Another Guilty Plea

  Drew Scott

 We've read about many former public officials pleading guilty to corruption charges, and Thursday yet another one made the news. Alan Binder, former Suffolk county legislator who once campaigned for the United States Congress and served in the Suffolk Legislature for 15 years, admitted easing the way for his friend Neil Trabich to win county golf contracts at the Northport VA and at Bergen Point.

Binder declined to give me a comment, but his defense attorney Benjamin Brafman told me the bribery event occurred more than 12 years ago, adding that Binder is no longer a public official and is a fundamentally decent citizen. Apparently the judge thought so as well, and accepted the guilty plea with a sentence of five years probation, and no jail time.

Many of Binder's former constituents however were shocked by the lenient treatment saying he got off easy. One of them was Franco at the Gentlemen's Barber Shop in Huntington.        

 Another, Debbie from the district says we've heard about Madoff and Cosmo and now this, "it's disgusting".

 In the past couple of years, there have been half a dozen guilty pleas from a Town Supervisor, councilmen, commissioners, another Legislator (Wayne Prospect) and now Binder. "We've lost trust," said another Huntington resident.  

Comments

[John]

Ah. Thanks for the information, Steve. That makes much more sense, and yes, one would think that when the governments are asking for more of our money, they wouldn't be giving pensions to criminals.

Cough--Convicted criminals, I mean...

[Steve Mc.]

The bribery started in 1996 and continued in one form or another until 2006. We should all feel outraged by the fact that He is allowed to keep his pension and benefits by retiring before pleading guilty to the charges. It makes me boil that public figures can misuse their official positions for their personal gain and still be entitled to health benefits and a monthly pension check for the rest of his life. That's the real crime.

[John]

Not to hide the severity of yet another government official violating the public trust, but aren't there bigger fish to fry than a couple of skewed golf contracts from over a decade ago? Wasn't everybody pretty happy with the work and the cost?

And isn't the statute of limitations for bribery only five years? How could he be convicted at all?