Chương 70: Will Come at a Price

"I must be prepared. This rejection is just a test. I need to coordinate with the official forces to fight against the Tammoni Association."

Arthur looked at Isabella with a determined gaze.

The two men had a tacit understanding: dealing with New York City was not worth using the Harrison family's dwindling political connections.

For example, Chief Justice William Taft, who is 72 years old and reportedly in poor health.

Isabella nodded. She understood what Arthur meant.

"So what should we do now?" she asked.

"I'm going to see Samuel. Since Attorney Winston mentioned him, it means he really is our hope right now. Besides, I now know his true identity, so our conversation will be more targeted."

"I'll go with you," Isabella said.

Arthur shook his head:

"No, I want to go alone this time. Samuel is a very cautious man; he doesn't like too many people knowing what he's doing."

Isabella hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

The next morning, Arthur arrived at the New York State Capitol.

He entered the building and explained his purpose to the receptionist. The receptionist made a phone call and then told him that Judge Sibbury was waiting for him.

Arthur was led to Sibyl's office. The office was large, but simply furnished. The bookshelves were filled with law books, and several portraits of famous judges from history hung on the walls.

Samuel was sitting behind his desk when he saw Arthur come in. He stood up and extended his hand.

"Mr. Kennedy, I've been waiting for your call."

Arthur grasped his hand.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Judge Sibbury. Or perhaps, Chairman Sibbury?"

A slight smile appeared on Samuel's lips.

"It seems you know. Please have a seat."

After Arthur sat down, Samuel poured him a cup of coffee.

"I should have told you my identity sooner, but at the time I wasn't sure if you were ready. Now it seems you are."

"You mean because my case was dismissed?" Arthur asked.

"It's not just because of that, but also because of your reaction to this blow. You didn't give up, and you weren't intimidated. The fact that you came to me shows that you understand the real battle has only just begun."

"Do you know, Mr. Kennedy, that the New York court system is no longer an independent judicial institution? It's part of the Tammany Association, a tool for them to maintain power."

"Many judges are appointed by the association. They owe the association favors, so when the association needs them to do something, they find it difficult to refuse. Your case is a typical example."

Arthur listened, feeling a surge of anger. But he tried to remain calm.

"Then what should I do?" he asked.

Samuel turned around and looked at him.

"Frankly, it's very difficult to overturn your case, and even if you appeal, the outcome will likely be the same. Because the entire system has been corrupted."

"However, your case can become part of my investigation."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"I am gathering evidence to prove that there is systemic corruption in the New York court system, and your case is a good example," Samuel said.

"If you'd like, I can include your case in the investigation report. That way, even if your lawsuit fails, at least this injustice will be recorded and made known to the public."

Arthur remained silent for a moment.

"What will be the final outcome of your investigation?" he asked.

Samuel sighed.

"I can't guarantee anything. My investigation report will be submitted to the state legislature and Governor Roosevelt, and they will decide how to handle it."

Arthur nodded, thinking to himself, "That's it." He knew beforehand that Roosevelt had cracked down on corruption in New York before running for president, not to mention that Elizabeth had also hinted at it to him.

It seems that Samuel Sibyl was one of the key figures in this.

So Arthur nodded:

"I'm willing to cooperate with your investigation, but I'd like to know, besides including the case in the investigation report, are there any other options?"

Samuel looked at him, his eyes sharpening.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I want justice, and I want those who slander me to pay the price."

"Even if it means you have to fight against the entire system?" Samuel pressed seriously.

"Yes, even so," Arthur said firmly.

Samuel remained silent for a long time. Then, he walked back to his desk and took a document from the drawer.

"Mr. Kennedy, I invited you to meet because I read your 'Yes, Mayor' series. Those articles are very insightful; they expose the absurdity of the bureaucracy."

"But I want to tell you that the absurdity of the bureaucracy is just the surface of the problem. The real problem is corruption. It's those who use their power for their own benefit."

"Your articles make people laugh and think. But if you really want to change something, you need to dig deeper. You need to expose the corruption hidden behind the bureaucracy."

He pushed the documents in front of Arthur.

"This is part of my investigation into how the Tammany Association controls the court system. I shouldn't be showing this to you, but I feel you have the right to know what you're dealing with."

Arthur opened the file and quickly skimmed through it. It detailed how the Tammany Society arranged judge appointments, influenced verdicts, and used the court system to serve its own interests.

There is a memo documenting the appointment process of a certain judge.

Before his appointment, the judge had promised at a private gathering of the Tammany Association that he would "appropriately consider the interests of the association."

Less than three months after his appointment, he dismissed a corruption charge against an association member.

Another document shows that several key judges in the Manhattan County Court have close ties with the association.

Some are relatives of association members, some have worked in law firms controlled by the association, and others received financial support from the association when running for judge.

What shocked Arthur the most was an internal document about "case allocation".

The documents show that certain sensitive cases were "appropriately" assigned to "reliable" judges. This assignment appeared random, but was in fact carefully orchestrated.

After reading it, Arthur was deeply shocked.

"Are these... all true?" Arthur asked.

"It's all true, and this is just the tip of the iceberg."

"Then why doesn't anyone expose these things?"

"Because those who exposed these things paid a price; some lost their jobs, some lost their reputations, and some... lost their lives," Samuel said.

He looked at Arthur with a serious expression.