Health Department Forms Folder 0038, 2000-2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

AUG-23-2000 1755 MAYOR'S OFF. OF CONTRACTS P.02/20

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR OFFICE OF CONTRACTS 1

253 Broadway. 9th Floor New York. New York 10007 (212)788.0010 CLAUDE M. MILLMAN a p~ Director

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August 22, 2000

Mr. John Graham. Director Office of Contract Administration Office of the Comptroller I Centre Street New York, N.Y. 10007

Re: Contract Between the Department of Health and the East Harlem Council for Human Services, Inc. for Case Management Regarding the Childhood Asthma Critical Event Response System in East Harlem Contract # 20010004849

Dear Mr. Graham:

I am responding to your letter to Larry Wolf, the Agency Chief Contracting Officer of the Department of Health, dated August 22, 2000. Your letter demands "all documents relating to the arrest and conviction of Elizabeth Sanchez, the current chief executive director of East Harlem Council [for Human Services, Inc.]" to which you claim entitlement under the "Procurement Policy [sic} rules."

The Recommendation for Award and supporting documentation submitted to your office on July 24, 2000, disclosed that Ms- Sanchez was convicted of a federal misdemeanor on October 8, 1998 for theft/embezzlement of government funds. Notwithstanding the fact that this conviction did not arise out of Ms. Sanchez's work with the East Harlem Council for Human Services, Inc., or on any government contract, the Department of Health considered the matter a serious integrity issue. After concluding that refusing to contract with the vendor would adversely affect the children of East Harlem and jeopardize its efforts to protect the children of New York City from asthma, the Department of Health agreed to do so on the condition that Ms. Sanchez be separated from the Department's work through a "firewall,' which is described in detail in the submissions already filed with your office. The Department of Health also minimized the City's risk of dealing with Ms. Sanchez by limiting the contract term to the time necessary to effectuate its asthma initiative. The Department of Investigation has reviewed this

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NYC-WTC 000138184