Brian Davis finally fesses up

Ineptitude in city government is a given. But corruption, in the form of an honest-to-goodness plea or conviction is rare, rare, rare in City Hall.

That makes Common Council Member Brian Davis' plea today to criminal charges that he pocketed campaign contributions and used them for personal purposes and then lied to the state Board of Elections about it particularly scandalous.

I picked the brains of some old-timers and while mayors Steven Pankow and Chester Kowal were indicted in the 1950s and 1960s respectively, they were never convicted.

The no-show job scandal during the final term of Mayor Frank Sedita in the early 1970s did not result in legal action.

The Parks Department scandal in the late 1980s and early 1990s under Jimmy Griffin resulted in Parks Commissioner Bob Delano going to jail, and the mayor's brother Tommy served time for property tax fraud in Florida, but neither episode landed hizzoner in court.

So, it's been more than a half-century since an elected official in Buffalo has been guilty of a crime - in the eyes of the legal system, anyway. Think about that, given how screwed up City Hall has been for, well, forever, or at least since Grover Cleveland was in office?

The only thing I find surprising about Davis' fall from grace is how quickly it happened.

I reported in April that he was a deadbeat, followed up in May with a report that he had doctored his credentials, and BAM! -- six months later he's plead guilty to charges that are probably going to lead to his removal from office.

Suffice to say, District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III didn't waste time.

Although Davis took a deep breath today and pleaded guilty, it doesn't mean his legal troubles are necessarily over.

He's also still got the FBI sniffing around the One Sunset scandal, in which he played a role, first helping to secure city funding for the project and later writing a check to cover the rent Brian Davis that bounced.

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Comments

[Mike]

Sweet! Can the Mayor be next?

[Giovanni Centurione]

Bout time they arrested this criminal. I don't understand how this guy actually thought he was "Untouchable" for so long. The mayor should be next! They just arrested about a dozen mayors and politics all over the state of New Jersey over this past summer. Time for NEW YORK to do the same, starting in ERIE COUNTY!!!

[mike the meatball]

Why did Amodeo arraign Davis when he is not in intake or a rotating criminal intake judge?
Amodeo is a close friend of Sedita the judge and also Brown..smells like another Amodeo closer deal...arraign the politicians and give them the typical liberal light inappropriate sentence...only this time he is doing it in public and not behind close doors...as is his method for years!
It seems that Sedita vindicates and attempts to strike...but he is assured that the mark gets off easy...so goes Buffalo corrupt politics...even in the justice system.

[Maxwell]

I expect that Mayor Brown will now name Brian Davis the new Deputy Superintendent of Buffalo Parks.

[Bob Crotchetty]

Wait, the almighty Snooze is triumphing catching a City Hall "criminal" for two misdemeanors involving $2000 -- which DA Frank Sedita said was absolutely the max Davis could get -- as some sort of example of crusading journalism? LMAO. There are deals made every day for 10 or 100 times that. Get out of the Dark Ages. Oh, wait, you ARE the Dark Ages.

[Lamarfish]

What a surprise, a corrupt local official! In my eyes the majority of our elected servants over the past forty years or so have lost sight of the purpose of why they were elected in the first place. The corrupt nepotistic, narcissists that have allowed our area to sink into the economic dire straits that is now WNY, have never been held accountable for their disgraceful self serving ways, until this guy comes along. I am disgusted with the entire political scene here, which all started with Joe Crangle and his buddies and now has a stranglehold on the majority of the county, one that has sucked the economic, financial and employment life out of a once vital and thriving area. Take a look at and compare the situation here and that of Pittsburgh and you learn that crises and formidable obstacles can be averted with ethical, intelligent leadership who have worked hand-in-hand in union with the local business community and move forward with prosperity for it's citizens. Just look at the number of failed, incomplete or overdue projects that have either been stalled or completely abandoned here, Peace Bridge, the harbor mess, the aud and the Donovan Bldg, all due to our local pols that interfere with or completely obstruct these things because of their greed.

[gravedancer]

Now that you have patted yourself on the back for raising this issue in April and May with Davis convicted in 6 months, how about asking the Mayor and Chief of Police how the investigation on that "non-hate crime" beating is going? Hellooooooo...anyone there?