Councilmember Martinez Resigns in Slush-Fund Scandal

The city council's slush fund -- money earmarked for no purpose but the discretionary use of its members -- has gone largely under the radar since its discovery last year, and its desultory investigation has had many targets. Now councilmember Miguel Martinez has resigned over it. Liz Benjamin reports that the Upper Manhattan Council Assisting Neighbors (U-CAN), a non-profit on the board of which Martinez' sister served, was raided recently by the Department of Investigations; Martinez, who served Inwood and Washington Heights, is thought to have directed over half a million dollars in city funds to the now-defunct U-CAN. The New York Times said this morning that federal charges against Martinez were imminent, and Manhattan Times says Martinez has made a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time, of which we may presume resignation is a part.