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Source: Potential Fidler Opponent Will Spend $50K To Defeat Him
Feb 1st - 5:03 pm
Apparently, the anti-Lew Fidler ad that appeared today in a number of downstate Orthodox Jewish newspapers is just the tip of the iceberg for Nachman Caller, a wealthy real estate attorney who has been trying to break into politics for some time now.
The ad, first reported this morning by City&State blogger Chris Bragg, doesn’t mention the Democratic NYC Councilman by name. But it does urge Orthodox Jewish voters to repeat the “Kiddush Hashem” (sanctification of G-d’s name) of electing someone like Republican Rep. Bob Turner who shares “Torah values” and opposes “same-gender marriage.”
What Caller is essentially saying here is that it’s a miztvah to reject a fellow Jew who “tramples” on conservative Orthodox beliefs, and that G-d cares who represents Jews in government. I’ll leave it to you to decide if you’re on board with that one.
A source who spoke to Caller said there’s more where this came from. He’s apparently willing to spend some $50,000 of his own money to defeat Fidler and help his GOP opponent, David Storobin. That could entail buying as many as 10 newspaper ads between now and the March 20th special election for former Sen. Carl Kruger’s seat, or possibly spreading that amount between ads and mailers.
This source also said Caller will definitely be running for Senate himself if Fidler wins. He would be running in the so-called “Super-Jewish” district proposed by the Senate Republicans, assuming their redistricting plan withstands the Democrats’ court challenge.
According to this source, Fidler has a pretty good shot at winning the special election in the current 27th SD. But high percentage of Orthodox Jewish voters in the new district, as conceived by the GOP, would be an uphill battle for him.
Meanwhile, Hamodia, an influential Orthodox Jewish publication, printed a front-page opinion piece warning Fidler he’s treading on “thin ice” by throwing around words like “Nazi” and “white supremacist” in connection with the writings of his opponent, Storobin, whom the paper describes as a “regular shul-goer.”
Storobin’s campaign fought back today by releasing a photo montage of “family members who died fighting the Nazis in World War II and who were murdered by Soviet persecutors for being Jewish.”
Fidler’s campaign seemed to back away from the whole mess, saying through a spokeswoman: “With a long record of experience and results to run on, Councilman Fidler wants this campaign to be about what the community needs, not Mr. Storobin’s peculiar internet relationships.”
In other 27th SD news. A number of Russian-speaking residents of the district showed up at the LATFOR hearing in Brooklyn today to protest the GOP’s plan to carve it up. They held signs urging the Republicans not to split up the community and added their voices to the litany of people calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to veto the Senate and Assembly maps.
Adams Will Move To Avoid Primary With Montgomery
Jan 26th - 5:04 pm
Sen. Eric Adams, one of six Democrats thrust into primary contests with their colleagues under the Senate GOP’s redistricting plan, told me this afternoon that he will gladly move to avoid being forced into a head-to-head fight with a more senior lawmaker, Sen. Velmanette Montgomery.
“I’m known well enough in Brooklyn that if I have to move within my district, it is what it is,” the Brooklyn lawmaker said. “I’m sure the people who purchase my co-op would enjoy (Montgomery) as a senator.”
Montgomery was elected in 1984, Adams in 2007.
In a move reminiscent of the one that redistricted Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries out of the Brooklyn district in which he lived back in 2002 – landing him a star turn in that cult classic, “Gerrymandering” – the Republicans bumped Adams right out of the 20th SD, making a little dip right at the neck joint of this goose-like new distrtict.
(NOTE: Gatemouth reminds me that the assemblyman representing Jeffries’ district in 2002 was Roger Green. Jeffries had unsuccessfully challenged Green in a primary in 2000 and maintained the district was subsequently changed as retaliation and to prevent him from running again. He lost again to Green in 2002 and did not arrive in Albany himself until 2006. Mea culpa).
Adams lives right in that little hole where Washington Avenue meets Prospect Place. (Enlarge the map and look closely; it’s easy to miss).
“Look at the long neck on that animal they drew in my district,” Adams said with a laugh. “That one dip is just really obvious. I think it’s about holding onto power any way (the Republicans) can. If you have people running against each other or confusing the process, then they believe you can’t pay attention to the real goal, and that’s regaining the majority. This is all about throwing confusion into the game.”
It’s nice that Adams can maintain his sense of humor about this. Then again, since he might have his eye on something else entirely – say, the Brooklyn borough president race in 2013 – then perhaps he’s not long for the Senate anyway.
A Democratic Primary In NY-13?
Jan 20th - 2:04 pm
Just two days after Democrat Mark Murphy announced his intention to challenge GOP Rep. Michael Grimm in NY-13 this fall, he’s facing a possible challenge of his own from inside his own party.
John Gangemi, a former at-large NYC councilman and attorney who hails from the Brooklyn portion of the largely Staten Island district, has reached out to Democratic leaders – “I”m not getting any nos” – and plans to firm up his own plan for a congressional campaign by next week.
“I have to beat Muprhy and then Grimm, take them on one at a time,” the 73-year-old Republican-turned-Democrat told me during a brief phone interview this afternoon.
“…I think the politicians from today are more astute. They are more informed and their primary concern is to have elected officials deliver. Their concerns are to satisfy the needs of their community, and when you compare me with Mr. Muprhy, or even Mr. Grimm, I have more experience.”
Gangemi said he has no particular problem with Murphy, a former aide to NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and son of a disgraced former congressman whose campaign has so far not been universally embraced by NY-13 Democrats. “I don’t even know him,” he told me.
As for Grimm, Gangemi has this to say: “I think Mr. Grimm is a fine man, but politics as usual. He votes along party lines, and we can’t do that.”
Traditionally, NY-13 candidates have hailed from Staten Island, since Brooklyn makes up just a silver of the district. As a result, Kings County constituents often complain that they feel isolated and overlooked by their Staten Island representatives. Gangemi said he views Brooklyn and Staten Island as “one and the same,” adding: “Ever since they removed the ferry and put in that bridge, everybody from Brooklyn went to Staten Island; they’re all from Brooklyn over there.”
Gangemi served just one four-year term in the Council. He ran for Civil Court judge (back when then-NYC Mayor Ed Koch ran for governor), and didn’t win. He has served as both an assistant district attorney and assistant attorney general.
Gangemi assured me he’s in “good shape,” adding: “I ride motorcycles, dirtbikes. I ride horses. I’m very active.” He was approached about a potential congressional run by Independence Party activist Frank Morano, and said he’s also considering seeking the third party line. He did not rule out running as an independent or third party candidate if he fails to get the Democratic nod or beat Murphy.
As for fundraising, Gangemi said he hasn’t raised a dime yet and is still estimating what a serious House run might cost. He said he would be willing to spend between $50,000 and $100,000 of his own money on a campaign.
(H/T to the Politicker’s Colin Campbell, who beat me to the punch on this one).
Fidler On Senate GOP Criticism: ‘That’s Just Silly’
Jan 16th - 4:28 pm
Democratic Senate hopeful Lew Fidler kicked off his campaign to replace the disgraced former lawmaker Carl Kruger by addressing the criticism leveled by Republicans, namely that holding the event on the steps of City Hall makes him some sort of Albany insider akin to the hapless House candidacy of David Weprin.
“I know the Senate Republicans said that we are coming to City Hall today because I’m being supported by a bunch of insiders,” he said in his opening remarks. “But I just want you to know that everyone who is standing behind me here is a civic leader, a community leader, someone who has given their time to make our city a better place. And today in the cold, I can’t think of a more apt description than to call them outsiders.”
Later, a NY1 colleague asked him about the criticism and Fidler, a city councilman, noted that he has “266 civic leaders” who back his campaign, many of whom were at the event.
“That’s just silly,” he said. “Look at all the folks behind me here.”
Asked what he was holding it in on the steps of City Hall and not in the Brooklyn Senate district, Fidler riffed, “To be convenient for NY1.”
The race is shaping up this way: Republicans, emboldened by the upset victory of Bob Turner after Anthony Weiner stepped down, will try to make Fidler seem like a latter-day Weprin. Democrats know this is yet another race for them to lose, but are also using it as a test run for their 2012 political operations.
Democrats are also working hard behind the scenes to show this is anything but the Weprin-Turner race, pointing out that Fidler was endorsed by former Mayor Ed Koch.
Fidler also revealed in a press scrum that he’s raised “a substantial amount of money. It’s certainly in excess of $400,000.”
The number most likely reflects the last six months, since he reported $350,000 in a Senate campaign account back in July.
Republicans in the district are expected to coalesce around attorney David Storobin.
Queens Hospital Executive Admits He Bribed Kruger
Jan 3rd - 4:33 pm
A Queens hospital executive is the latest domino to fall in the ongoing bribery and corruption case of now former Sen. Carl Kruger.
Robert Aquino, the former CEO of Parkway Hospital in Queens, pled guilty today to bribing Kruger in exchange for preferred state contracts.
“Robert Aquino was all too willing to make sure a bribe was paid to preserve his job as CEO of a hospital,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bhara. “Like others in this case, he chose to fight his battle with money under the table rather than to play by the rules. And like others in this case, he now faces the prospect of jail. This Office remains committed to breaking the chains of corruption that weigh down New York politics.”
The 54-year-old was accused by prosecutors of funneling $60,000 to Kruger in order to curry favor with the Brooklyn Democrat. Aquino admitted to one count of felony conspiracy to commit bribery. He faces a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Kruger resigned his seat last month after pleading to a pair of corruption charges.
What’s In A Date? (Updatedx3)
Dec 21st - 4:09 pm
Officially speaking, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spokesman, Josh Vlasto, the governor “will take the appropriate steps to ensure New Yorkers in the 27th district are represented in the state Senate” now that ex-Sen. Carl Kruger has resigned as part of a plea deal in his federal corruption case.
Cuomo has the authority to call a special election, although unlike with Congressional vacancies, he is not required to do so, and also has discretion as to when he issues proclamation.
Assuming that he does call a special, the election must take place between 70 and 80 days from proclamation. Parties, pursuant to their own procedures, will then subsequently choose candidates – in other words, there will be no primaries. Independents can petition onto special election ballot, but that’s a heavy lift as the petitioning period is shorter than in a general election.
Vlasto’s statement was pretty vague, probably by design. Both Democrats and Republicans are watching to see what Cuomo does here – perhaps more so than usual – because there’s one date in particular that would send a strong message as to the governor’s preference of who wins the 2012 re-match over control of the Senate: April 24.
That, as you’ll recall, is the date of the GOP presidential primary.
A reader notes:
“When and if Cuomo calls a special will tell you a whole lot about where he stands RE: Dem control of the state Senate. Putting the special on the same day as the GOP presidential primary is basically a big ole’ F you to (DSCC Chairman Mike) Gianaris and his cronies. In fact calling a special at all will severely hamper their efforts to win back the majority and would have to be viewed as a slight against them.”
As you’ll recall, the last special election Cuomo called was to fill a vacancy in NY-9 created when former Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned in the wake of a Twitter scandal. The governor decided to call that election for Sept. 13 – concurrent with the already scheduled primaries.
(Good government advocates were disappointed by this selection, which the governor said was done to minimize costs and maximize participation. In the end, however, it didn’t help the Democrats’ candidate, Assemblyman David Weprin, despite his party’s overwhelming enrollment edge in the Brooklyn/Queens district).
April 24 is the earliest already-scheduled election in 2012. Actually, village elections will be held across the state on March 20th. I stand corrected.
The dates of the congressional and state-level elections remain up in the air, thanks to the DOJ lawsuit and legislative leaders’ inability to reach on deal on either June or August. It’s possible we could end up with three different primaries next year.
Long: Turner Victory Bodes Well For Senate Special
Dec 21st - 2:32 pm
Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long acknowledged this afternoon that Democrats face a clear advantage when it comes to holding onto disgraced former Sen. Carl Kruger’s seat in Brooklyn.
“There’s big enrollment issues, but the other side of the coin is it’s a special election and anything can happen,” Long said in a phone interview.
Kruger entered a tearful guilty plea on Tuesday, admitting to accepting $1 million worth of bribes in exchange for personally ushering through favorable state contracts. In doing so, the Brooklyn Democrat resigned his seat effective immediately, setting up a special election in the 27th Senate District.
Long said the upset victory of Republican Bob Turner over Democrat David Weprin (in a Brooklyn/Queens district with a heavy Democratic enrollment) is good comparison of the unpredictably nature of special elections.
“I think that’s the clear example of why it’s possible we can win this thing,” he said. “You got to have the right candidate.”
Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district 89,670 to 26,994 with 33,044 registered independents, according to the Board of Elections.
But Azi Paybarah received a similar conclusion from Brooklyn Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar. So far the only potential Republican candidate is lawyer David Storobin who already has a campaign committee up and running.
Naturally, there are some caveats with such a comparison.
The CD-9′s demographics are different than that of SD-27 and Democrats feel they have a potentially strong candidate in Councilman Lew Fidler (though he’s been careful not to formally announce a campaign).
A Republican victory would be a major development in which party controls the chamber. Republicans have a 32-seat majority and would certainly love to capture a Democratic seat before the coming round of redistricting.
Fidler’s Preemptive Strike
Dec 14th - 3:37 pm
Two readers have forwarded me a full-page ad that’s running in Hamodia, an Orthodox Jewish weekly newspaper in NYC, and touts $15 million in “direct funding” directed to a wide variety of Jewish organizations by Brooklyn Councilman Lew Fidler, who is gearing up for a state Senate run next fall.
The ad appears after the jump. I particularly like the tagline, which doesn’t beat around the bush: “Talk is cheap. Lew Fidler gets things done. For us.” And also, check out the fiddle logo. Fidler, fiddle. Cute.
Fidler doesn’t usually advertise in Hamodia, I’m told.
While this isn’t a huge investment (a full-page ad set him back several thousand dollars), this move was described by two different people as a “pre-emptive” strike by the Democratic councilman – just in case anyone hasn’t yet gotten the message that he intends to run, either for Sen. Carl Kruger’s seat, assuming Kruger 1) is convicted of a felony in his corruption trial, which is scheduled to start Jan. 17, or 2) resigns as part of a plea deal; or for the so-called “super” Jewish district Senate Republicans are dreaming of having tailor-made for Fidler’s former Council colleague, Simcha Felder.
(Yes, Felder, currently working for scandal-scarred NYC Comptroller John Liu, is a Democrat, but he’s also politically malleable and has a history of supporting Mayor Bloomberg, who has been the Senate GOP’s most significant individual contributor in recent years).
One Brooklyn Democrat with a lot of experience in the often rough waters of Jewish politics, called Fidler’s ad “smart,” adding: “It’s strong out of the gate and a sign he won’t make the same mistakes as David Weprin.”
Assemblyman Weprin, as you’ll recall, was thought to have the Jewish vote in the NY-9 special election sewn up, thanks to his history of supporting Israel and the fact that he’s an Orthodox Jew himself. But his “yes” vote on same-sex marriage and former NYC Mayor Ed Koch’s decision to cross party lines and back Republican Bob Turner to “send a message” about his displeasure with the Obama administration’s Israel policy helped tank him with his own people, so to speak.
I spoke with Fidler briefly this afternoon, and he had this to say about his ad:
“The answer is, I’m very proud of most of the things that I do, and I want people to know about them. I also just want to be prepared for whatever might come down the path in the not so distant future.”
‘
Considering the fact that Kruger’s trial is about to start, AND the redistricting battle is about to heat up in a big way, AND New York’s primary date could be moved into the summer (if legislators make a deal; otherwise, we might have three separate contests, including the usual one in September for state lawmakers), Fidler is wise to get a jump on things. In mid-July, he reported raising $331,624 in a newly-formed campaign committee.
Boyland Charged Again (Updated)
Nov 29th - 2:14 pm
Just over two weeks after he was found not guilty in a federal corruption case, Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. has been slapped with a new set of charges – this time accused of soliciting some $250,000 from a carnival promoter and two FBI agents he believed were out-of-state real estate developers.
UPDATE: As per NY1′s Josh Robin, who is covering this case: Boyland was arraigned, but not formally indicted today. That will occur within the next 30 days. He has to pay a $100,000 bond, which he is expected to do before the day is out, and surrender his passport.
The complaint against the Brooklyn Democrat, which appears after the jump, is really worth a read. Although keep in mind: Boyland essentially got off last time because a jury couldn’t, as one juror put it, definitively “connect the dots” between a no-show job the assemblyman retained with a health care organization and his advocacy on that organization’s behalf up in Albany.
Boyland apparently accepted thousands of dollars worth of bribes from the unnamed carnival promoter (referred to as “CW”), with whom he met – along with oneof the undercover agents – on multiple occasions starting in August 2010 to discuss how he could secure locations in his district and help obtain necessary leases and permits.
During one of those chats, Boyland said he had the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (also known as HPD) “locked up,” adding: “We got HPD…we’re there.”
After Boyland was charged with bribery by the US attorney’s office in the Southern District (a case that also involved Sen. Carl Kruger and lobbyist Richard Lipsky, among others), he and a member of his staff contacted one of the undercover officers to solicit a direct $7,000 payment to “solidify some attorneys,” according to today’s complaint. The assemblyman allegedly said he wanted the payment in cash and would be willing to travel to Philadelphia to get it.
Last August, Boyland was caught during a recorded conversation in a hotel suite in Atlantic City, NJ soliciting a $250,000 bribe from the two FBI undercovers. Boyland allegedly proposed a scheme that called for the two “developers” to purchase a former hospital in his district for $8 million, obtain state grant money to renovate the hospital, and resell it to a non-profit organization that Boyland claimed to control for $15 million.
The assemblyman allegedly said he would arrange for the sale, take official action and use his influence to secure state grant money to allow for the hospital to be renovated and then sold to his organization for a profit.
“As detailed in the criminal complaint, the extent of the charged corruption is staggering,” said US Attorney Loretta Lynch. “The defendant had a strong political legacy, the trust of his community, and the privilege of serving it. Not content with these many benefits, the defendant is alleged to have auctioned the power of his seat in the Assembly to the highest bidder, for his own personal gain and to the potential detriment of the voters who elected him to office.”
“Fortunately for his constituents and the people of New York, in this instance the ‘bidders’ were working for the FBI. The message of this case is clear – we will utilize all available resources to protect the public’s right to government free of corruption.”
Lynch made clear that the government’s investigation is continuing. If convicted, Boyland faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Minus One Challenger For Towns (And Jeffries)
Oct 18th - 1:59 pm
Kevin Powell, an activist and hip-hop journalist who made a name for himself as a member of the original “Real World: New York” cast back in 1992, has decided not to mount a third challenge to his fellow Democrat, Rep. Ed Towns, in NY-10 next fall.
“While I am still very much dedicated to the issues I raised in our campaigns, I will not be running for Congress or any other office in 2012,” Powell wrote in a blog post, to which a reader directed my attention this afternoon.
“For the immediate future my heart is with political and community organizing. For the past year, I have been working very quietly with diverse fellow leaders of my generation, the generation behind me, and my team to build a new national organization that will address the concerns of progressive, multicultural America.”
This new organization is going to be called “BK Nation,” and will be based in Brooklyn, but “BK” actually stands for “building knowledge” and isn’t a reference to the borough.
Powell’s decision is good news for Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, who is raising cash for a likely congressional run. He has not ruled out primarying Towns, if necessary, saying he believes the district needs some new blood to represent its interests in Washington.
So far, Jeffries, who has not yet formally announced his congressional candidacy, has raised $173,750 towards a potential House run. Towns reported raising $69,258 over the past three months. He spent $107,742 during that time and has jsut $11,240 on hand.
NYC Councilman Charles Barron, who ran a failed gubernatorial bid last fall, hasn’t ruled out running in NY-10, either. He mounted a spirited campaign against Towns in 2006, finishing just eight points behind the veteran congressman. As David Freedlander notes, Powell’s decision not to run in 2012 could increase the chances of Barron’s entry into the race, since the councilman had previously said he would stand aside for Powell.
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