The Thomas Galante/Queens Public Library story continues today with the NY Daily News reporting that the FBI, federal prosecutors, and NYC’s Department of Investigation have begun an investigation of Queens Library Director, Thomas Galante.
From a NYDN Article:
The first sign of the joint probe came Friday when agents for the FBI and DOI suddenly appeared at the Queens Central Library in Jamaica with subpoenas for both Galante and the library’s construction management consultant, Frank Marino, according to a library source.
Marino, owner of Advanced Consulting Corp. in Merrick, L.I., has received contracts to manage 15 Queens Library improvement projects since 2008.
The probe appears to center on how Galante — who received more than $390,000 in salary last year, plus a city-supplied $37,000 sports car — spent millions in taxpayer dollars on various library renovations, a second source said.
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Meanwhile, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz asked Mayor de Blasio to suspend the ability of the Queens Library, a nonprofit agency, to independently spend any city capital funds on renovations.
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Katz also demanded in a separate letter to the library’s board of trustees that they “immediately retain an independent third-party forensic auditor . . . to audit and examine the entire capital construction process.”
Note: The full text of both letters by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz are embedded in the NYDC article and also at the bottom of this post.
Read the Complete NYDN Article
See Also: Queens Library officials say CEO is worth his pay (via Queens Chronicle)
Previous infoDOCKET Posts About the QPL/Thomas Galante Story
Letter From QBP Katz to Mayor Re QPL Capital by Colin DeVries
Letter From QBP Katz to Board Re Capital Process by Colin DeVries
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