Borough President Markowitz had been nothing but defiant in response to the scandal over his wife’s freebie trips to foreign countries. And he’s also been extremely quotable! Enjoy.
“They look upon me like the mayor of a city and when you go over there, they expect your wife to be with you and you meet up with other husbands and wives. It’s sort of like good work for New York, representing our city and out borough and I was proud of it.”
— Daily News, July 25
“Most guys get into trouble when they don’t take their wives. I take my wife and I get into trouble.”
— Daily News, July 25
“I’m not a dummy. I understand what a conflict is. … I didn’t abuse my position. What they’re saying is they don’t recognize my role beyond the borders of Brooklyn. They don’t believe my wife has any role — and they’re wrong. You go to Europe, other countries, being borough president of Brooklyn is a big thing there.”
— Post, July 25
“I am not ashamed of what I did, and I do not think this fine is fair or even sane. … When Jamie and I were on these trips foreign officials looked at us as a team.”
— Brooklyn Paper, July 26
“Today’s borough president is powerful, unique; for over 10 years I’ve seen ambassadors, presidents of small countries, mayors from Japan, China, who look upon me as speaking for the entire borough, not little districts, although we’re composed of diverse sections so protocol in those places is to visit their churches, mosques, talk to their arts groups, with Holland especially since the Dutch settled Brooklyn and this was Henry Hudson’s 400th anniversary so they wanted both my wife and I to meet the Queen, for which they underwrote airfare while we shared one room and paid for the hotel, meals, all expenses and my wife bought a hat.”
— Post, Aug. 1
“I won’t travel without her. I love her. I want her with me. I need her. I’m not taking city tax money. For me to find whatever’s price, determine her what share costs then divide plus repaying $20,000 of my own money would take a quarter of my take — home pay for being borough president in New York City, and international city.”
— Post, Aug. 1
“She’s got a great sense of what’s important. I ask her if I’ve made right decisions. Yin to the yang, she’s my life. My soul mate. Bloomberg has his own jet, I haven’t. I can’t afford what he can.”
— Post, Aug. 1
“I should be commended.”
— Brooklyn Paper, Aug. 1
— Compiled by Jared “The Natural” Foretek
