William Rapfogel Fired From Met Council Amid Criminal Probe

Fall From Power: William Rapfogel meets with Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the Met Council on Jewish Poverty?s annual legislative breakfast. Image by met council

By Josh Nathan-Kazis, Seth BerkmanAugust 12, 2013

The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty has fired longtime executive director William Rapfogel, citing financial irregularities.

Rapfogel, a longtime Jewish communal power broker with close ties to New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, is under investigation by the New York State Attorney General for financial misconduct.

In a statement issued Monday morning, the Met Council said that the organization had become aware of misconduct relating to the organization’s insurance policies and brought it to the attention of civil authorities while launching its own investigation.

“The Board of Directors of Met Council recently became aware of specific information regarding financial irregularities and apparent misconduct in connection with the organization’s insurance policies,” the group wrote. “The Board retained outside counsel to conduct a full investigation. Based on that investigation, which is ongoing, the Board has terminated Mr. Rapfogel, effective immediately.”

After the Met Council’s announcement of Rapfogel’s termination, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman confirmed his office is directing “an ongoing criminal investigation conducted in conjunction with the Office of the Comptroller as part of Operation Integrity,” according to the New York Times.

Sources told the Times that Rapfogel was informed of his firing last week while on vacation and was not allowed to retrieve several items from his office, due to a review by investigators.

“It is very serious,” one source who was been briefed on the allegations told the Times.

Josh Nathan-Kazis is a staff writer for the Forward. He covers charities and politics, and writes investigations and longform.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO