Earlier this year, the I-Team was the
first to report that an independent monitor ordered by Gov. Cuomo to
oversee the city’s embattled Administration for Children’s Services
began its work without a contract, charging pricey hourly fees — as much
as $550 per hour — to be billed to NYC taxpayers.
This
week, the I-Team obtained a copy of the first bill submitted to the
city by Kroll Associates, the private firm tasked with monitoring the
ACS.
After reviewing the first
series of invoices submitted by Kroll to ACS, the I-Team has learned
that every time the city’s new consultants talk about fixing the agency,
it costs taxpayers money. Just one meeting in Albany on March 7,
including travel and the review of necessary documents, cost taxpayers
$8,187.00.
The first bill shows
that Kroll has a dozen consultants on the case charging between $285 and
$550 per hour. The tab for the first month of services is $51,418.25,
which includes a 20% discount.
NYC Pays Big Money to Firm Tasked With Reforming ACS
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The
I-Team took the bill to the city comptroller, Scott Stringer. He said
he would open a review. “I am concerned that we are looking at large
fees but I have to follow the money and make sure those fees are
justified,” Stringer said.
The
bill was revised and resubmitted to the agency. Kroll originally billed
ACS $56,668.25, but the firm amended the invoice and reduced the hourly
charge for one of their subcontractors.
The
monitorship came as a result of Governor Cuomo, who called upon the de
Blasio administration to hire Kroll to serve as an independent monitor
for ACS after the death of 6-year old Zymere Perkins.
“Losing
a child is unbearable,” said former ACS Commissioner Gladys Carrion
after the deaths of several children in the care of ACS. Carrion stepped
down as head of the child welfare agency and the city moved towards
finding an independent monitor.
Russo
showed the first bill to the caseworkers’ union president, Anthony
Wells. “That is almost a year’s salary!” said Wells. When asked what he
thought of the price tag, Wells replied, “What most working people
think, that money could be better spent. What would help children is
enough workers.”
Wells shared
that he sees the benefit of the monitorship. “If their goal is to make
real recommendations I think that has a change to make a positive
impact,” Wells said.
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Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
Some
critics say that taxpayers already spent $3.1 billion a year on ACS and
the consultants are currently at work without a contract and an end
date.
Kroll Associate’s team has
conducted 18 monitorships, including of the DOJ and SEC. The team
includes the former New York State Inspector General Joseph Spinelli who
started his career with the FBI. Richard Faughnan is a managing
director at Kroll and is also a member of the team conducting the
monitorship. Faughnan is a former assistant U.S. attorney for the
Eastern District of New York.
To
contextualize Kroll’s first month’s tab, it is about the same cost as
what the agency spends to conduct just one of its 60,000 investigations.
WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE CRAZY PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT??? OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT BANGS OR BUCKS!!! LEAVE OUR CHILDREN ALONE BECAUSE YALL DONT GOT IT TOGETHER AND YOU DONT KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU ALL ARE DOING OBVIOUSLY AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO COME AND ATTACK INNOCENT PARENTS BECAUSE OF YOUR NEGLIGENCE. ACS IS A FRAUD. YOU ARE KNOWN AS KIDNAPPERS AND BABY-SNATCHERS!YOU SNATCH KIDS FOR MONEY MEANWHILE THE CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS WHO LOVE THEM! YOU CRAZY BASTARDS.
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