Letitia James Cover-Up: Omitted by Design
How NY’s Attorney General Whitewashed a Pattern Predator’s Trail
NOTE: This piece is also available on NYNewsPress.com.
By Michael “Thunder” Phillips
On May 24, 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James released a long-awaited report declaring that former New Rochelle police officer Lane Schlesinger had engaged in pattern misconduct.
But for those familiar with Schlesinger’s record, one thing stood out immediately:
Critical incidents, formal misconduct referrals, and internal discipline records—all omitted.
The public was told this report brought transparency.
But what it actually delivered was something far more troubling:
A carefully curated narrative designed to appear tough on misconduct, while protecting the institutions that enabled it.
A Whitewashed Record, Exposed
FOIL disclosures obtained by The Republic Dispatch show that between 2021 and 2023, at least five misconduct referrals about Lane Schlesinger were submitted to the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office (LEIMIO)—the oversight body created under Executive Law § 75.
Of those five, only three made it into the report.
Omitted incidents include:
The 2021 hospital COVID breach, in which Schlesinger stormed into a ventilator unit maskless, ignored nurses’ warnings, and said, “I don’t care.”
A 2023 bodycam violation and verbal confrontation with a superior officer, leading to Schlesinger’s removal from public-facing duties.
A sustained internal affairs complaint in which Schlesinger refused to follow a direct order and falsified a report.
Each of these was formally referred by Lt. Robert Wenzler of the New Rochelle Police Department, supported by documentation. Each was ignored in the final AG report.
Letitia James Cover-Up: What the Report Did Include—And What It Didn’t
The 2024 report paints Schlesinger as unprofessional and dishonest but avoids framing him as a public safety threat. It vaguely references “bodycam issues” and “insubordinate conduct,” but nowhere does it mention:
The COVID ICU incident, which endangered patients and triggered a 911 call
The wrongful arrest of Marc Fishman, based on a falsified report and suppressed video
The internal finding that Schlesinger could not be trusted to testify in court
The pattern of lying on sworn documents, including in misdemeanor information used in criminal charges
Instead, the report concludes with the soft landing: Schlesinger has already retired, and “no further action is needed.”
A Pattern Officer, a Protected Officer
Letitia James’ office took nearly three years to investigate Schlesinger, despite multiple direct referrals, full access to NRPD internal records, and multiple victims coming forward with documented complaints.
The result? A watered-down summary, no criminal referral, and no policy changes.
The report was not just insufficient. It was deliberately incomplete.
Letitia James Cover-Up: Politics Over Truth?
Why would the state attorney general’s office omit some of the most damning evidence?
Legal experts and retired officers familiar with LEIMIO’s operations point to three likely reasons:
Civil Liability Exposure – Acknowledging that New Rochelle allowed Schlesinger to operate with known misconduct might open the city and state to lawsuits.
DA Conflicts – The Westchester District Attorney’s office relied on Schlesinger’s testimony in multiple prosecutions and would be forced to revisit or vacate convictions.
Institutional Loyalty – Law enforcement oversight in New York has historically been fragmented, with local departments and state officials working to protect reputations, not confront wrongdoing.
The Case of Marc Fishman: Omitted by Design
Perhaps the most glaring omission of all is Marc Fishman, a disabled father arrested by Schlesinger during a court-ordered visit with his autistic son in 2018.
The AG report makes no mention of the false police report Schlesinger filed.
It ignores the court-appointed supervisor who was present at the scene, directly contradicting Schlesinger’s claims.
It omits that Marc was never indicted—the case was filed as a misdemeanor information sworn to by Schlesinger, a document now known to be false.
The AG’s office was notified of the false arrest through both public and private complaints. However, when the final report was released, Marc Fishman’s name was nowhere to be found.
Letitia James Cover-Up: The Blueprint of Omission
This wasn’t oversight. It was strategy.
By omitting:
Key incidents
Identifiable victims
Prosecutorial consequences
Criminal conduct references
…the AG’s office shielded the system from accountability, while appearing to condemn a single bad actor.
But Schlesinger wasn’t fired. He retired with a pension.
And the institutions that protected him—from the NRPD to the DA to the AG—walked away untouched.
Final Word
Pattern misconduct doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
It thrives in darkness, is fed by silence, and grows when oversight agencies pretend they’re taking action.
The omissions in the Attorney General’s report weren’t accidental—they were designed to protect power, not people.
If New York is serious about police reform, it can’t keep writing headlines while erasing truths.
Because sometimes, what a report leaves out says more than what it includes.
 | A guest post by
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Ive made several reports to her office involving conspiracy and corruption within multiple agencies. Her office has failed to investigate. I see karma is finally happening. Hopefully my reports become part of this bigger investigation. NY is the most corrupt state Ive ever lived in. PA and Minnesota are next on my list. Still awaiting your return call Richard.
Whats your email?