Yonkers Councilman John Murtagh, R-5th District, issued a statement today rejecting suggestions by the Yonkers Board of Education’s attorney that he may be committing criminal coercion by refusing to support bonding for the schools unless the Board of Education opens its books to Yonkers Inspector General Philip Zisman.

The IG dispute led the Board of Education to file a lawsuit asking the state Supreme Court to rule on whether Zisman has any authority to inspect the Board of Education. In a letter dated today, the Board of Education’s attorney David L. Lewis suggests that Murtagh could be violating the law.

“The attempt to use economic blackmail to prevent the Board of Education from obtaining a legal determination is improper in all respects,” wrote Lewis, whose clients include former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.

“From hiding the books to ignoring subpoenas to denying the City’s right to know how the taxpayers’ money is being spent, the Board has time and time again demonstrated a breathtaking arrogance” Murtagh wrote in his response to Lewis’ letter. “Now they threaten an elected official simply for doing his job on behalf of the people he represents. This is the sort of thuggery we expect in third world countries and dictatorships but not in our own City. Silencing critics may have worked for Mr. Lewis’ other clients like General Noriega.  It won’t work for the Board of Education”.

Here is Murtagh’s letter:MURTAGH TO SCHOOL BOARD: IF PROTECTING THE TAXPAYERS IS A CRIME SEND ME TO JAIL…I’M A REPEAT OFFENDER!

Responding to a letter from the Yonkers School Board’s attorneys today accusing him of committing a crime and threatening to refer him to the District Attorney City Councilman John Murtagh (R-%) said: “ If protecting the taxpayers is a crime I plead guilty.  In fact lock me up without parole because if I’m released I’ll only do it again!”
In a letter dated November 24, 2009  (copy attached) the Board’s attorney David Lewis, whose clients have included convicted murderer Carolyn Warmus and Panamanian Dictator Manuel Noriega, accused Murtagh of attempting to “blackmail” the School Board by his statements that he would not support the Board’s request for $25 million in additional borrowing as long as the Board continued to deny the right of the Yonkers Inspector General to review how the Board spend taxpayer money.  The Board hired Lewis at the end of the summer to sue the Inspector General to prevent him from reviewing how it spends the money the City gives it in the budget.
Lewis’ letter also accuses Murtagh of committing the crime of “Coercion” in violation of NYS Penal Code Section 135.60 and threatens to go to the District Attorney to have Murtagh charged with a crime.
Murtagh said that Lewis’ letter was only the latest example of the complete disregard and disrespect that the Board of Education has shown to the taxpayers and their elected representatives. “From hiding the books to ignoring subpoenas to denying the City’s right to know how the taxpayers’ money is being spent, the Board has time and time again demonstrated a breathtaking arrogance” Murtagh said, “Now they threaten an elected official simply for doing his job on behalf of the people he represents. This is the sort of thuggery we expect in third world countries and dictatorships but not in our own City. Silencing critics may have worked for Mr. Lewis’ other clients like General Noriega.  It won’t work for the Board of Education”.