Investigative Post

  A public relations firm cast in a bad light by its no-bid contract with the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority that paid up to $325 an hour is walking away from the work. Eric Mower + Associates sent the BMHA a letter today (Friday) saying it won’t compete for the new contract the authority put out to [...]

The crime – or at least the appearance of one – is out there in plain sight. The intended victim is prepared to testify. But the investigators are nowhere to be found; not even curious, they say. Prosecutors and Board of Election officials agree that state election law prohibits the offering of public employment in [...]

Craig Rogers is an associate professor of economics at Canisius College. Beyond his academic credentials, he has a wealth of experience in urban economics thanks to his stints with the college’s Center for Entrepreneurship and  the Office of Urban Initiatives. Rogers, 47, is a native of Niagara Falls. He earned undergraduate degrees in economics and business administration [...]

By Jeremy Izzio and Dan Telvock The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, the city’s biggest landlord, is ignoring a City Charter requirement that mandates recycling at apartment buildings and other multi-family housing units. As a result, roughly 500 tons of recyclable materials end up in a landfill each year, costing the city both money and an [...]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver are among those who have gone on record in favor of tougher enforcement of election laws and other statutes aimed at promoting ethical conduct on the part of public officials. The catalyst to these calls has been two recent high-profile corruption cases that snared [...]

Jeremy Zellner, elected in September chairman of the Erie County Democratic Party in a contentious race, represents a departure for a party usually led by a grizzled veteran in the vein of Joe Crangle, Jim Sorrentino or Len Lenihan. Zellner, 35, has worked in party headquarters since 2005, including a three year stint as executive [...]

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has emerged as a leading critic of local economic development practices. Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney interviewed Poloncarz on April 2 to discuss his concerns in-depth. A 4 minute, 8 second video clip featuring the highlights of that interview is posted above. The full 21 minute, 37 second interview is posted [...]

Governor Andrew Cuomo a month ago announced a project to reconfigure traffic routes leading to and from the Peace Bridge as all but a done deal. Not so fast. The $22 million project faces a review that officials want to expedite to finish in a year. Part of the process involves something that project planners [...]