Despite a staggering 70% of New Yorkers voting to rebuild the Twin Towers in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, rebuilding officials were intent on choosing their own new plan.
Berzon records firsthand testimony from a New York Times writer accusing New York’s governor of being "bought" to rig the competition. He investigates how Times reporters allegedly presented their evidence to top editors, only to see it buried because of a conflict of interest with a Times business partner. Soon enough, he discovers how the committee choosing the new design had sought out the winning architect before the competition got underway.
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Berzon explains how an unlicensed architect who lost every round of the official competition – and who committed fraud in the process – managed to snare the commission anyway. In a breaking story, the public learns why New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg went along with the plan, secretly plotting to steal the trade center insurance proceeds to finance other city projects. In another shocking development, the Port Authority is exposed for trying to defraud the WTC leaseholder of millions of dollars. Yet perhaps most importantly, Berzon uncovers why the New York media were largely in the dark as the scandal unfolded right in front of them.
