In the garden of Wilkie's villa outside the city, a group of men sat together in a circle, forming a small conspiracy aimed at the Democratic Tammany Hall.
To recap the goals of this small group: Wilkie's aim is to unite the fragmented Republican grassroots in New York; Fiorello wants the position of mayor of New York City; Taft has ambitions for a Senate seat; and Dewey, the youngest, seeks to build a good reputation for himself, focusing on fighting crime and corruption.
Dewey, who had only started his political career as a prosecutor in southern New York last year, previously worked as an assistant to another prosecutor. Now, having earned the public's recognition for his tough stance against gangsters, including sending major figures like Al Capone and Charles Luciano to prison, he has gained a reputation for fighting evil and corruption.
Now, Dewey is eager to gain further recognition for taking on corruption, especially within the Democratic Tammany Hall. As a Republican, he would be more than happy to target the corrupt officials within the Hall.
They were all seasoned players in the political game, and when Wilkie and Taft called them together, it was clear from their positions that they had a focused direction.
Nyle, Wilkie's small advisor, had prepared a document in advance, which he now distributed to the four big shots. Wilkie had already reviewed it, but the other three had not seen it yet.
The document contained tax records of New York City officials, such as the Police Commissioner. As public servants, it is their duty to pay taxes, but there was no system in place for public officials to publicly disclose their financial records until 1978, when the U.S. government enacted the "Government Officials' Ethics Act," which was later amended in 1989.
However, these laws are still in the future. For now, what can be publicly accessed are the tax records of Tammany Hall-affiliated officials. Wilkie had many friends in tax-related fields, so obtaining these records was not difficult for him.
The IRS, often focusing solely on monitoring people's bank accounts and tax records, was eager to jump on any suspicion of fraud. Wilkie's friends at the IRS were even willing to provide assistance, hinting that if any official was found guilty of tax evasion, Wilkie could report it to them. They would reward him with a 20% commission, keeping his identity secret and even delaying the investigation to protect him.
This was a true "palace intrigue."
Wilkie wasn't really interested in the rewards, though. He simply wanted to understand the financial situation of these public servants, to see if their income matched their apparent spending. For example, a key position like the Police Commissioner could earn several hundred dollars a month, not to mention various reimbursements for official expenses.
"It seems some of these expenses don't match the reported income," Fiorello, who was familiar with New York, spoke first.
"Indeed," Dewey, who was somewhat connected, also weighed in.
"Is this enough to initiate an investigation?" Wilkie took a sip of apple cider, smiling as he looked at the two prosecutors.
Dewey didn't respond right away, but turned to Fiorello.
Everyone knew that if they brought down Tammany Hall, the biggest beneficiary would be Fiorello. Therefore, Fiorello had to take the lead in the attack, and Dewey would help build momentum and follow up with the investigation.
"Should be sufficient," Fiorello said, glancing at the documents before looking up.
"Then there's no problem," Dewey put the document down, planning to review it further later.
As Dewey leisurely raised his glass, Nyle felt that he exuded a "high-class" aura, much more so than Wilkie's approachable charm. Moreover, Dewey's background was flawless: he came from a wealthy family, with parents who were significant Republican donors. He attended elite schools, including Michigan and Columbia universities, and now, as a prosecutor, was riding high on success.
Given the presence of other powerful figures in the room, Dewey might have kept a lower profile, but facing ordinary voters, his appeal might not have been as strong.
No wonder he was cultivating an image of an iron-fisted prosecutor, a persona that suited his character and would help him rise swiftly in the political world.
"Let's initiate the investigation first, and we will assist with the follow-up as much as possible," Wilkie and Taft exchanged a glance, making a promise that seemed like an assurance, but not quite.
If they could get solid evidence, Taft's court connections could help them turn the investigation into an ironclad case. But the key was whether Fiorello could navigate Tammany Hall and weather their counterattacks.
"Let's hope his hands are clean," Taft remarked, "Otherwise, it might all backfire."
"This plan is quite bold, you don't usually take such direct action..." Taft still seemed uncertain. Normally, Wilkie wouldn't approach such a confrontation directly, and it was unclear if he would even pursue such a plan.
"This suggestion came from my assistant. He believes that Tammany Hall is already weak, just a shell of its former self," Wilkie introduced Nyle without hesitation.
"Nyle Gallagher," Nyle introduced himself.
"You seem a bit young," Fiorello remarked, surprised that it was Nyle who had come up with the idea.
"We need young people like him. After all, isn't Dewey also a young talent?" Wilkie smiled, indirectly complimenting Dewey.
"Ha ha ha ha... Well said. We certainly need young people," Taft said, studying Nyle with a knowing look.