Disgraced former nonprofit exec received huge severance payment

Posted December 4, 2014 By Harry Stevens

A disgraced former executive of a nonprofit that receives millions of dollars of taxpayer money received a buyout worth more than $200,000, tax filings reveal.

Christiana Fisher, who as chief executive of Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council gave herself a $400,000 pay raise and provided investigators with falsified documents showing that RBSCC’s board had authorized the raise, left the organization with a severance package worth $206,250.

The package, which is described in RBSCC’s most recent tax filing, also included more than $15,000 for unused vacation and insurance coverage.

Fisher pleaded guilty to a criminal contempt charge in late 2012, agreeing to forfeit $170,659 of her pay raise. She was given a year of probation and was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine. She could have been sentenced to up to six months in prison.

RBSCC’s current CEO, James Cameron, who succeeded Fisher in 2012, declined to discuss details of Fisher’s buyout, which, in addition to containing a non-compete clause, released RBSCC from “any claims she may have had.”

“The agreement contains a confidentiality provision,” Cameron said, “and I am not at liberty to discuss specific claims with you.”

Fisher could not be reached for comment on the buyout.

RBSCC continues to receive millions of taxpayer dollars. RBSCC and its affiliated Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizen Homecare Council have collected nearly $40 million in city contracts since 2012, the year Fisher received her buyout.

Last year, current mayor Bill de Blasio, then public advocate, reportedly criticized the City Council after it gave more than $400,000 of taxpayer money to RBSCC. But the money keeps flowing—this year the council set aside $440,225 for RBSCC. It is the fourth-highest amount among all recipients of the council’s discretionary money.

“This points to the RBSCC being a very well connected organization in Brooklyn. It has strong political ties, and as a result has benefited by receiving large amounts of city and state funds,” Rachael Fauss, the public policy director at good government group Citizens Union, told The New York World in an email.

RBSCC was founded in 1973 by Vito Lopez, a former political powerhouse in the Brooklyn Democratic Party who resigned his state assembly seat after it was revealed that he had settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with two female staffers.

Lopez’s reported girlfriend, Angela Battaglia, also enjoyed a huge unauthorized pay bump while Fisher was in charge at RBSCC, though Battaglia was never implicated in the scheme. Battaglia still works at RBSCC, earning $243,414 in fiscal year 2012, according to tax filings.

RBSCC spokesman George Arzt said Lopez is no longer involved with RBSCC. “Vito does not have any special connection to this organization anymore,” Arzt said.

Arzt added that since Fisher’s departure, the organization has instituted changes aimed at preventing a similar scandal from happening in the future.

“Changes have been made to RBSCC’s corporate governance,” Arzt said. “RBSCC has a new Board of Directors, an engaged Audit Committee and Finance Committee, among other oversight mechanisms.”

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<h1>Disgraced former nonprofit exec received huge severance payment</h1>A disgraced former executive of a nonprofit that receives millions of dollars of taxpayer money received a buyout worth more than $200,000, tax filings reveal.
Christiana Fisher, who as chief executive of Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council gave herself a $400,000 pay raise and provided investigators with falsified documents showing that RBSCC’s board had authorized the raise, left the organization with a severance package worth $206,250.
The package, which is described in <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/112/453/2013-112453853-0a687353-9.pdf');" href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/112/453/2013-112453853-0a687353-9.pdf">RBSCC’s most recent tax filing</a>, also included more than $15,000 for unused vacation and insurance coverage.
Fisher <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2012/former-executive-director-of-brooklyn-not-for-profit-pleads-guilty-in-manhattan-federal-court-to-criminal-contempt');" href="http://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2012/former-executive-director-of-brooklyn-not-for-profit-pleads-guilty-in-manhattan-federal-court-to-criminal-contempt">pleaded guilty</a> to a criminal contempt charge in late 2012, agreeing to forfeit $170,659 of her pay raise. She <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2013/former-executive-director-of-brooklyn-not-for-profit-sentenced-for-contempt-of-court');" href="http://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2013/former-executive-director-of-brooklyn-not-for-profit-sentenced-for-contempt-of-court">was given</a> a year of probation and was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine. She could have been sentenced to up to six months in prison.
RBSCC’s current CEO, James Cameron, who succeeded Fisher in 2012, declined to discuss details of Fisher’s buyout, which, in addition to containing a non-compete clause, released RBSCC from “any claims she may have had.”
“The agreement contains a confidentiality provision,” Cameron said, “and I am not at liberty to discuss specific claims with you.”
Fisher could not be reached for comment on the buyout.
RBSCC continues to receive millions of taxpayer dollars. RBSCC and its affiliated Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizen Homecare Council have collected nearly $40 million in city contracts since 2012, the year Fisher received her buyout.
Last year, current mayor Bill de Blasio, then public advocate, <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/bill-de-blasio-hits-christine-quinn-council-funding-vito-lopez-nonprofit-blog-entry-1.1695255');" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/bill-de-blasio-hits-christine-quinn-council-funding-vito-lopez-nonprofit-blog-entry-1.1695255">reportedly criticized</a> the City Council after it gave more than $400,000 of taxpayer money to RBSCC. But the money keeps flowing—this year the council set aside $440,225 for RBSCC. It is the fourth-highest amount among all recipients of the council’s discretionary money.
“This points to the RBSCC being a very well connected organization in Brooklyn. It has strong political ties, and as a result has benefited by receiving large amounts of city and state funds,” Rachael Fauss, the public policy director at good government group Citizens Union, told The New York World in an email.
RBSCC was founded in 1973 by Vito Lopez, a former political powerhouse in the Brooklyn Democratic Party who resigned his state assembly seat after it was revealed that he had settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with two female staffers.
Lopez’s reported girlfriend, Angela Battaglia, also enjoyed a huge unauthorized pay bump while Fisher was in charge at RBSCC, though Battaglia was never implicated in the scheme. Battaglia still works at RBSCC, earning $243,414 in fiscal year 2012, according to tax filings.
RBSCC spokesman George Arzt said Lopez is no longer involved with RBSCC. “Vito does not have any special connection to this organization anymore,” Arzt said.
Arzt added that since Fisher’s departure, the organization has instituted changes aimed at preventing a similar scandal from happening in the future.
“Changes have been made to RBSCC’s corporate governance,” Arzt said. “RBSCC has a new Board of Directors, an engaged Audit Committee and Finance Committee, among other oversight mechanisms.”

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