Hurricane Katrina

Rep. Gregory Meeks Blasted Bush Response to Hurricane Katrina

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 19:20

Meeks photoRep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), under scrutiny for raising money for Hurricane Katrina victims who never received the aid, harshly criticized the Bush administration response to the storm in 2005.

Meeks, along with 34 other House members, signed a September 7, 2005 letter to then-President Bush calling for the resignation of FEMA Director Michael Brown. The letter characterized the response as “haphazard and amateurish,” and alleged that it cost lives.

Federal prosecutors are now investigating New Direction Local Development Corporation, a nonprofit in which Meeks was deeply involved. On January 31, NLPC first alleged that funds raised for Katrina victims seemed to have disappeared, following our review of IRS returns, the New York state budget, and other documents.

Rep. Meeks Can’t Account for Hurricane Katrina Money; Puts Spotlight on Paterson/Flake Aqueduct Gambling Deal

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Sun, 02/07/2010 - 13:59

Flood GateNo one knows anything. As NLPC exposed last Sunday, a charity with which Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) is deeply involved, can’t account for funds raised for Hurricane Katrina victims. According to a front-page New York Post story today, Meeks claims the money was used “to help displaced evacuees,” but neither he nor anyone else involved with group can or will say how.

The contoversy over Meeks’ group, called New Direction Local Development Corporation, is fuel for the firestorm of surrounding the awarding by New York Governor David Paterson of a lucrative gambling franchise to Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) in which former Rep. Floyd Flake is an “investor.” Days later, Paterson met with Flake to discuss his support for Paterson’s re-election campaign. According to the Post:

Floyd Flake is extremely valuable to AEG because of his political clout in both Queens and New York state," said Ken Boehm, chairman of National Legal and Policy Center, a government watchdog group. "Now he appears to be dangling his support for the governor until AEG's bid is fully approved.

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