, an independent, Jewish publication, showed that his grandparents, Paulo Horta Devolder and Rosalina Caruso Horta Devolder, were both born in Brazil prior to 1930 when the Nazi Party secured more than 100 seats in Germany’s parliament.

The report claims Santos’ mother, Fatima Aziza Caruso Horta Devolder was born to Paulo and Rosalina in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. His mother’s Facebook page does not contain references to Judaism but several pages she “liked” were for various Catholic groups.

Other posts she has shared on her Facebook page, which include pictures of her and the con-

gressman-elect, include depictions of Jesus and quotes from the Bible. His mother died in 2016, according to an online obituary.

Santos, in a 2020 interview, said his family converted to Christianity while living in Brazil. Santos told the Post that he “never claimed to be Jewish” but that his “maternal family had a Jewish background,” which he meant as being “Jew-ish.”

The openly gay congressman-elect who previously said he “never had an issue” with his sexual identity during the past 10 years, divorced a woman weeks before he launched his frst congressional campaign in 2019, according to the Daily Beast.

The report shows that Santos allegedly was married to Uadla Santos and divorced in September 2019.

Santos said he was married to a woman from 2012-2017 but told the Post he is now married and “very much gay,” saying the previous relationship “got a little toxic.”

The congressman-elect also admitted to being in debt and fned more than $12,000 in May 2017 after a Queens landlord claimed he was owed more than $10,000 in rent over a fvemonth period. Santos said he did not own 13 diferent properties despite previously calling out alleged tenants of said properties for “taking advantage” of rental assistance ofered during the coronavirus pandemic, claiming he and his family had not been paid rent in nearly a year.

The Times also reported that in 2008, when Santos was 19, he stole the checkbook of a man his mother was caring for, according to Brazilian court records.

Police and court records show that Santos used the checkbook to make fraudulent purchases, including a pair of shoes. Two years later, Santos confessed to the crime and was later charged.

The court and local prosecutor in Brazil confrmed the case remains unresolved, The Times reported. Santos did not respond to an ofcial summons and a court representative could not fnd him at his given address, records show.

Santos disputed those claims, telling the Post, “I am not a criminal here- not here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction in the world.”

The Times also questioned the tax-exempt classifcation of Santos’ charity, Friends of Pets United.

The Internal Revenue Service was unable to provide The Times with any information showing that the charity had tax-exempt status. The charity’s 2017 fund-raising event had a $50 entry charge, according to the newspaper, but a representative from the event’s benefciary said it did not receive any of the proceeds.

The Times’ analysis of property records databases in Nassau County and New York City did not show any deeds associated with anyone in the Santos family or their company, the Devolder Organization.

Santos described the company, according to The Times, as one that managed $80 million in assets. The Republican also described it as a capital introduction consulting company on his congressional fnancial disclosure forms.

Several election law experts told The Times that omitting the company’s clients on the fnancial reports “could be problematic” if the clients exist.

Santos loaned his campaign more than $700,000 during this year’s election cycle while donating thousands more to other candidates over the last two years, according to The Times. The Republican reported a $750,000 salary and more than $1 million in dividends from the Devolder Organization, according to the Times.

Santos’ lawyer, Joseph Murray, released a statement in response to The Times article, saying the publication was “attempting to smear his

good name with these defamatory allegations.”

“George Santos represents the kind of progress that the Left is so threatened by a gay, Latino, frst-generation American and Republican who won a Biden district in overwhelming fashion by showing everyday voters that there is a better option than the broken promises and failed policies of the Democratic Party,” Murray continued.

Murray did not deny any of the allegations made in The Times article in his statement.

Accountable.us, described on its website as a nonpartisan organization that fact-checks corporations and “special interests that too often wield unchecked power and infuence in Washington,” fled a legal complaint following the Times’ allegations.

Kyle Herrig, Accountable.us’ president, said the congressman-elect “must be held accountable for his ethical transgressions” and called on him to directly respond to allegations made against him in a letter sent to Mike Barnes, the chair of the Ofce of Congressional Ethics.

“According to the U.S. House of Representatives Rule XXIII Code of Ofcial Conduct, members ‘shall behave at all times in a manner that shall refect creditably on the House’ – a provision Mr. Santos fails to meet while questions about his background remain unanswered,” Herrig wrote in the letter.

Nassau County and New York state Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs told The Times that Congressional Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) should delay seating DevolderSantos pending a probe into the allegations.

Eforts to reach Jacobs for further comment were unavailing.

Santos recently took to Twitter in support of McCarthy becoming the new House speaker on Twitter.

“We have the opportunity of a lifetime to deliver results for the American people,” Santos tweeted earlier this month. “We MUST give the gavel to [Kevin McCarthy] to ensure we stop the disastrous policies the Dems have pushed for the last 2 years.”

Kevin Madden, a top aide for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, told Newsday that the chances that an Ethics Committee investigation be launched into Santos are small.

“McCarthy is sitting on a razor-thin congressional majority, so his default position will likely be to say the people of New York’s 3rd Congressional District made their decision and he’ll abide by it,” Madden told Newsday.

Republicans have a 222-213 majority in Congress for the frst time since 2018 following the results of this year’s midterm elections.

Santos was quoted as saying he was “at the Ellipse on Jan. 6,” the day of rioting at the U.S. Capitol, and is quoted on video saying he “wrote a nice check for a law frm” to aid the rioters who stormed the building.

Additionally, data from the Federal Election Commission revealed the Republican received nearly $30,000 in campaign donations from Andrew Intrater, the cousin of Russian Oligarch Viktor Vekslberg, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vekselberg, who was born in Ukraine, made his frst million from selling scrap copper before purchasing several aluminum smelters and forming the conglomerate Sual Holding in 1996, according to Forbes. Vekselberg merged Sual Holding with Russian Alumnium to create UC Rusal.

The oligarch’s $90 million, 255-foot yacht was seized by the Spanish government in April at the order of the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice said the yacht “was subject to forfeiture based on violations of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering, and sanction statutes.”

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