HRA benefits gal benefited herself

A veteran city worker taskedd with helping the most vulnerablee New Yorkers coerced a client living with HIV to spend part of her food-stamp benefits on the employee herself, an administrative law judge found.

Jackie Bonner, a benefits worker with the Human Resources Administration, initially helped the ailing client land an unexpected windfall of $753 in cash and food stamps after identifying an error in the woman’s records.

But Bonner then falsely told the woman the money would be forfeited unless it was spent in 90 days — and prodded the woman to “hook up a sister” by using the benefits to buy groceries for Bonner, according to hearing records.

The client initially said no, but later agreed — buying 37 Yoplait yogurts and 19 cuts of meat for Bonner ahead of Thanksgiving 2015.

The client, who isn’t identified in city documents, spent $153.97 on Bonner at a Stop & Shop in Yonkers, making a food-stamp payment with her governmentissued Electronic Benefit Transfer card, according to documents.

Despite Bonner’s history of generally good performance reviews, an administrative law judge overseeing the case called for the 31-year municipal worker to be canned.

“The facts suggest that [Bonner] targeted this cliclient, who is sick and vulnerable, as someone that she could manipulate,” Judge Alessandra Zorgniotti wrote in her Dec. 5 ruling. “Such an abuse of her position clearly demonstrates that [Bonner] is unfit to be an eligibility specialist.”

Bonner maintained at the disciplinary hearing that she never asked the client to purchase the groceries, and the client told Zorgniotti that she felt “power” in being able to do something for Bonner.

But texts between the pair show the client sent photos of items in her grocery cart, to which Bonner replied, “LOL . . . WOW . . . Sweet,” according to city documents.

The client also sent messages saying “one bag of yogurt” and “YOUR MEAT” to Bonner, who replied “Thanks.”

But Bonner told the judge she was absentmindedly responding to the texts of a client who she believed was shopping for herself.

She told Zorgniotti that some things she had given the client — including $20 for a bus ticket, a red velvet cake and a winter coat — were given out of concern, not as an attempt to butter her up.

Bonner acknowledged that the client left the bag of groceries downstairs at her HRA office building a few days after the shopping trip, but told the judge most of the food was taken by colleagues. She said she took the last bit — which she valued at roughly $25 — because she didn’t believe it violated the agency’s policy against accepting gifts.

Bonner declined to comment, and her lawyer couldn’t immediately be reached.

Bonner earns $54,720 annually, according to online records.

Facts suggest [she] targeted this client . . . as someone that she could manipulate. — Judge Alessandra Zorgniotti, on woman using her EBT card to buy food for HRA worker