Lawrence gray was a prosecutor that has had notable success prosecuting corrupt public officials in the city of New York and seems to have a keen sense of smell when dealing with official corruption. As our guest this morning, Mr Gray was forthcoming and  disturbing. Disturbing if you think your public officials are always doing things in the best interests of the people they serve. He gave the example of how the highway departments in the various towns have enormous economic power. The highway department has the responsibility of buying goods and services, such as asphalt concrete, lumber and a number of other commodities. Strangely the contributors of the parties political campaigns also get the contracts to do business with the town. This is not confined to a specific town. It’s just the way the system operates, and it is corrupt. 

Gray did get specific about the town of Smithtown only because that is the town in which he lives, and he is most familiar with the antics that are practiced there. He was involved in exposing the malfeasance of a former highway superintendent, Edmund Lynch. An investigation into Lynch uncovered by Gray showed the  direct correlations of money donated to bids let. Lynch was prosecuted for the various charges against him.

And don’t rely on local newspapers, according to Mr. Gray. These journals are the handmaiden to the corrupt politicos because they derive so much revenue from the legal notices that every town uses. One of the local newspapers is run by David Ambro, and that newspaper has been rewarded handsomely and as a result, they have been the chorus for what ever comes out of town hall. Having two newspapers does not seem to matter either. He calls them Pravda and Izvestia.

In listening to this, I was trying to determine if it was the Republicans of whom he was most critical, but as he spoke further, he was clear that he was no kinder to the Democrats. "Corruption is to New York what racism is to Mississippi" and then he said that remark was unfair to Mississippi. Gray quoted John Mc Laughlin when he asked his panel one Sunday morning, "What posses the most danger to America?" the answer "Official corruption, bye bye"