James Cavanaugh Resigns from the Battery Park City Authority

Former BPCA President Hired By State Lobbying Firm

James Cavanaugh Resigns from the Battery Park City Authority
James Cavanaugh Stands Accused of Squandering BPCA Funds

Despite being accused last month of squandering $300,000 in Battery Park City Authority funds on superfluous things like extravagant parties and lunches, former BPCA president Jim Cavanaugh is now gainfully employed at Empire Strategic Planning, a state lobbying firm.

Cavanaugh’s term as president of the BPCA spanned five years, but he stepped down from the post a month before he was accused of mismanaging finances and playing favorites; he is still eligible for retirement benefits. Cavanaugh labeled the Inspector General’s report about his activities as “nonsense” when it was released.

DNAInfo reports that Empire Strategic Planning was launched by former Republican Senator Nicholas Spano in 2007. Spano and Cavanaugh’s relationship dates back to when Cavanaugh served as Spano’s communications director early in his Senatorial career.

“With new leadership in Albany on both sides of the political aisle, this is a good time for the firm to expand our expertise and our staffing,” Spano said in a statement. “This is a particularly critical time for those seeking to navigate state and local governments, and we intend to be in a strong position to provide assistance to those who need it.”

Spano said that he is aware of the Inspector General’s report regarding Cavanaugh’s issues, but told The Daily News that he was not having reservations about hiring Cavanaugh.

What do you think of the accusations levied at Cavanaugh?