It was undisclosed at the time that New York State Governor John A. King was a major shareholder in the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad (later the Long Island Rail Road) and therefore had a conflict of interest and stood to benefit by the compensation payments to the railroad from the tax assessment.
The governor's ownership of the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad (later the Long Island Rail Road) was hidden when he received payments from the railroad through tax assessments. This situation raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.