DiNapoli: Treasurer lined own pockets

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - A scathing state audit accuses a former Niagara County Treasurer of raiding estates to enrich his friends and family. The comptroller is recommending a criminal investigation.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's audit found former Niagara County Treasurer David Broderick's work as public administrator included shortcuts that resulted in lining the pockets of family and friends and that Broderick lacked professionalism.

His findings showed that Broderick used a non-competitive process for estate services, such as finding lawyers, appraisers, and real estate agents, and instead, hired friends and family, including his wife.

In an audit of 15 estates Broderick sold off, it showed three vehicles were sold to a deputy sheriff for $2,000, including a vintage 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo whose worth could have been as high as $38,000. Broderick also had used his County Secretary on occasion to do his private work on County time. Then there was an estate valued at nearly a half-million dollars.

"That included a house valued at more than $460,000, a house and estate, including a car. But the Treasurer sold the contents of that particular house for approximately $200," said DiNapoli.

But Broderick's lawyer George Muscato insists the former Treasurer has done nothing wrong.

"But the bottom line here is that none of the parcels of real estate paid a dime more than they would have had there been another realtor involved," said Muscato.

And while Muscato concedes Broderick could have handled the real estate services differently, using his wife's firm did not hurt the value of the property sold.

Muscato said, "In spite of the fact that his wife was the listing agent, the estate did not suffer, and that is the important part of this."

The State Comptroller has forwarded his findings to the Niagara County District Attorney for a possible criminal investigation. DiNapoli also included a number of recommendations for improving the public administrator's accountability and says county judges have already adopted some of them.