After an investigation by my office and @ManhattanDA, Steve Bannon has been indicted for stealing more than $15 million from thousands of Americans for his sham effort to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
No matter how powerful you are, no one is above the law.
Steve Bannon and “We Build the Wall” took advantage of Americans to line their own pockets and then laundered the money to further hide this scheme.
They lied to Americans and stole their hard-earned money.
In New York, we have zero tolerance for corruption or abuses of power.
There cannot be one set of rules for everyday people and another for the powerful — we all must play by the same rules and obey the law.
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We're in Brooklyn to announce that we're holding Ink, a New York City landlord, accountable for preying on rent-stabilized tenants in low-income communities of color.
I won't allow anyone to cheat the system and exploit our neighbors.
For years, Ink bought dozens of rent-stabilized buildings and illegally tried to buy out tenants, repeatedly harassing those who refused to leave their homes.
Ink engaged in this campaign to illegally deregulate units and charge the highest rent the market would allow.
Ink also created dangerous and unsanitary conditions to try to force tenants out.
Ink lied to banks about the rental prices and occupancy of buildings so they could get more favorable loans to continue buying new buildings and hurting low-income New Yorkers.
Former Chairman of the Erie County Democratic Committee Steve Pigeon has been sentenced to prison for a bribery scheme with former New York State Supreme Court Justice John Michalek.
We will always hold corrupt officials accountable regardless of political party.
For years, Pigeon bribed Michalek to influence judicial appointments and decisions.
Pigeon gave Michalek box tickets to sporting events, tickets for political fundraisers, and even secured jobs for Michalek's family members.
In exchange, Michalek gave Pigeon confidential information about legal cases and let Pigeon influence the cases he oversaw.
Later this afternoon, Michalek will also be sentenced for his role in this scheme.
For years, Harris Jewelry preyed on tens of thousands of our nation's servicemembers and veterans and saddled them with thousands in debt.
Today, I'm in Watertown to announce that we and the @FTC recovered over $34.2 million for over 46,000 who were duped by Harris.
Harris used deceptive marketing tactics to lure servicemembers into high-interest financing programs, claiming they would be able to establish or improve their credit.
Instead, they were tricked into high-interest loans on overpriced, poor-quality jewelry and other hidden fees.
These servicemembers thought they were setting themselves up for the future, but Harris' scams worsened their credit and left them with incredible debt.
Harris will provide refunds, stop collecting millions in outstanding debt, fix bad credit scores, and fully dissolve.
Today, we’re announcing a major settlement with Sweet & Vicious, a bar in NYC, for sexually harassing its employees, grossly discriminating against them, and stealing their wages.
Employees will receive $500,000 from the bar and its owner for this horrible treatment.
For years, the owner, Hakan Karamahmutoglu, created and perpetuated this hostile workplace.
He routinely insulted female employees and scrutinized their appearance, commenting on their bodies, clothes, and insisted on only hiring employees who were “tall, blonde, and sexy.”
The owner also routinely made racist and anti-gay comments to employees, didn’t pay overtime, and stole their tips.
Male managers groped and harassed female bartenders, and when employees reported this behavior, it was ignored or laughed at.
Last year, we won our trial to hold opioid manufacturer @TevaUSA accountable for its role in fueling the opioid crisis.
We have now also uncovered evidence that Teva Pharmaceuticals, the parent company of @TevaUSA, lied to evade accountability for its role in this epidemic.
We are taking legal action in court to examine Teva's real role in the devastation this crisis has caused.
By making misrepresentations to escape our reach, Teva Pharmaceuticals underestimated our commitment to securing justice for the people of New York.
Teva swore in court that it had no role in the U.S. opioids business.
Yet, we have found it was the primary decision maker for @TevaUSA, and the company used a complex web of shell corporations to transfer significant funds out of @TevaUSA and into offshore accounts.