By Dick LaFontaine and Rick LaRivière with Richard Luthmann
Stay away from him. He’s dangerous. Especially to corrupt NYC deadbeats.
Richard Luthmann, the disbarred attorney turned investigative journalist, is intensifying his legal battle against New York’s political and legal elite. Luthmann contributes to this outlet and provided background and comments for this article.
In a series of Notices to Admit filed in Manhattan NYS Supreme Court, Luthmann accuses NYC Council Member Kamillah Hanks, NYS Supreme Court Justice Ronald Castorina, Kevin Barry Love, and prosecutor Eric Nelson of corruption, dishonesty, and malicious conspiracy.
The case also highlights unpaid debts Luthmann claims are owed for legal and strategic work performed on behalf of Castorina and Hanks.
Justice Louis L. Nock presides over the contentious case. Earlier this year, Justice Nock heard oral arguments over several defendants’ motion to dismiss the suit outright. Luthmann seeks to pursue his allegations and potentially uncover more damaging evidence during discovery.
Unpaid Fees and Services Rendered
At the heart of the case are unpaid fees Luthmann says Castorina and Hanks owe him for legal services, political consulting, and campaign-related work. According to Luthmann, he provided these services during Castorina’s 2016 State Assembly campaign and Hanks’ 2017 bid for the New York City Council. Despite reaping the benefits of his work, Luthmann claims the two have refused to pay him.
The Notices to Admit filed against Hanks cuts like a razor at her involvement in the creation of “fake Facebook” pages in her 2017 race against Debi Rose:
3. Admit that you sent images to Richard Luthmann for use on the "Fake Facebook" page.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
4. Admit that you instructed Richard Luthmann to post specific content on the "Fake Facebook" page with editorial commands, including "Cut it."
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
Another filing against Castorina demands acknowledgment of his perjury at a 2018 grand jury:
7. Admit that you testified falsely under oath during Richard Luthmann’s 2018 grand jury proceedings.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
8. Admit that your false testimony during the 2018 grand jury contributed to Richard Luthmann’s indictment.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
Hanks allegedly owes $86,175.38, plus interest, for Luthmann’s work during her 2017 campaign, including legal challenges to remove opponents from the ballot, social media strategies, and direct political consulting.
Castorina, meanwhile, is accused of stiffing Luthmann for similar services during his contentious assembly race, which included legal maneuvering and media tactics.
Lying to Federal Agents and Conspiracy
The allegations extend beyond unpaid debts. Luthmann accuses all four defendants of conspiring to discredit him by filing false reports to federal authorities, including claims of harassment and witness intimidation. Luthmann argues that these accusations, made while he was on federal supervised release, were meant to trigger his re-incarceration.
“They lied to the Feds, and that’s a felony,” Luthmann said, referring to violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which criminalizes false statements to federal agents.
The filing against Love reads:
14. Admit that you lied to federal agents when you accused Richard Luthmann of harassment and witness tampering.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
15. Admit that neither you nor Kamillah Hanks ever served as a witness in a criminal case involving Richard Luthmann.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
The filing also brings in claims against Henry Olisa, aka Bobby Digi, the baby-daddy of NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo.
The Notices to Admit accuse Love of being a Government “RAT,” of knowing that Bobby Digi is a Government “RAT,” of business dealings with disgraced drug dealer Ettore Mazzei, and of having two of his children employed by the NYC Board of Elections:
28. Admit that you know HENRY OLISA aka BOBBY DIGI is a federal informant or “RAT.”
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
29. Admit that you are a law enforcement informant or “RAT.”
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
30. Admit that you had business dealings (including the purchase of narcotics) with ETTORE MAZZEI.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
31. Admit that your children are employees (full-time, part-time, or temporary) with the NYC Board of Elections or have been at any time in the past year.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
Kamillah Hanks rejected the Staten Island Democratic County Committee and its Chair, attorney Laura Sword's request to appoint Debi Rose as their NYC Board of Elections representative. Instead, Hanks installed her own crony, attorney Michele Sileo, who is married to a disgraced former NYPD Detective James Grant.
“Kamillah had no right to do what she did. Debi was our choice and deserved that spot on the Board of Elections. She doesn’t listen to the constituents,” said one unnamed North Shore community leader.
Now, not only is the will of the County Committee being ignored, but Hanks is actively passing over loyal Democrats in favor of family members for patronage jobs at the Board of Elections.
“The worst part is, Hanks and Sileo are running [Grant] as their political muscle much like Kevin [Barry Love],” said an unnamed source with knowledge. “Grant threatened several NYC government employees with ‘problems’ including ‘arrest’ if they went against Hanks and Sileo and ‘made trouble.’ Confidential DOI complaints have already been filed against Hanks and her crooked crew.”
These political developments were news to Luthmann.
“I might have to subpoena that peckerhead, Jimmy. His actions apparently show a modus operandi and common plan with how he and Kevin Barry Love operate as the thug enforcers for their scheming women,” Luthmann said. “I know Michele and Kamillah. They would both be better people if they dropped the dead weight in their lives. Now they’re both clichés - right out of the E.L.O. song.”
Smear Campaigns and Fake Facebook Pages
Hanks and Castorina are both accused of orchestrating political smear campaigns, including the creation of fake Facebook pages to discredit their opponents. Luthmann, who admits to executing these tactics at their direction, claims they later denied their involvement and failed to pay for his services.
Castorina allegedly provided a photo of his opponent, Janine Materna, and directed its use in racially charged posts on fake Facebook pages. The filing against him states:
27. Admit that you gave Richard Luthmann a photograph of former Attorney General Eric Holder to create a misleading Facebook post.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
28. Admit that you instructed Richard Luthmann to use racially charged imagery to target Janine Materna’s campaign.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
29. Admit that you denied under oath during the 2018 grand jury proceedings that you participated in the creation of fake Facebook pages.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
Both Hanks and Castorina have denied these allegations in court, but Luthmann insists discovery will expose their roles.
“I executed the plan on their behalf and at their direction,” he said. “They hired me because I was a good lawyer and one of the best at what I did. Now, they want the public to believe I didn’t retain the proof. It’s pure bullshit, and if you believe them, you’re a chump.”
Eric Nelson and Questions About Michael McMahon
Prosecutor Eric Nelson, who served as a special prosecutor in Luthmann’s 2018 indictment, faces allegations of misconduct, including allowing false testimony and disregarding First Amendment protections. The Notices to Admit demand answers about Nelson’s actions during the grand jury proceedings and his connections to Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.
57. Admit that you failed to disclose all of your communications with Michael E. McMahon to the court or to Richard Luthmann’s defense counsel.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
58. Admit that you know Michael E. McMahon improperly paid off EMS workers and other personnel to obtain personal injury cases when he was an ambulance chaser earlier in his career.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
59. Admit that you discussed strategies with Michael E. McMahon to influence the outcome of the grand jury proceedings against Richard Luthmann.
ADMIT _____ DENY _____
Critics argue that McMahon’s involvement raises questions about prosecutorial independence and ethical breaches. Nelson’s filings suggest McMahon may have influenced decisions in Luthmann’s case for political gain.
Luthmann says the reason is that McMahon was protecting his wife.
“The real reason behind all of this, why I went to jail at all, was McMahon pressed his political connections in the Democrat Party to short circuit Judy McMahon’s case-fixing by shuttling warrants to the now-defunct Special Narcotics Part. The Pulizotto tapes and the McMahons’ reactions to them are a direct thread,” Luthmann says.
He continued, “Mike [McMahon] hates me since the 2015 D.A. race and the whole William Peck, Quentin Smith, fake and dead people signing the petitions thing. And it wasn’t a hard sell to get Hillary, Chuckie Schumer, and Joe Crowley to go along with a political hit job after I ran around in October 2016 screaming ‘Bill Clinton is a Rapist’ on ever news outlet that would have me.”
In the run-up to Trump’s 2016 victory, Luthmann, then a lawyer drafted and filed a legal complaint containing the phrase “BILL CLINTON IS A RAPIST” eight times in eighteen pages.
Luthmann says he can prove all this because it’s all public record.
“Everyone knew it was a political railroad job. Even Jerry Kassar. And that fat fuck could never keep his mouth shut,” Luthmann said. “So now I’m a journalist. It’s the last station stop before we pass into full-throated Clausewitz.”
Justice Nock Presides
Justice Louis L. Nock has allowed the case to proceed thus far, signaling a willingness to examine Luthmann’s claims in detail.
During oral arguments, Nock assured Luthmann, “You most certainly will receive every fair consideration, every impartial consideration, every consideration that upholds the principles of American due process.”
Legal experts believe the judge’s decision will likely move the case to discovery and severely damage the defendants. The reason is that there are few exceptions to the collections of performed attorney work. Not letting Luthmann collect threatens the abilities of all lawyers to collect their fees.
“The sanctity of legal fees earned until the time of a lawyer’s death, disability, or disbarment is Hornbook law,” said a practicing attorney on Staten Island who did not wish to be named. “You may like or dislike any of these characters all you want, but the question is whether work was performed and whether it was paid for. Luthmann’s case looks solid enough to get to discovery.”
Luthmann will be able to depose Hanks, Love, Castorina, and Nelson under oath, potentially forcing them to admit their roles in the alleged conspiracy or risk perjury. He says he is guardedly optimistic about Justice Nock.
“From everything I can see, he’s a straight shooter. And that’s all I ask for,” Luthmann said. “So much is a contract in the New York State Courts. I spoke with people in the incoming [Trump] administration and proposed the idea of federal oversight for some of these blue state courts akin to Reconstruction.”
Luthmann says the legal systems are no longer justice systems in these states because there is Uni-Party control.
“I thought [Appellate Division Justice] Joe Maltese was a straight shooter. He was when I appeared before him on Staten Island. Yet I just discovered that he was on the panel that ruled on issues in one branch of my criminal case - knowing full well the case was mine and that his prior relationship with Ron Castorina is common knowledge. He should have recused sua sponte, but it’s just another exhibit in my arsenal. I’m not saying he’s become Mark Milley, but the Uni-Party bench can make anyone go bad.”
Potential Fallout for the Defendants
The stakes are high. Adverse findings could result in Hanks' and Castorina's removal from office and irreparable damage to their political careers. Castorina could find himself de-frocked.
“I don’t know what [Ron] is thinking. If Luthmann gets him pinned down, he’s dead. One lie becomes falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus,” said an attorney connected to the NYS Senate minority in Albany, referring to the legal doctrine that a singular lie could collapse an entire case.
“Everyone knows he’s facing judicial extinction and the end of his legal career. He’s playing a dangerous game,” the lawyer said.
If Nelson and Castorina's prosecutorial misconduct and perjury are proven, they will be disbarred.
Love, meanwhile, faces the possibility of federal charges for lying to authorities.
“This case has the potential to reshape Staten Island politics,” a well-known Manhattan-based Democratic consultant commented. “If these allegations hold, we’re looking at criminal charges, lost careers, and a major reckoning for those involved. Their only solace is that they may be able to buy their way out with Luthmann. It’s Staten Island, and no one out there really gives a damn.”
However, the consultant says things might change drastically when Trump starts putting his people in next year.
“With Luthmann’s connections and penchant to get loud while having the goods, someone might listen to him, and he knows enough to cause anxiety and loose bowels,” the consultant said.
Luthmann’s Fight for Accountability
For Luthmann, the case is about more than recovering unpaid debts. He views it as a battle against corruption.
“They’ve lied, they’ve conspired, and now they’ll face the consequences,” he said. “This is about exposing corruption at the highest levels and holding these people accountable.”
As the case progresses, all eyes are on Justice Nock’s courtroom. If Luthmann’s Notices to Admit are answered truthfully—or if discovery reveals further misconduct—the fallout could be monumental.
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