BUFFALO, N.Y. — "It's disappointing," says Brendan Mahaffy.
The Executive Director of the Buffalo Strategic Planning Office on Thursday morning defended the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency. The city agency is not apparently a part of a federal investigation.
Two weeks ago, agents from the FBI, IRS and Inspector General's Office for HUD executed a search warrant at BURA offices in City Hall. The agents left with three fully loaded handtrucks of materials.
As first reported by The Buffalo News, Mahaffy met with federal agents that day.
After Thursday's BURA board meeting, Mahaffy spoke briefly with 2 On Your Side. Mahaffy declined to disclose what the feds may have asked about. He also said he had no information to share about what specifically was taken from the BURA offices.
But Mahaffy did speak-up for BURA and the impression some may have after the search, "I fully understand that it can be interpreted in a way that it’s a reflection of men and women of the Buffalo Renewal Agency but as has been showed by independent audits, it’s good work. And, we’re going to continue to do work to benefit the most vulnerable individuals in the city of Buffalo. That’s not going to stop.”
Also at Thursday's meeting, independent auditor Drescher & Malecki reported a review of BURA's operations for 2018 found no discrepancies or deficiencies. This was the fourth consecutive year the agency received a so-called "clean audit."
