“I am confident that CLM, the law firm hired to investigate Shelton Haynes and Gretchen Robinson, reached their conclusions a long time ago…”
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Whirlwind of Unknowns with Shelton Haynes
Whether you support RIOC President/CEO Shelton Haynes or not, the situation that’s developed is ugly and has been for a long time. A board investigation into multiple misconduct charges tops off years of unsettled outside investigations and lawsuits.
While neither the state nor RIOC’s board offer any insights for the community, the reasons, for some, are painfully obvious.
The mix…
“This is real malfeasance by the RIOC board,” an experienced RIOC watcher responded to yesterday’s article in The Daily. That covered inexplicable foot-dragging in investigating charges against Haynes and Chief Counsel Gretchen Robinson.
“I am confident that CLM, the law firm hired to investigate Haynes and Robinson, reached their conclusions a long time ago,” the observer added. “This isn’t exactly the case of the century.”
The same foot-dragging could be said about numerous investigations, most launched by the state’s Inspector General. Some have aged longer than last season’s table wines without resolution, good or bad.
Unfair to Shelton Haynes and everyone else?
That’s unfair and, as reported before, may be entangled with a range of lawsuits featuring similar complaints. Former RIOC employees – Karline Jean, Erica Spencer-EL, Arthur Eliav, Amy Smith, Jessica Cerone, Susan Rosenthal – have lawsuits pending against RIOC and/or Shelton Haynes.
Just as with the investigations, though, no lawsuit has ever reached conclusions of wrongdoing by Haynes or Robinson. Where some see management misconduct, others see strenuous efforts at taming an historically untamable state agency.
Multiple RIOC contacts, including those designated as information sources, have repeatedly declined comment based on pending litigation.
Finally…
How this mass of confusion and delay will spill out is anyone’s guess. But what’s clear is atrociously bad handling by RIOC’s board and its Albany handlers. Transparency went out the window with Governor Andrew Cuomo and landed in the muck with accountability under Governor Kathy Hochul.
Roosevelt Islanders deserve better but won’t get it. There’s not enough spine among the resident board members to push back against Albany incompetence.
