Delaware County and Otsego County taxpayers - take action against misuse of your hard-earned tax money by the privileged politically connected attorney Ellen Coccoma, wife of judge Michael Coccoma

According to my information, Ellen Coccoma, wife of Chief Administrative Judge of Upstate New York Michael Coccoma used the public building at 111 Main Street, Delhi, NY for a deposition for her private clients without paying rent to the Delaware County.

I reported this instance to the New York State Comptroller and requested to check how the Delaware County grants free use of public property, on what grounds, and whether grounds upon which such use was granted, were legal.

As far as I know, Ellen Coccoma had no court order granting her FREE use of the public building at 111 Main Street, Delhi, NY.

This is not the first time Ellen Coccoma made "arrangements" for free use of public property located in Delhi.

Her first choice was Delhi Town Court, then the Delaware County Courthouse, now Delaware County building.

Ellen Coccoma obtained orders from two judges, both subordinates of her husband, for depositions at public buildings.  Yet, upon close inspection of the orders, none of the orders allowed Ellen Coccoma or her private clients FREE use of such public buildings.

So, as a taxpayer, I call other taxpayers to action:

1) Write, as I did, to the New York State Comptroller to investigate how does it happen that Delaware County gives free use of public property to a private attorney, wife of a powerful judge, on orders made by subordinates of attorney's husband; 

2) How does it happen that Delaware County does not appeal orders of depositions at their buildings made without notice to them or opportunity to intervene;

3) Write, as I did, to the U.S. Attorney General investigating corruption in New York State government who already indicted two top legislators in New York - Majority Leader of the Senate Dean Skelos and (now) former Leader of the Assembly Sheldon Silver, buddy and benefactor of NYS Chief Judge Lippman - ask to investigate the extent of these "free donations" by local counties to politically connected wealthy private attorneys and to their clients.

4) Write, as I did, to the Delaware County Treasurer and DEMAND that the Treasurer should demand payment from Ellen Coccoma.

By the way, Ellen Coccoma is also a full-time (I stress it, a full-time) County Attorney for Otsego County, and all of her daytime belongs to Otsego County taxpayers.  

I am one of at least five witnesses to the fact that at 10:00 am today Ellen Coccoma was in Delhi, NY representing private clients, instead of doing her job as the full-time salaried Otsego County Attorney.

As the full-time Otsego County Attorney of many years, Ellen Coccoma should know better than (1) to work for private clients during her time paid for by Otsego County taxpayers, and (2) to use public buildings in another county for the benefit of her private clients without paying for such use.

So, I believe, taxpayers of Otsego County may also want to make inquiries with its County government to verify how does it happen that the County allows its full-time salaried officers and/or employees to work on private jobs on the side during taxpayer-paid time? 

My belief is that Otsego County taxpayers are entitled to return of the portions of Ellen Coccoma's salary paid to her while she was in court on private cases, and an investigation as to how much of the taxpayer-funded time she spent representing her private clients should start immediately.

PS  This post was written in the State of New York.  The time of postings on the blog is stamped in accordance with the Pacific Time (California), where the blog's host server is located.

So, when this blog post showed that it was posted at 10:18 am, it was posted in reality at 1:18 pm New York time.