The convicted felon who gave $20,000 in bribes to former Suffolk Republican chairman John Powell has been quietly serving since February as a member of county's regional Solid Waste Task Force.
Michael Cholowsky was appointed to the commission even though he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government and testified in federal court that he bribed the GOP leader for better access to the Brookhaven landfill. At that trial, Powell's lawyers got Cholowsky to admit he lied on four years of tax returns and paid workers more than $100,000 off the books to save on taxes. He was sentenced to a year's probation.
Commission chair Carrie Meek Gallagher said she was unaware of Cholowsky's criminal past until she was sent newspaper clippings about it in the past two weeks. "If the name was John Powell I would have known," Gallagher said. She said her office did not vet the appointment because it came from the county legislature. She said the administration is trying to determine whether the appointment can be rescinded. Lawyers say Cholowsky can be removed only by a legislative resolution.
Rick Brand
"I don't think it's appropriate," she said, "It could taint all findings of the commission and overshadow any of the good work that could come out of it." Legis. Jay Schneiderman (R-Montauk) who made the appointment, said Cholowsky's criminal record "is news to me" and agreed his conviction "ought to disqualify" him from further service. He said that he named Cholowsky as an expert on hauling waste by rail because his company, EMJAY Recycling, has the only license for that kind of work.
Cholowsky did not return calls. Legis. Elie Mystal (D-Amityville) said, "It reminds me of the old computer term - GIGO - garbage in, garbage out."
Comments (4)
It is embarassing for both the legislator who recommended Mr. Cholowsky and Mr. Cholowsky himself but don't you think the last person who should be throwing stones is Elie "I'll get my gun and start shooting" Mystal?
Suffolk County sure seems 'mobbed' with criminal pollys who have many lives.
Cholowsky's got lots of interesting connections to government officials and environmentalists.
Crooks, they are all crooks and bums...we should fire them all