Declaration of Dennis Walsh

8/11/2019 Declaration of Dennis Walsh

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UN ITE D S TA TE S DIST RI CT CO URTS OU TH ER N DIS TRI CT OF N W Y O RK

U NI TED ST AT ES OF AM ERIC A,

v.

x

Plaintiff

9Civ. 57 22 RM B )

DIS T RI CT C O UNCI L OF N W Y ORK TY

A ND VICI NITY O F THE U NI TE DB R OT H E RH O OD OF C AR PE NT ERS AN D

J OINER S O F A MERI C A, t al.

Def endant s .x

DEC L ARAT ION O F D EN NIS M. WAL S H

Pur suan t t o the pro vision s o f 28 U.S. C. 1 746 Denn i s M. als h Es q. decla re s un der

penal ty of er jury t ha t the f ol lowin g is tru e and corre ct:

1. I a m the Revi ew Off icer ap point ed pu r s uant t o the J une 20 10 Stip ul ation a nd Ord er in

t his mat ter. I am f ully fami li ar wi th the te rms of he Sti pulatio n and Or der ha vi ng re vi ewed i t

many t imes havi ng part ici pate d in meeti ngs wi t h the part ie s i.e . the govern ment a nd the

Distric t Counci l in t he mont hs pr e c eding it s fina l ization and hav ing s erved as Re vi ew Off icer

for ove r fo ur year s.

2. During the p e riod when th e Stipu l ation and Or der wa s being drafte d I wa s pres en t at

meet ing s with r eprese ntative s o f the gove r nment a nd th e Dist r ict Council as wel l as wi t h

r eprese ntative s of he Benefi t Fun ds. I underst ood fro m par tic ipat ion in th o se meet ings th at an

imp et us f or the ne w Stipu lation and Or der wa s the i ndictme nt of ndiv idu als inv olved with t he

Distri ct Counci l i nc l udin g its hig hest e le cted of ficial Ex ecu tive Se cretar y-Trea s urer Micha el

For de who also s er ved a s a t ru stee o f he B en efit Fund s. I als o unders t ood fr om par t icipat i on in

t hose meet ing s that the go vernm en t soug ht to pr ovide expan ded aut hority to the Court - a ppoint e d

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off i cer , i nclu ding th e ab ilit y to ve t o Distr ict Cou ncil off icer s a nd emplo ye es , i n orde r t o

e lim i nat e ong oi ng cor ru pt io n. The Dis tric t Cou nci l ult i mate l y ag reed t o t his ve t o aut hori ty . Th e

Bene fi t Fund s di d no t ag re e t o t he veto auth orit y, r es ul ti ng in t he l angu age af f ord in g t he Revi ew

Off i ce r wi t h p owe r to rev i ew Fu nds' t ru st ee s a nd pe rs on ne l an d pr ov i de wri t ten noti ce t o th e

Fun d s r eg ar di ng th e f ind i ng s, le a vin g t f or t he Fun ds to t ake wha teve r a ct io n th ey d ee med

merite d.

3. Th e wher e as lau ses of he f i nal iz ed an d f ul ly e xec u ted Sti pula tion and Or der s et fo rth

th e hi sto r y o f c on ti nu in g corr upti on in vo lv in g t he Dist r ict Coun c i l, incl udin g t he note d

in d i ct me nt of Mr. Ford e, con s ist ent wit h di sc ussi on i n th e a f or emen t io ne d mee ti ngs I at te nded .

A whe re as cla use s imil arly ref l ect s th at, base d u p on t his hi st ory , th e pr e s en c e a nd acti vi ty o f

an in depe nde nt co urt -a pp oi nt ed of fice r gran t ed po wer s b e yo nd t ho se pr ov i ded to the

Ind epen den t In vest igat or i n th e De ce mber 2 0 02 Stip ulat ion a nd Ord e r a nd th e Aug ust 20 0 5

Order . . .a re esse ntia l t o the era dica t ion of c orr upti on a nd r ac k e te er in g as th e y affec t uni on

c ar pe nt e rs and uni on emplo yers . Stip ulat ion an d Or der at 3. Thi s n w c ourt -ap poin t ed offic er

wi th exp and e d powe rs was n a med t he Rev i ew Of fic e r a nd I wa s ap po i nted t o serv e as Re vi e w

Office r.

4. From th e inc e pt i on o f my e nu r e on June 3, 20 10 , ha ve exe rcis ed t he auth orit y pr o vi d e d

t o me a s Rev i ew Off i cer pu r su a nt t o th e Stip ulat i on and Ord er , inc l ud i ng t he Rev i ew an d

Over s igh t Au th or it y se t f orth in par a gr a ph 5. b. I re a d th e la ngu age of ubp a ra gr ap hs 5. b.i 3) a nd

5 b iii t o empow er th e Rev i ew Off i cer to vet o th e s erv i ce o f, or r e mov e f r om off i ce, Dist r ict

Counc i l i nc lu di ng lo c al uni on) ffi cers and emp loy ees who , n my vi e w, h a ve bee n in vol ved in

an a c t o f a ck et ee ri ng , as s oci a tio n wi t h a barr ed per so n, vi ola t ion of la w or a Court orde r i n th is

c ase, br e ac h o f i du ci ar y du t y or co ndu ct in cons i ste nt wi t h t he Stipu lati on a nd Or de r .


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5. I re ad the la nguag e of s ubp ar ag rap h 5.b. ii( 3) a nd 5. b.iii t o aff ord m more limi ted po wer

with r esp ec t to Bene fit Funds' trus te es a nd pe r sonn e l, i.e. if u pon r ev iew I fin d a t rustee or

e mploy ee t o have viola ted a stric t ure of .b, I mus t prov i de wr itten not ic e of my in dings to th e

Fun ds, ath er t han vetoi ng and remov ing t he per so n f r om offic e mysel f s I am emp owe r ed t o do

with r espec t to Distri ct Cou ncil office rs an d emp l oyee s pu r s uant to s ubpar a grap hs 5.b. i( 3) a nd

5.b.iii .

6. I vie w t he Re vi ew an d Ov ersigh t Aut h or i ty se t fo rth in para graph 5.b a s stru ct ural l y and

co ncept ua ll y dis tinc t from th e Dis cip lin ar y Aut h or i ty se t f or th i n par a graph 5.f ( a s wel l as fr om

the authori t y to det e rmin e whethe r member s are qua lifi ed to run fo r of fi ce und e r pa ragra ph 5, k).

o me , he l a ngua ge o f su bp ara gr aph 5. f furt her demonstrat es tha t t he Re vi ew a nd Ov ersigh t

Aut h or it y and Di scip li nar y Aut h or it y ar e s epa ra te an d dist inct. Pu rsu an t t o pa r a grap h 5.f the

Distr i ct Coun cil wa s re quire d to pr ovid e m with propo s ed pr oced ures f or dis cip lin in g of f icers ,

e mploy ee s, ge nts, r epre s entat i ves a nd me mbe rs o f he Dist r ict Coun cil f or miscon duct nclud ing

viola t ion o f fede ral, sta te or loc al l a w; uni on rul es , by laws , or cons tit uti ona l pro vis ion s; th e

Consen t Dec re e or oth e r co urt ord er ; or an y ac tio n fu r theri ng or th r ea teni ng t o f ur ther the

i ntere s ts o f orga nized crim e . In turn , I was respo nsibl e fo r revi e wing t he pr op o se d pr oc edur e s.

Th e pr o cedur es most r ec entl y appr oved by me , and curre ntly i n use by th e Dist ri ct Counci l , are

the Di stri c t Cou ncil of Ne w Yo r k an d Vic init y Tri al Proc e dure s (or Tri al Pr ocedu r es ) t hat

went nt o effe ct in Aug us t 201 3 an d ar e i nc lu d ed as Exh ib i t 15 t o my even th In t erim Repo r t.

7. Acc ordi ng to t he la nguag e of he Tria l Pr ocedu r es, a nd as I have se en f rom t heir

op e ratio n in pr act ice , ch ar ge s f or mi s con du ct sp ecifie d i n para graph 5. f ar e lo dg ed by a member

of he Distr ict Counci l , or it s Insp ector Gener a l I G ), ga ins t anot her membe r of he Dis t rict

Co uncil . I hav e nev er uti lized t he cu rr ent Tr ial Pro ced ur es and us ed t ho se origi nally i mplem e nted

( with c arpe nt ers servi ng as j uror s ) on onl y a few oc casi ons in whic h I wa s seek i ng t o h ave


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indi vi dua ls fi ned and exp el led fr om th e unio n. Dis cip li ne under th e Tr ial Pr oc e du re s prim ar ily

f uncti ons as an on going , ou t iniz ed i nt ra-u nion pr oc es s to adj udi ca te c harge s by uni on membe rs,

or t he un ion s IG, gains t uni on memb ers . t is dif fere nt than t he ve to aut horit y I am uth orize d

to e mplo y when , n my is cre tio n c onduc t by a n ele c ted of ficer requ ir es me o r emov e him .

8. I have e xerci sed my ve to au thori t y wit h res pect to Distric t Cou ncil ( incl uding loc al

union) ffici als on se ver al oc c asio ns, the firs t t ime earl y in my enu re , wi th the ve t oe s of es s r s.

Will oughb y, Ho l t an d Da ly, a nd th e la st t ime, t o date i n Ma y 20 13, with th e vet o of t hen

Execut i ve Se c reta r y-Tr e asur e r Mic hae l Bilel l o. I i ssue d ot h er Not ic e s of Veto in be t ween ,

incl uding the vet oes

of Pa tr i ck Ne e as pre s iden t of Local 157 and a s a de l egat e and o f Le v y

Me ssin e tti a s re co rd i ng secr e tary o f Loc a l 1 5 7 an d as a delega t e. Neit h er the govern ment nor th e

Dis trict Counc il has ob j e cted t o my se o f he veto authori ty to r emov e off i cehol ders; t he y have

not l odged obje ct ions i n pr oceed ings before the Cou rt rega rd ing my ve to e s a nd th ey ha ve not

ob jecte d to me pe rson a lly re ga r di ng th e ve t oes . Duri ng Fr an k Sp encer s t e nure as U BC

Superv is o r f or th e Distr i ct Counci l , I r outin e ly for warde d No t ices o f Ve to t o h im , ne ver

r e ceiv i ng an y obj e ctio n fro m him t o my xe r ci se of he ve to au tho rit y. y wa y of e xa mple, in

Apr il 20 11 wh en I ve t oe d Lawr enc e D Er ri c o as th e Dis t rict Co unc il s Dir e ctor of Operat io ns ,

Mr. Spen c er did no t object (nor did Local 157) . See Exhibi t 7 o my Sec ond In t erim Repor t

(No t ice of Ve t o ad dress e d to Mr. D En i co an d to Mr. Sp en c er , as Sup er v is or ) . In t he Bi lello

ma tter , the gove r nme n t spe cifica l ly wr ot e to the Cour t to e xp re s s i ts view th at I h ad proper ly

exer c ised my ve t o autho r ity. un derst a nd t his hi s tory of ac cepta nce b y th e part ies o f my

e xe rc i se of he ve to aut horit y to fu rt her co nf irm th eir in te nt f or me o us e the author i ty to remo ve

Dis trict Counc il of f icers f r om offi ce pu rs u an t to para graph 5.b of he Stipu l ation a nd Order.

9. In t he ti me si nce I ve t oe d Mes srs . ee a nd Mes sinet ti fr o m th e pos i tions th e y held on

Ju ne 26, 2 01 2, Local 1 57 ha s con ducte d a n umber of e lec tio ns. t held a Feb rua ry 20 , 20 1 3


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el ecti on t o i l l the i r posit ions , al t ho ugh Mes s rs . Ne e an d Messine tt i di d no t r un i n t hat elect ion.

Mess rs . Ne e a nd Mesin et t i di d run i n su bs eq ue nt ele ct io ns . O n J une 19 2 0 13 , Loca l 157 he l d a

re gu la r e lec t ion fo r dele gate s a nd Mes sr s . ee and Mess ine t ti ran and won . I n F e br ua ry 2014 ,

th a t e l ect i on wa s re -r un fo r a re ason hav ing to do with the eli gi bil i ty of a no th er memb er a nd

Mes sr s . Ne e a nd Me ssi nett i ag a in r an f or, and w e re e lec t ed a s, de l egat es. On June 19 20 14,

Loc a l 15 7 he ld a r eg ul ar ele c tio n f or off icer s, t he tr i l c ommit te e a nd o n e vac a nt de l eg at e s pot.

Mr. Messin e tt i r an to be a tru s tee and wo an d Mr. ee r an t o b e fi na nci a l s ecre tary and los t.

Bot h Mes srs . Ne e an d Messin etti cur rent ly re mai n i n pla c e as de l ega t es.

10. My e t oe s di d not pre ve n t Mes sr s. Ne e a nd Messinetti

fro m ru nni ng f or Distri ct Counc i l

or loca l un i on off ic e th ereaf ter, or f r om s ub s e qu e nt l y ho l di n g s uch posit i ons .

Dated: Ne w York , Ne w Yo rkAugu s t 12 20 14

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Declaration of Dennis Walsh