Pols Blackmailed Yankees

The Daily News is reporting tonight that several aides of New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg pulled strings to get preferential treatment at the new Yankee Stadium. The pols made threats to get a luxury suite and even went as far as to demand free food. The Yankees agreed to the demands once they were granted 250 free parking spaces.

The great luxury box battle surfaced in e-mails obtained by Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester) under the Freedom of Information Act in his ongoing investigation of the Yankees' new taxpayer-subsidized stadium.

"The city's pursuit of a luxury suite at Yankee Stadium was achieved at a significant cost to taxpayers," Brodsky said in releasing dozens of e-mails dating back to January 2006.

The Yankees got the city to write a letter to the IRS so they could obtain $942 million in tax-free bonds. The team plans to request $366 million more, saving them a total of $247 million in lower borrowing costs. In return, Bloomberg's team wanted a free luxury suite and the right to buy at cost 180 of the best seats to all home games, including post-season, the e-mails show.

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