Lesley Brovner and Mark Peters Presented a Celesq West LegalEdcenter CLE program on the Importance of Oversight of the CARES Act and Beyond
On June 15, Lesley Brovner and Mark Peters presented a Celesq West LegalEdcenter CLE program on “The Importance of Oversight of the CARES Act and Beyond.”
The program explored the potential for fraud related to the CARES act and the need for vigilant monitoring by government Inspectors General. Lesley and Mark reviewed the history and jurisdiction of both the federal IG movement and New York City’s Department of Investigation. They examined fraud and government responses in other comparable spending programs as well as discussed current investigations and reports concerning the CARES Act.
Download the audio recording of the presentation here.
Program Details
Description: Presenter Bio:
Prior to co-founding Peters Brovner, Lesley Brovner served as First Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) from 2014 to 2018. While in this role, Ms. Brovner directed complex criminal and civil investigations, oversaw the issuance of all agency reports and supervised DOI’s counsel’s office.
As First Deputy Commissioner, Ms. Brovner worked on a regular basis with senior prosecutors and regulators at numerous city and state agencies. This work resulted in the prosecutions of corporations and nonprofits that engaged in fraudulent activity as well as city workers involved in a variety of corrupt schemes. Ms. Brovner personally directed several major investigations, including:
- DOI’s Investigation into the City’s sale of Rivington House and whether the sale of that non-profit AIDS hospice was mismanaged or otherwise improperly influenced by contributors to the Mayor’s political campaign.
- DOI’s year-long examination into the NYPD’s failure to properly investigate sexual assault. The investigation resulted in City Council legislation requiring changes in NYPD practices.
- Multiple investigations of construction fatalities and other illegal conduct on construction sites. These investigations included work with the Construction Fraud Task Force which was jointly run by several of the City’s District Attorneys and DOI.
Prior to working at DOI, Ms. Brovner was a prosecutor for almost two decades at the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Queens District Attorney’s Office. During that time she prosecuted numerous matters, including: political corruption, consumer fraud, tax fraud, antitrust violations, social security fraud and the unlicensed practice of nursing and medicine. Ms. Brovner also has extensive appellate experience including before the New York State Court of Appeals. Finally, Ms. Brovner served as the Chief Compliance Officer for the New York State Liquidation Bureau.
Ms. Brovner received her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law. She received her B.A. from New York University.
Prior to co-founding Peters Brovner, Mark Peters served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) from 2014 to 2018. While in this role, Mr. Peters supervised the 700-person law enforcement agency responsible for investigating corruption, waste, fraud and abuse by city agencies, city workers and private entities that do business with the city.
As DOI Commissioner, Mr. Peters worked closely with all of the City’s major prosecutors offices to bring cases that resulted in the arrest of non-profit executives who stole City funds, corporate entities that falsified government documents and government employees who accepted bribes. During Mr. Peters’ tenure at the agency, DOI exposed false reporting of lead paint testing at NYCHA; the failure of the NYPD to properly investigate sexual assault; and fraud against Metro Plus, the City Health and Hospital’s insurance program.
Upon departure from DOI, the New York Times Editorial Board wrote “the City has benefited from Mr. Peters’s tenure.” Mr. Peters now serves as CBS Channel 2’s Urban Affairs Expert.
Before his time as Commissioner of DOI, Mr. Peters was a partner at an international law firm, Edwards Wildman Palmer from 2010 to 2014. He was also tasked with reviewing and reforming the New York Liquidation Bureaus’ agency practices as the Special Deputy Superintendent in Charge from 2007 to 2009. From 1999 to 2004, Mr. Peters worked in the New York State Attorney General’s Office as Chief of the Public Integrity Unit and Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Bureau. He also worked as a Children’s Rights, Inc., Senior Staff Attorney from 1995 to 1999. While in that role, he conducted investigations of various foster care systems throughout the United States. Early in his career, Mr. Peters tried cases, argued appeals and managed litigation on behalf of various state agencies.
Mr. Peters graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, J.D., magna cum laude and received his B.A. magna cum laude from Brown University.
Program Description:
During this 1-hour CLE, we will discuss the potential for fraud related to the CARES act and the need for vigilant monitoring by government Inspectors General. We will review the history and jurisdiction of both the federal IG movement and New York City’s Department of Investigation. We will examine fraud and government responses in other comparable spending programs. Finally, we will discuss current investigations and reports concerning the CARES Act.
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| Practice Areas: | |
Business Organizations & Contracts |
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| Online Media Type: | |
Audio |
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| Production Date: | |
06/15/2020 2:00 PM EDT |
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| Level: | |
Intermediate |
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| Category: | |
Standard |
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| Duration: | |
1 Hours, 0 Minutes |
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| Online Format: | |
Live |
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