MaraLuz Corado ran for a position on the scandal-plagued haredi-controlled East Ramapo school board on the pro-haredi "proxy" slate made up of three non-Jews, one of whom who had an exceedingly brief tenure on the county's planning board – one meeting, in fact – where he voted for a controversial haredi project allegedly without studying the data about it and then abruptly resigned. But Corado's story is even more suspect. Here's why.
MaraLuz Corado, an Evangelical Christian, ran for a position on the scandal-plagued haredi-controlled East Ramapo school board on the pro-haredi "proxy" slate made up of three non-Jews, one of whom who had an exceedingly brief tenure on the county's planning board – one meeting, in fact – where he voted for a controversial haredi project allegedly without studying the data about it and then abruptly resigned. But Corado's story is even more suspect, as was reported last month:
• Corado registered to vote in Ramapo just five days before the school board election.
• The address she used when registering to vote, the same address she put on her candidate's petition, is 89 W. Maple Avenue.
• 89 W. Maple Avenue is the address of the Community Synagogue of
Monsey. It has no visable residential entrance. Property tax exemption
documents clearly state that the building can only be used as a house of
worship.
• A member of the synagogue told Newsday that someone
with a "Spanish" name was the "super" (caretaker) of the synagogue.
Inside, directed reporters to a door marked "private" and stairs that
led to a second story.
• Mail addressed to Corado's husband Joel was stacked on those steps.
• No one answered the second floor door. Reporters could not determine whether there was a residence on that floor or not.
• Corado is actively involved at La Iglesia Del Reino Church in Spring Valley, where her husband is a pastor.
• Public records show that Corado has (or had) an addresss in Ozone Park, Queens. A man at that two-story, two-family home who refused to identify himself claimed that he owns the building and that Corado "doesn't live here. Why would you be looking for her [here]? There's no Corado here. There's never been a Corado here."
• She refuses to speak to the press or return emails or phone calls, despite promises from her fellow slate members that she would.
Now Corado has failed to show up for her swearing-in ceremony, allegedly because she is on a "family vacation."
Of course, the suspicion – growing exponentially each day – is that Corado, Bernard Charles Jr. and Pierre Germain, who ran with Corado and won the three open seats on the nine-member haredi-dominated board (the six sitting members are all haredi or Orthodox) are nothing more than proxies for the haredi community.
In most jurisdictions outside of heavily corrupt areas like New York State and especially Rockland County, the type of behavior shown by Charles and Corado would have already led to a state investigation.
But this is New York State, where Satmar and other haredi bloc voting communities carry influence far, far outside their numbers.
New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, has long been thought to be in Satmar's pocket, and his recent behavior regarding a no-bid sweetheart deal for the massive Williamsburg Armory and his many closed-door (and even secret) meetings with haredi leaders regarding circumcision-metzitzah-b-peh and other issues do nothing to dispel that impression.
And now Cuomo and New York State's Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have appointed an anti-corruption investigative committee.
Named to that committee is Rockland County's highly suspect District Attorney Thomas Zugibe, the DA of what is arguably the most corrupt county in the state after Kings (Brooklyn).
There are those who argue that Zugibe is the second most corrupt DA in New York State.
Who is the most corrupt DA?
By most accounts, it is Brooklyn's own Charles J. Hynes.
Related Posts:
Haredi Bloc Vote Elects Pro-Haredi School Board Slate In East Ramapo As Corruption Appears To Spread.
More Evidence Of Haredi Corruption.
Is New East Ramapo School Member A Haredi Proxy And Sham?
Index Of Posts On The Haredi-Controlled East Ramapo School Board.
[Hat Tip: Devorah.]