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Marc Jacobs to Pay New York $1 Million
19-Nov-2008
Written by: Daniel A. Russ
As a result of the group’s misuse of a military facility, Marc Jacobs has agreed to pay a fine of $1 million to the state of New York.
Today, fashion king Marc Jacobs's company agreed to pay the state of New York $1 million for improper payments made to secure a venue to hold fashion shows, according to the New York attorney general's office in a statement made Wednesday.
Through the years 2000-2007, Marc Jacobs International paid, through an agent, the former superintendent of the 69th Regiment Armory, in exchange for the use of the armory's drill hall for the fashion company's productions.
The former superintendent, James Jackson, has pled guilty to grand larceny for demanding payments from armory exhibitors over the eight year period he held that position, including around $35,000 in cash and material items from Marc Jacobs. He is scheduled to be sentenced December 15, and faces a maximum of 15 years imprisonment.
In a press statement, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said, “New York City is a global epicenter for fashion and cultural events, and we will not allow corruption and greed to tarnish one of our most lucrative industries.”
“Marc Jacobs executives cooperated fully with the office of the attorney general and today's agreement resolves the investigation with respect to Marc Jacobs,” the attorney general's office said.
In addition to being fined, Marc Jacobs has agreed to retain a private, independent monitoring agency for two years that will review the group's operations and report to the attorney general.
“We are pleased that this matter has been resolved,” a spokesperson for Marc Jacobs said. “We have already taken and will continue to take steps to avoid incidents of this nature in the future.”
As to the Armory that was misused as a venue for fashion, it is a historic national landmark, and has been the headquarters of New York's “Fighting 69th” infantry regiment since 1904. Currently, it serves as a home for other military units deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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