The Reputation Racket: How a PR Firm, a Complicit Board, and a Culture of Silence Derailed Public Trust at RIOC
How taxpayer-funded media manipulation propped up the personal images of Shelton Haynes and Akeem Jamal—while RIOC (Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation) looked the other way.
Following the release of the New York State Inspector General’s report, which documented the misuse of nearly $170,000 in public funds by former RIOC President Shelton J. Haynes and then-Assistant Vice President of Communications & Government Affairs Akeem M. Jamal, the Roosevelt Islander followed up with exclusive statements from the legal team representing Haynes and former General Counsel Gretchen Robinson. We wanted to dig deeper into those claims—because they matter.
The legal response prompted us to look again—not just at the procurement process, but at what this campaign was really for.
According to the Inspector General, the contract with Status Labs was inappropriate because it served to enhance the personal reputations of individual executives—not the mission or operations of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. In other words, it was not about informing the public. It was about managing perception.
A deep dive into the Inspector General's full report (PDF) confirms it: Status Labs, the Austin-based "online reputation management" firm, was hired under the pretense of mitigating public backlash related to Tram malfunctions. Instead, it was used to seed positive press and improve search results for Shelton Haynes and Akeem Jamal individually—not RIOC.
According to the IG, this wasn’t about public service; it was about personal image—funded by the public.
The Article That Shouldn’t Exist
The OIG, Office of the Inspector General, cites one such promotional article that appeared as the top result when searching Shelton Haynes's name. It praised his leadership style, touted his community roots, and positioned him as a transformational figure. What it didn’t disclose? That it was effectively paid for by taxpayers.
This wasn’t crisis communications. This was image engineering.
Another article built a similar glossy narrative around Akeem Jamal—with quotes and descriptions that sounded more like campaign literature than public communications. And again: no disclosures, no transparency.
This content wasn’t about RIOC’s mission. It was about brand-building for two individuals under scrutiny.
And thanks to search engine optimization, it worked. Critical stories were pushed down. PR fluff floated to the top.
“Everyone Knew.” And That’s the Problem.
In response to the OIG report, legal representatives for Haynes and former General Counsel Gretchen Robinson fired back with a five-point defense:
“The IG report ignores or marginalizes the relevant background and context... the contract was entered into after a public procurement process… Board members were supportive… Battery Park did something similar…”
Let’s take that at face value. Suppose the contract was legal. Suppose it followed procurement protocol. Suppose the board was informed and even supportive.
If that's true, the issue is far worse than a rogue executive—it means RIOC's own oversight body greenlit an ethics dumpster fire.
The Oversight That Wasn’t
Multiple sources have confirmed to The Lighthouse that a number of RIOC board members—including long-serving resident representatives—were aware of the Status Labs contract at the time it was active. Some were even supportive. According to those familiar with internal discussions, these board members viewed the local media's coverage as unfairly damaging to RIOC’s executive leadership and saw the PR contract as a necessary counterbalance.
Publicly, we know this: after newer resident board members were appointed, they repeatedly pushed to lower the automatic spending threshold for contracts not requiring full board approval—then set at $170,000. This reform was specifically aimed at restoring transparency and oversight around contracts like the one awarded to Status Labs.
These efforts were documented throughout 2023 by The Roosevelt Island Daily and the Roosevelt Islander Blog, and raised again and again in open board meetings.
But the reforms never made it to a vote. Someone blocked them. Multiple sources told us that key figures in Albany—including the ex officio board chair, the state’s budget director, and RIOC’s legal team—intervened behind the scenes. Whether by omission or by active choice, the result was the same: oversight was neutered.
And as for who championed the contract internally, all eyes return to one man.
Howard Polivy, chair of RIOC’s combined Audit & Budget Committee, has been on the board longer than anyone. He wasn’t just informed—he was, by multiple accounts, “vocally supportive” of the SEO contract and the strategy behind it.
He supported the use of public funds to suppress criticism and enhance the personal branding of executives.
It’s time to stop pretending that silence from the board is a neutral act. It’s complicity.
So we ask again: who else knew? And who else should step down?
But one thing is clear: if Roosevelt Island is to move forward, Howard Polivy must resign—immediately.
The Reform That Was Blocked
Professor Lydia Tang, Ben Fhala, and Dr. Michal Melamed saw it early: the procurement process was broken. Starting in mid-2023, they repeatedly called for reforms—specifically targeting unchecked communications contracts like the one given to Status Labs.
Their efforts were publicly documented and echoed in the Roosevelt Islander Blog, which, while usually observational and restrained, began to quietly trace the outlines of a cover-up long before the OIG connected the final dots.
In the end, the reformers were right. The system protected itself. And the public paid for it.
The Battery Park Excuse Doesn’t Hold
The legal defense of Shelton Haynes leaned heavily on one comparative shield: that the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA), RIOC’s “sister agency,” had executed a similar PR contract without consequence.
We reviewed BPCA’s procurement reports and 2024 opportunities. Nothing suggests that the scope or intent of their media engagement mirrored RIOC’s. There is no indication they used funds for executive reputation protection or SEO manipulation. BPCA’s communications have, by all appearances, focused on public programming and community awareness—not vanity laundering.
If that’s the best defense RIOC’s former leadership has, it’s not a defense—it’s an indictment.
Conclusion: They Spent to Hide, Not to Help
This was never about the tram. It wasn’t about Roosevelt Island. It was about shielding two executives from public scrutiny using public money.
According to the Office of the Inspector General, the core issue wasn’t whether the criticism was deserved—it was that government power should never be used to suppress it. Entities with vast institutional and financial resources cannot ethically wield those resources to shape narratives in their own favor—especially when those narratives are challenged by local watchdogs.
The lawsuit filed by Shelton Haynes and Gretchen Robinson adds a new layer. It accuses local media of hostility and racism, while also claiming that they were directed not to engage with either the press or board members. The suit doesn’t say who gave that order.
That omission matters. Because if such a directive existed, and if those same figures also enabled the hiring of Status Labs to suppress dissent, then the problem runs deeper than two executives. It points to a sanctioned strategy of control.
And let’s not forget: the Roosevelt Islander Blog—while often cautious in tone—is known for printing full, unedited statements. Even if the executives believed the outlet was unfriendly, they had the opportunity to reach the public directly. They didn’t. They chose silence—and spin.
Not all the heads that should have rolled have rolled. And the board, which holds the final authority over RIOC, has yet to fully account for its own role.
We reached out to Howard Polivy, chair of the Audit & Budget Committee, he declined to answer questions, citing “ongoing litigation.” As chair of the combined Audit & Budget Committees during the execution of the Status Labs contract, he bore direct fiduciary responsibility. The Inspector General’s report found that contract to be an unethical misuse of public funds—yet Polivy has offered no defense, no explanation, and no clarity. His silence leaves critical questions about board oversight and accountability unanswered.
We’re still waiting for a response. You shouldn’t. Go for a walk instead. Find a bench. Let the silence speak for itself.
An Awning for Our Memories: Vanishing Benches and Vision at Roosevelt Landings
It’s funny the things we remember—and the things we pretend to.
Since January 14th, RIOC has had nothing to say. We’re still listening.
Imagine if you are hired to paint a house but instead of painting the house, you take the money and hire a p. r. firm to tout you as a dynamic presence and a gift to mankind. Welcome to bizzaro world. This is so wrong, it is difficult to take it in.