The Criminal Investigation and the Dem Pick of of DA in Nassau County Good Indicator That State Senate In Play
All five open seats in the state Legislature were filled by members of the previous occupants’ political party, setting up a fight to win the governing majority in next year’s senate elections,
The New York Times reports: * First-time political candidate Democrat Madeline Singas won the election for
Nassau County district attorney, beating longtime politician Kate Murray, who Singas tried to connect to the embattled Dean Skelos,
Newsday reports: * Democratic Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz easily won re-election over Republican challenger Ray Walter and emphasized the need to look at
Buffalo as an urban hub for all of
Erie County, T
he Buffalo News reports * A full listing of the results from around upstate
New York can be found here. * In
something of an upset, Democrat Madline Singas has defeated Republican Kate Murray in the
Nassau County district attorney’s race.
Other Election Results
Democrat Michael McMahon won the
Staten Island district attorney’s race, replacing Republican Dan Donovan, who is now in Congress.*
Politico New York breaks down election results by region in a cycle that left the political landscape largely unchanged, particularly in the state Legislature where members elected to vacated seats were from the same party as their predecessors:
SI DA Race Update
Race for Staten Island District Attorney Goes From Quiet to Contentious (NYT) Republican leaders had all but conceded the fight to Michael E. McMahon, a Democrat who once served in Congress, before Joan Illuzzi, a career prosecutor, abruptly entered the contest.* The Staten Island district attorney’s race, expected to have little drama, has turned into a contentious campaign pitting the Democratic favorite against a career prosecutor who cold-called the Staten Island GOP to offer herself as a candidate, the Times reports: * The Staten Island DA’s race has turned into a contentious campaign after career prosecutor, Joan Illuzzi, a Republican who until the spring served as senior trial counsel in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, entered the contest against Democrat Michael McMahon by cold-calling the local GOP chairman and offering herself up as a candidate.* De Blasio Emerges as Campaign Issue in Staten Island DA Race (NY1)* The New York Post endorsed Joan Illuzzi to be the next Staten Island District Attorney, writing that she is the clear choice because of her experience as a hard-nosed, seasoned prosecutor
Write In GOP Candidate Beats Conservative Party Dem Pick
- During a debate to be the next Staten Island district attorney, Republican Joan Illuzzi and Democrat Michael McMahon attacked each others records and qualifications, highlighting their differences, NY1 reports:
Minor-party primary gives clarity to Staten Island DA race (NYP) A minor-party primary election on Tuesday that drew just 866 votes could determine who becomes
Staten Island’s next district attorney. Joan Illuzzi, the Republican candidate, snatched the Conservative Party line away from Democrat Mike McMahon with 508 votes in an insurgent write-in primary — boosting her bid to win the general election in November *
A grand old party ofone family? (NYDN) Some of the biggest donors to the state Republican party are party chairman Ed Cox and his family, which some GOPers see as a double-edge sword. Cox, his wife Patricia, and brother Howard, have given the party’s main campaign account $343,000 since Cox became chairman in mid 2009, records show. The three alone account for about 10% of the $3.34 million the part has raised from individuals during that time. Ed and Howard Cox also gave a combined $483,000 since 2009 to the state party’s separate “housekeeping” account. *
With Primary Day Done, Focus Shifts to Handful of Special November Elections (NY1) * Conservative Party One Man Rule Fails to Deliver for SI Dem Candidate *
Lovett: Revolt looms for State Republican Chairman Ed Cox (NYDN)
Staten Island DAs Race
Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, the prosecutor who handled the Etan Patz case, has resigned to run as a Republican for district attorney in Staten Island, a position also sought by former U.S. Democratic Rep. Michael McMahon, The New York Times reports: * Joan Illuzzi, an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office, known recently for being the prosecutor in the Etan Patz case, got the Republican Party’s nomination last night to run for Staten Island DA. * The Democrats have selected former congressman MichaelMcMahon to run for the open DA seat. The spot was previously held by Republican Dan Donovan, who became a congressman in a special election to replace Michael Grimm.” * Patz Prosecutor Takes On Ex-Congressman in Staten Island District Attorney’s Race (NYT) Joan Illuzzi will run as a Republican against the former Representative Michael E. McMahon, a Democrat, setting the stage for a contest between a pair of unusually high-profile candidates. * Etan Patz Prosecutor to Run for District Attorney in Staten Island (DNAINFO) * Etan Patz's Family Backs NYC Trial Prosecutor for Staten Island DA (WSJ)
The family of Etan Patz on Friday endorsed the prosecutor who led the monthslong trial against the man accused of the child's 1979 killing in her bid to become Staten Island's next district attorney *
NY1 Exclusive: Assistant DA Joan Illuzzi Discusses Etan Patz Trial, DA Race (NY1) *
Staten Island district attorney candidate and former prosecutor Joan Illuzzi tried to sue the city for $5 million in two personal-injury suits, though as a public employee she was barred from collecting, the Post reports: * Barring a last minute adjournment or an unlikely subsequent appeal, the federal prosecution of Michael Grimm will end on Friday when US District Court Judge Pamela Chen sentences the former congressman on his guilty plea to a single count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return. * McMahon's Campaign Coffers More Than Double Illuzzi's in DA Race (DNAINF) Michael McMahon has raised more than $151,000 for the Staten Island District Attorney race. * Joan Illuzzi, who is running for Staten Island district attorney, has been accused of ethnic pandering because she plans to campaign using her Italian maiden name, rather than her hyphenated married name, theDaily News reports: * MaryLou Shanahan, former Conservative chair, backs Joan Illuzzi (SI Advance) * New York City’s largest police union endorsed former Rep. Michael McMahon for Staten Island district attorney, a sign of momentum behind the Democratic candidate in the city’s most conservative borough, the Journal writes: * Democrat Michael McMahon appears to have lost the Conservative line in the race for Staten Island district attorney to Republican rival Joan Illuzzi, who won as a write-in candidate, NY1 reports:
More on the 11th Congressional District
,
A Grimm Lockup
True News Wags NYT On GOP Congressman Importance to the City By One Month
Daniel Donovan Gets Wary Welcome to Congress After Eric Garner Case The lack of an indictment in the Staten Island chokehold case has caused tension between his new colleagues and Mr. Donovan, a former prosecutor and the sole Republican representing
New York City. Despite airing concerns about how U.S. Rep. Daniel Donovan handled the Eric Garner case, some of his Democratic counterparts in Congress are warm to him because they could use an ally in the GOP majority,
The New York Times reports: * Though they criticized his handling of the Eric Garner case and hope to defeat him in 2016, Democratic members of
New York’s congressional delegation
are willing to giveGOP Rep. Dan Donovan a shot, thinking he may emerge as a helpful ally in the Republican-controlled House.* Rep. Daniel Donovan, recently elected to represent Staten Island and part of
Brooklyn, is
looking to staff up. The Republican is asking the “best and brightest” in NY-11 to apply to be staffers in his district offices.
One Month Ago True News Wrote:
A Tale of Two Donovan's: Today Attacked for Garner . . . By May Protector of NYC's $$$ for the Poor and Minorities
Donovan Will Soon Take On the Al D'amato Role During the Reagan Years of Protecting Federal Funding for NYC
GOP budget plan would gut New York City’s federal aid,pol says (NYDN)
House Republicans’ budget proposal would decimate federal funding for New York City, Rep. Nydia Velázquez says in a report to be released Monday. The GOP budget would cut more than $13.4 billion in federal funding to New York City and its residents over 10 years, the report estimates. That’s a big chunk for a city that last year received about $9 billion from Washington. Under the proposed plan, the city would lose $487 million in Head Start funding, $2.3 billion in research grants from the National Institutes of Health, $148 million from a Health Center Program and $59 million from substance abuse programs. New York would lose $1 billion in money for transit and $1.3 billion in college aid, the report estimates. * A Former Congressman Tries to Save the GOP in Queens (NYO) * Warning the
US will fall behind without more federal transportation funding, mayors from across the country
will push Congress for additional dollars, lobbying in the nation’s capital during the week of May 11.
Donovan Wins the 11th Congressional District
Donovan Wins Race for House Seat Grimm Vacated, A.P. Says (NYT) Daniel M. Donovan Jr., the
Staten Island district attorney whose office investigated the chokehold death of Eric Garner, defeated Councilman Vincent J. Gentile, the Democratic candidate. *
DA who handled Eric Garner case wins congressional seat (NYP) * Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan wins special election for former Rep. Michael Grimm's congressional seat (NYDN) * * Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donavon defeated New York City Councilman Vincent Gentile, getting 60 percent to Gentile’s 39 percent of the vote, in the special election to replace Rep. Michael Grimm * Working Families Party candidate Diana Richardson won a narrow majority of the vote, just over 50 percent, in the four-way special election for New York State Assembly in Brooklyn to replace
Karim Camara, the Timesreports: * The win
makes Donovan the lone Republican from
New York City in the House, like Grimm was before him. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who supported Gentile, said the new congressman “will eventually be held accountable for the miscarriage of justice he presided over in
Staten Island. This conversation is not over.” * “You sent a message to President Obama, to Nancy Pelosi, and yes, even to Bill de Blasio that their policies are wrong for our nation, they’re wrong for our city and they’re wrong for the 11th congressional district,”
Donovan said during his victory speech. * Despite
a growing call for
him to step down from his leadership post, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos
refused to do so, and continued to profess his innocence of federal corruption charges. * Asked about calls from fellow Republicans for him to step down,
Skelos replied: “Sometimes, some Republicans have nothing to do but complain because they can’t do anything else.” * “Dean was pretty brazen when he met with the conference,” one source
told the Daily News. “He said he is going to fight this. He said he’s going to win – that ‘we’re going to show Preet Bharara.'” * The list of potential replacements for Skelos as majority leader is
growing longer, with Sens. Joe Griffo and Jim Seward added to the mix.
43AD The WFP Declares Victory Over Litwin-Like Developers (YNN) * Eric Garner’s Mother Gwen Carr BlamesProsecutor’s Election on Low Minority Turnout (NYO) Now the DA's Race With Staten Island D.A. Daniel Donovan heading to Congress sometime this month, the jockeying has already begun to replace him, with top Republican elected officials urging State Sen. Andrew Lanza to run, the
Observer reports: *Republicans
are urging Sen. Andrew Lanza to run for the DA post Dan Donovan will vacate now that he has won this week’s NY-11 special election.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? -- De Blasio hasn’t called Donovan since the election -- Capital’s Colby Hamilton: Staten Island district attorney Daniel Donovan has yet to receive a congratulatory phone call from Mayor Bill de Blasio, after winning a special election to Congress on Tuesday night, a spokesperson for Donovan confirmed to Capital. Donovan, a Republican, easily defeated City Councilman Vincent Gentile in a race to fill the congressional seat that was vacated in January by Michael Grimm, who resigned after pleading guilty to a charge of federal tax fraud. When he takes the oath of office this month, Donovan will become the city’s only member of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. “They haven't connected yet, but the mayor looks forward to working with Congressman-elect Donovan to strengthen New York City,” de Blasio spokesman Phil Walzak said in an email. Dan Donovan, the Staten Island DA involved in the Eric Garner chokehold case,
was sworn in as the House’s newest GOP member, replacing ex-Rep. Michael Grimm, who quit Congress after pleading guilty to tax fraud. De Blasio
called Donovan, and said the two had a “very good talk” and “look forward to working together.” Donovan’s deputy, Chief Assistant District Attorney Daniel Master,
was sworn in as the acting DA in
Staten Island. State law allows Cuomo to appoint a temporary district attorney in the event of a vacancy. But with the seat up for election this year, it’s uncertain if he will be willing to call another special election.
Daily News Endorses Donovan But Not Impressed
Given the uninspiring choice between Vincent Gentile andDan Donovan, Staten Island and Brooklyn voters should choose Donovan (NYDN Ed
) Donovan’s rival, Councilman Vinny Gentile, is not the sharpest knife in the Democratic drawer. Donovan’s rival, Councilman Vinny Gentile, is not the sharpest knife in the Democratic Appearing before the Daily News Editorial Board, Gentile boasted of having served as chairman of the Council’s Investigations Committee, a post that gave him oversight of the Department of Investigation. Asked to comment on the performance of Commissioner Mark Peters, Gentile was unable to cite a single report Peters had written, even though he had issued major findings on the city’s homeless shelters and the lack of security on
Rikers Island, and had arrested a slew of building inspectors. Call it a match between two ill-informed candidates only one of which, the Republican, has a shot at being even remotely effective. Avoiding the total shutout of an all-Democratic
Washington delegation tips the balance to Donovan even though he hedges on comprehensive immigration reform and proved not to know the federal minimum wage when asked about it during a debate. *
Advance endorses Donovan for Congress as "clearly thebest candidate" * Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan and Brooklyn City Councilman Vincent Gentile cast ballots in their special election for the Staten Island congressional seat vacated by Michael Grimm, The Wall Street Journal reports:
A Tale of Two Donovan's: Today Attacked for Garner . . . September Protector of NYC's $$$ for the Poor and Minorities
Donovan Will Soon Take On the Al D'amato Role During the Reagan Years of Protecting Federal Funding for NYC
GOP budget plan would gut New York City’s federal aid,pol says (NYDN)
House Republicans’ budget proposal would decimate federal funding for New York City, Rep. Nydia Velázquez says in a report to be released Monday. The GOP budget would cut more than $13.4 billion in federal funding to New York City and its residents over 10 years, the report estimates. That’s a big chunk for a city that last year received about $9 billion from Washington. Under the proposed plan, the city would lose $487 million in Head Start funding, $2.3 billion in research grants from the National Institutes of Health, $148 million from a Health Center Program and $59 million from substance abuse programs. New York would lose $1 billion in money for transit and $1.3 billion in college aid, the report estimates. * A Former Congressman Tries to Save the GOP in Queens (NYO) * Warning the
US will fall behind without more federal transportation funding, mayors from across the country
will push Congress for additional dollars, lobbying in the nation’s capital during the week of May 11.
Donovan Attacked By NAACP
An associate of former Rep. Michael Grimm received a surprisingly harsh sentence – three months in prison, despite an agreement for just probation between prosecutors and defense lawyers – for violating campaign finance law. It’s a signal that Grimm himself may face tough consequences when he is sentenced later this year for tax fraud.* Michael Grimm’s ex-girlfriend gets 3 months for illegal fundraising * Federal prosecutors are giving a pass on jail time for former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm’s ex-girlfriend, who pleaded guilty to making an illegal contribution to his campaign, the Daily News writes: * Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, a Republican running for Congress, defended parts of the Affordable Care Act, saying that House Republicans shouldn’t repeal it entirely,
the Observerreports: * Staten Island DA and NY-11 GOP candidate Dan Donovan
defended Obamacare and said House Republicans shouldn’t keep trying to entirely repeal it. * Donovan
also called for major reform of FEMA.* Guy Molinari, a former
Staten Island borough president and congressman,
said that Michael Grimm, a former Republican congressman who resigned in January following a guilty plea to a federal tax evasion charge, should receive a lighter sentence because he served as a marine in the Gulf War. * A fundraising email from Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan’s congressional campaign says the Rev. Al Sharpton is “coming after” him and alleges he is trying to hurt Donovan,
the Observer reports; * A new missive from Staten Island DA Daniel Donovan’s congressional campaign
warns that Rev. Al Sharpton is “coming after” him–and rails against the “radical Left” – including de Blasio – for trying to derail his run.*
Donovan's Campaign Invokes Image of Sharpton to Raise Campaign Cash(NY1)*
Holding grand opening events for his campaign offices on Staten Island and in Brooklyn on Sunday, Republican DA Dan Donovan asked crowds of supporters in both boroughs to help him get out the vote for the May 5 special election in NY-11 against Democratic Councilman Vincent Gentile. * Donovan downplayed an email his campaign sent out citing attacks from “the radical left” at the opening of his Staten Island campaign headquarters, saying his disagreed with allegations made by Gentile that his campaign is engaged in race-baiting. * Donovan Denies ‘Race-Baiting’ With Sharpton Fund-RaisingEmail (NYO)* Brooklyn Councilman Vincent Gentile bashed his congressional rival, Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, for taking off early from a candidate forum to attend a fund-raiser instead of staying for a full-length debate, the Observer reports:
.
Attacks From Editorial Blasting Special Ballot Rules Undemocratic And Blacks Demanding That Cuomo Not Call A Special That Elects Donovan
In Special Elections Tammany Hall Rules
The NYT & Daily News called the party rules which go back to boss Tweed that allow one man rule undemocratic. Corrupt coming out of party leaders selling access to their ballot lines. *Citizens Union reported that a third of the Legislature was first anointed as candidates in these back-room, special-election deals. Special elections aren’t really elections — they’re coronations by party leaders,” Dadey said, noting that party bosses choose the candidates, who then, without the public scrutiny of a primary campaign, almost invariably win. Once “coronated,” these special-elected pols are almost inevitably re-elected, Dadey said. New York state incumbents are re-elected at an astounding 94-percent rate. New York’s Especially Undemocratic Elections (NYT Ed) * Campaign against the Tweed Ring * In the 1990's The NYT Demanded Un-Bossed Special Election . . . Demanded Primaries Primaries Also Needed For Special Elections - New York Times* Michael Grimm received $100K in under-the-table payments afterhis election to Congress: prosecutors (NYDN) A lawyer for the Staten Island Republican said the FBI claim that he maintained a secret stake in the Healthalicious restaurant during his 2010 Congressional campaign and after his election is 'completely false.'* Five weeks after Michael Grimm resigned, NY Dems stillhaven't found anyone to run for his seat (NY1) * DemocratsSeek Nod to Run for Staten Island Congressional Seat (NYO) * Staten Island Democrats still do not have a candidate to run in the yet-to-be-called special election for ex-Rep. Michael Grimm’s seat against Republican DA Daniel Donovan, even after the Democratic executive committee interviewed three prospective prospective candidates last night. * Grimm was spotted on Capitol Hill yesterday. He said he was there to see “old friends.” His visit coincided with a trip to D.C. by Donovan to meet with GOP leaders; the two men did not cross paths.* Brooklyn City Councilman Vincent Gentile, Assemblyman William Colton and labor activist Robert Holst all made their pitches for a congressional run to the Staten Island Democratic Party last night, theObserver reports:
A federal judge in
Brooklyn ordered Cuomo to set a date by Friday for a special election for the congressional seat vacated by former Rep. Michael Grimm. If the governor fails to act, US District Court Judge Jack Weinstein ruled, the court will set the date for such an election at a hearing scheduled for Feb. 20 at noon. * Weinstein’s decision
referenced pre-Revolutionary history, the Reconstruction, the Civil Rights era and modern case law. “The right to representation in government is the central pillar of democracy in this country,” he wrote. * “It’s about time,”
Tom Wrobleski wrote of the judge’s ruling. * “As reflected in the state’s papers filed last week, the governor will announce the date for the special election for New York’s 11th Congressional District shortly, consistent with our constitutional obligation and in a manner that balances both the economic impact of the election as well as the need for fair representation,”
said Cuomo spokeswoman Melissa DeRosa. * The GOP candidate for Grimm’s seat, Staten Island DA Daniel Donovan,
has changed course and will not attend a
Manhattan fundraiser supporting his bid for Congress that is being hosted today by People First, a Super PAC, at the Women’s National Republican Club in
Manhattan. * Democratic leaders on Staten Island and in
Brooklyn have still not picked a candidate. Staten Island Democrats have interviewed three prospects: NYC Councilman Vincent Gentile, Assemblyman William Colton and Robert Holst, an electrician who is the founder of the Middle Class Action Project, a group that advocates liberal economic policies.
Grimm Update . . . Malliotakis Out . . . de Blasio Sends Peace Message to NYPD in Praising Donovan
Donovan Road to Congress Full Of Mine Fields
Attacks From Editorial Blasting Special Ballot Rules Undemocratic And Blacks Demanding That Cuomo Not Call A Special That Elects Donovan
In Special Elections Tammany Hall Rules
Where is the Outrage Over the NY Tammany Hall Party Rules That Allow Party Leaders Pick Elected Official? Will Donavan Opponent Demand Albany Change the Special Election law
Way For Garner Protesters to Get Even With Donavan is to Change the Election Law
Only in NY at the same time Malcolm Smith and Queens GOP party leader Vincent Tabone are on trial for buying and selling the GOP ballot line for mayor a handful (31) Staten Island party members will because of voting patterns pick the next congressman from the 11th congressional district. All this is happening without an editorial from newspaper which have in the past condemned party control of special election.
In early 1990 there will be a host of special elections around the state because of vacancies resulting from last November's elections. There are three Assembly vacancies and one Congressional vacancy to be filled in a winter special election. Although it is the voters who will be able to choose the ultimate winner, it will be the party bosses who will have the power to nominate the party candidates.
Newsday Editorial: End party tyranny of New York elections
In New York, it's difficult to get on the ballot without the support of a party leader. Lacking that support means braving a petition process that works against newcomers, who tend to lack money and staff. If you are a registered member of a different party, it's even more difficult. The convoluted rules for granting a certificate to nonmembers like Smith to run on another party's ballot line are set out in the Wilson-Pakula Act of 1947 -- a minefield party leaders use to get things in return.State Sen. Malcolm Smith, a Queens Democrat, was accused last week of plotting to bribe Republican Party leaders in New York City for their permission to run for mayor as a Republican. The case is shocking in its brazenness, but it also highlights a system that enables bad behavior. No laws can stop wrongdoers. But the state's election system, beyond encouraging illegal manipulation, allows legal maneuvering that is almost as bad. In 2009, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg traversed this process legally and got permission to run again on the Republican line for re-election. Bloomberg had changed his registration from Republican to independent in 2007, but the more than $3 million he has donated to state and county Republican groups since 2000 smoothed his way.* The “
Albany Madness” bracket, in which you decide which elected official is most corrupt, is open for voting.
Grimm Race Update . . . Malliotakis Out . . . de Blasio Reaches Out . . . Donvan Blows Him Away
There’s an
argument to be made for the Democrats to sit out the special election to replace Grimm, though some local leaders insist they believe they’ve got a shot at winning the seat.
'I think we should respect their decision': Staten Island DA Daniel Donovan stands by grand jury in controversial Eric Garner case(NYDN) *
Prosecutor in Eric Garner Case Announcing HisCongressional Campaign Today: Sources(NYO) * Donovan Officially Enters NY-11 Race(YNN) * Republican StatenIsland District Attorney Daniel Donovan running to replace disgraced Rep.Michael Grimm(NYDN) * First Draft: StatenIsland D.A. to Run for Grimm’s House Seat (NYT)Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, the likely candidate for Michael Grimm’s empty congressional seat, could spur protests and hurt Republicans’ attempts to diversify their brand, Business Insider’s HunterWalker writes: * Staten Island showdown: Richmond, Brooklyn Republicans split between Donovan and Malliotakis to replace Grimm (NYDN) * Following ‘Informal Meeting’ Brooklyn GOP Likes Malliotakis For Grimm Seat(YNN) * There are some dark horse candidates for the yet-to-be-called special election to replace former Rep. Michael Grimm.* Ms. Malliotakis Goes to Washington(YNN) * Former Gov. George Pataki supports Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis to run for former Rep. Michael Grimm’s seat. * The Staten Island GOP executive committee will meet Saturday morning to take a non-binding vote on who the 31 members support to replace Grimm.* Staten Island G.O.P.leaders to meet on Grimm replacemen(Capital) * Malliotakis stillseeking support, after Donovan announcement * GOP leaders may be backing Staten Island DA Dan Donovan to run in the yet-to-be-called special election to replace former Rep. Michael Grimm, but Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis isn’t quite ready to throw in the towel, State of Politics reports: *Staten Island Prosecutor to Run for Grimm’s House Seat(NYT) The Staten Island district attorney, Daniel M. Donovan Jr., a Republican, announced that he is seeking to replace former Representative Michael G. Grimm in a special election. * HE'S IN: Staten Island DA Dan Donovan throws hat in ring for Rep. Michael Grimm's seat(NYDN) * Ex-Governor GeorgePataki has endorsed Assemblywoman @NMalliotakis for the #NY11 GOP nomination.* Dan Donovanwill not take leave of absence, da's office won't suffer as he runs for congress Dan Donovan addresses #ericgarner before #statenisland #gop meeting, says must respect grand jury decision, 23 people performed civic duty* Donovan: Garnerfamily was 'first priority' (Capital) * Donovan warns Dems not to make issue out of Eric Garner(NYP)
370 Republicans on county committee deserve to be part of selection process for #NY11nominee. Their voices important & should be heard.
Sharpton Just Elected Donovan to Congress
Donovan's selection as congressional candidate will backfire on GOP, Sharpton says(NYDN) *
The Rev.
Al Sharpton said if Republicans choose Staten Island DA Dan Donovan to run in a special election to replace departing Rep. Michael Grimm, it would roil protesters angry over the death of Eric Garner. “It would almost be seen as rewarding someone who has become the national symbol of what we are fighting,” Sharpton said.*
Rudy Giuliani hits the campaign trail with Donovan(NYP)
Friday Update Taking nothing for granted to keep U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm’s seat in Republican hands, activists have set up a super PAC to elect Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, the prosecutor in the controversial Eric Garner case,
the New York Post writes: GOP SI Chair Supports Donovan Staten Island Republican Party Chair Will BackDaniel Donovan for Congress(NYO) John Antoniello, the chair of the borough’s GOP organization, said he is endorsing Mr. Donovan, the prosecutor who rose to prominence for not securing an indictment in the Eric Garner case, because of his “experience” and “integrity.”* Staten Island DA Dan Donovan’s office
is expected to square off with organizations seeking the records from the Eric Garner grand jury in court on Jan. 29 – a date set by state Supreme Court Justice William Garnett. Sen. Marty Golden has a close working relationship with Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, but
is backing Donovan as the GOP candidate in the yet-to-be-called special election for former Rep. Michael Grimm’s seat. Grimm
officially resigned yesterday in a letter to Speaker John Boehner’s office.
Daily News Reports Tonight Grimm to Resign
Wednesday Update
Three Republicans and two Democrats are considered contenders for what would be a special election for the House seat being vacated by Representative Michael Grimm.*
The Staten Island Advance takes a look at seven Democratsand Republicans who are most likely to run in a special election to replace U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm after he resigned this week: * * In the wake of U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm’s resignation, it is crucial that Staten Islanders make the right choice when they send their next member of Congress to
Washington and that borough Democrats and Republicans present candidates to be proud of in the coming special election,
the Staten Island Advance writes:
'I AM VERY SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING THE RACE': Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan is likely GOP nominee in race to replace Rep. Michael Grimm (NYDN)*
Michael Grimm hasdecided to resign from Congress days after pleading guilty: sources(NYDN) EXCLUSIVE: The Staten Island Republican, who won reelection in the fall, has decided to vacate his seat after speaking with Rep. John Boehner.
Grimm (R-S.I.) said after he entered his plea last week that he planned to continue serving in the House. But he reversed course after speaking Monday to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who has taken a hard line on GOPers facing ethics charges.THIS JUST IN: NY congressman Michael Grimm, who has pleaded guilty to tax evasion, to resign before Congress returns next week- via
@AP * Prominent Staten Island Republicans, including Borough President James Oddo, Assemblyman Joseph Borelli and Council members Vincent Ignizio and Steven Matteo,
all lined up behind Donovan’s candidacy, even though others are considering a run, too. *
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he has no immediate plans to call a special election to fill the soon-to-be-vacant seat belonging to Rep. Michael Grimm. …The Staten Island Advance
does not approve, saying it would be a “disservice” to the NY-11 constituents for Cuomo to wait until spring to call a special. “The race to replace (Grimm)
will feature many of the characters who have played central roles in the unfolding drama surrounding the death of Eric Garner, a 43-year-old black man from
Staten Island who died in July after police placed him in a chokehold.” Former Staten Island BP
James Molinaro said he has received strong encouragement to seek Grimm’s seat, though he refused to say if he was seriously considering a run. Former Rep. Vito Fossella
is “not really” interested in going back to D.C. as a member of Congress, though he’s “humbled and flattered” to be mentioned as a potential contender.*
Gov. Cuomo must movequickly to set special election to replace Michael Grimm (editorial) (SI Advance)
SI DA Dan Donovan Man In the Middle, Chokehold Grand Jury, WFP Investigation and Congress
Grimm Ending
Rep. Michael Grimm to plead guilty to felony count of tax evasion
Friday
Grimm realities(NYP)
Hard to believe, but Albany is light-years ahead of Congress on this one, because a New York state legislator convicted of a felony automatically loses his seat. Then again, Speaker John Boehner and the enhanced GOP majority have no real need for Grimm, so we expect ultimately he will be persuaded to leave.The Post says that Rep. Michael Grimm’s reelection is a case of a sorry pattern in New York, with voters putting party labels ahead of honesty by not turning out the Staten Island lawmaker at the ballot box* A Staten Island GOP “insider” called DA Dan Donovan the “odds-on favorite” to succeed embattled Rep. Michael Grimm, though the congressman insists he’s not stepping down despite pleading guilty to a felony charge of tax evasion.Rep. Mike Grimm'sWorst Week in Washington.(Wash Post)
Wednesday
The chance—or hope—that Staten Island Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm resigns or gets forced out has the Democrats moving to line up possible contenders to replace his seat,
the Daily News writes: * Republican leaders—starting with House Speaker John Boehner—should now do the right thing and persuade U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm to resign after he pleaded guilty to tax fraud, the Times writes: * LOOKING GRIMM : S.I. rep admits to filing false income tax return, but says he won't resign(NYDN)*
Michael Grimm pleads guilty; predecessor keeps options open(NYDN) *
Mass. punk posted 'put wings on pigs' threat on Facebook after Brooklyn cop killing, slapped with complaint(NYDN) *
SHOOTS SAVIOR: After she stopped Ismaaiyl Brinsley from committing suicide, madman still tried to kill his ex-girlfriend(NYDN) *
GRIMM FATE: Rep. Michael Grimm pleads guilty to felony count of tax evasion, vows to stay in Congress(NYDN)*
Rep. Michael Grimm Pleads Guilty but Says He Won’t Resign(NYDN)*
Rep. Michael Grimm Pleads Guilty, Doesn’t Plan to Resign (WSJ)
Donovan touted to replace convicted Grimm in Congress(NYP) *
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican who represents a chunk of Staten Island and Brooklyn and a potential candidate for Grimm’s seat, declined to comment on the congressman’s guilty plea or whether he should resign.* Other possible replacement candidates, should Grimm heed calls to step down: Republican Staten Island DA Dan Donovan, Democratic Assemblyman Mike Cusick (a former aide to US Sen. Chuck Schumer) and former Democratic Rep. Michael McMahon, who held the seat before Grimm.* House Speaker John Boehner said he would not comment on whether Grimm should resign until after the pair spoke. Grimm said he did speak with the conference leadership, but didn’t reveal details of the discussion. * Former NYC Councilman Domenic Recchia, who was trounced by Grimm in the general election last month, has no plans to run for the seat again.* Potential runner for Rep. Michael Grimm's seat in middle of Eric Garner chokehold death scandal (NYDN)
NYDN's call to votefor Grimm in hopes of sparking a special election with two new candidates actuallylooking right:(Politico)*
Rep. Michael Grimm Is Said to Agree to Tax Fraud Guilty Plea(NYT) A guilty plea by Mr. Grimm, a Republican from
Staten Island who has steadfastly maintained his innocence, would almost certainly put him under tremendous pressure to resign.
* If Grimm does plead guilty to a tax violation, he must resign from Congress and should not be allowed to write laws and still represent his constituents, the Daily Newswrites: * Editorial: MichaelGrimm’s fairy tale ending (NYDN Ed)* Rep. Michael Grimm Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Charge, SaysHe Won't Resign * Michael Grimm pleads guilty to tax evasion(NYP)*
Prosecutor in Garnercase seen as prospect for Grimm seat (Politico) * House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and a PAC dedicated to putting Congress back under Democratic control called on Rep. Michael Grimm to resign after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion, but Grimm said he will not step down, the Observerreports: * Grimm’s Democratic predecessor, former Rep. Michael McMahon, said he wouldn't rule out a comeback attempt, but that right now New York City should focus on the murder of NYPD Officers Ramos and Liu, the Daily News reports: * GRIMM GUILTY: Staten Island congressman admits to filing false income tax return, but says he won't resign(NYDN)*
GOP leaders refuse to weigh in on Grimm:(Politico)* As Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm pleaded guilty in his federal tax evasion case, his Democratic predecessor, former Rep. Michael McMahon, wouldn’t rule out a comeback attempt. Staten Island DA Dan Donovan, the prosecutor in the Eric Garner case, is also seen as a potential candidate for Grimm’s seat. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and a PAC dedicated to putting Congress back under Democratic control are calling for Grimm to resign. Grimm’s sentencing is set for June 8, 2015. Now a felon, he said: “As I said before, as long as I’m able to serve, I will serve.”* Loretta Lynch: @RepMichaelGrimm "chose lies and deception over honest dealings with federal and stateauthorities" (NYT)* While Rep. Michael Grimm’s guilty plea to a felony count of tax evasion does not automatically bar him from serving in Congress, he would have been forced to resign had he been a state legislator, the Daily Newsreports:
Grimm in the House
House Ethics Defers On Grimm – Again(YNN)
For the third time since 2012, the House Ethics Committee has deferred its investigation into Republican Rep. Michael Grimm’s fundraising at the request of the
US Justice Department.
..
Congressman Grimm Legal Case
(SI Advance)
Grimm Puppet of de Blasio and Sharpton
The Bum in Recchia is Coming Out
Recchia Was Once Called the Butcher of Brooklyn
‘I Met a Japanese Foreign Exchange Student': Daily ShowSavages Domenic Recchia(NYO)
That’s the question Daily Show host Jon Stewart had last night for Domenic Recchia Jr., the Democrat taking on indicted Republican Congressman Michael Grimm. Mr. Stewart took time to skewer Mr. Grimm, who threatened to throw a NY1 reporter off a balcony, but saved his fire for the little-known Mr. Recchia, savaging the former councilman for a series of verbal flubs that have haunted him on the campaign trail. Mr. Stewart’s segment on the race was dubbed: “Wait, How the Fuck Does That Happen?” *
T'S ALL ABOUT RECCHIA! THE VOTERS HAVE NO CHOICE How Recchia become know as the Butcher of Brighton In 2003, after Dr. Oleg Gutnik, running (2001) on the Republican line, came very close to becoming the first GOP candidate to win in Recchia’s 47th Council District in a hundred years, Recchia hatched a plan to divide the Russian community. The Councilman made a backroom deal with the Redistricting Commission, controlled by former Council Speaker Gifford Miller, to cut about 33% of the Russian voters out of his district.
This Can't Help Recchia Campaign
Staten Island was the only borough where Lhota beat de Blasio in the mayoral election. Lhota won the conservative stronghold 53.2% to 44.2%.
NYC's Gimm Future in Washington
Who Does New York go to when they start cutting NYCHA, MTA and Health Care Funds?
Any Pol That Campaign for Recchia Should Be Asked Why They Are Trying to Destroy Us?
Update
Sorting Through the Recchage: Recchia Won FewerVotes Than Harrison in ’06 (NYO)* Former Staten Island Democratic Rep. Michael McMahon is quietly floating himself as a candidate for a potential special election should indicted Rep. Michael Grimm be found guilty on tax evasion charges and forced to step aside next year, the Observer reports:
Michael Grimm is up in a Siena Poll by 19 points, a number that is one less than the 20-count indictment he faces. #ny11 * @NY1 / @capitalnewyork /
Siena Poll: Independents Big forGrimm; Recchia Viewed More Unfavorably than Grimm in #NY11 * Grimm up 19 points over Recchia in #ny11, per poll by NY1, whose reporter Grimm threatened to throw off a balcony.*
Oddo Denounces Recchia Mail as ‘Insulting, Infuriating andUnforgivable’(NYO) For the second time this week, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo lashed out at congressional candidate Domenic Recchia Jr. for using his picture and quotes in campaign literature — this time deeming a mailer “unforgivable.”*
Michael Grimm trouncing Democratic rival: poll(NYP) *
Audio: Dominic Recchia Yells At Coney Island Hearing(Village Voice 2009) *
Rep. Michael Grimm takes huge lead over Domenic Recchia intheir battle for Staten Island: poll (NYDN) *
Grimm Courts Crossover Dems While Recchia Dismisses OminousPoll Numbers(NY1)*
Grimm vs. Recchia: A Race to Remember That Staten IslandersWould Sooner Forget (NYT)* No-Limit Contributions Boost Cuomo News Analysis: Network of interlocking accounts paid for a permanent ad campaign that made meaningful opposition all but impossible.
Daily News Follows SI Advance: Grimm Choice
Very Grimm choice (NYDNED) One is bad, the other is worse. In Domenic Recchia, the Democrats have fielded a candidate so dumb, ill-informed, evasive and inarticulate that voting for a thuggish Republican who could wind up in a prison jumpsuit starts to make rational sense.
Brooklyn Boss Seddio Who Gave Us Sock Puppet Recchia Does Not Even Vote
Top NY Dems have not voted in recent elections(NYP) The state Democratic Party needs to send menacing get-out-the-vote letters to a new group of slackers — its own leaders. A Post review of Board of Elections records found that Democratic Party brass — including state party Chairman David Paterson and
Brooklyn Democratic leader Frank Seddio — didn’t vote in recent elections. The revelation comes a day after it was disclosed that the state Democratic Party sent threatening letters to a million voters warning it was going to monitor whether they voted on Tuesday. Party leaders could have used the same warning. Records show
Paterson skipped last year’s Democratic runoff election for public advocate between Letitia James and Daniel Squadron. Paterson, who served as governor from 2008 to 2010, also didn’t vote in the 2005 race for mayor, when Mayor Michael Bloomberg defeated Democrat Fernando Ferrer, official records show. Soon after he became the
Brooklyn Democratic leader, Seddio missed a chance in 2012 to pull the lever for President Obama. “Frank was managing several campaigns that day,” said Seddio spokesman George Arzt. “When he went to vote, the lines were extremely long and the waiting time was an hour and a half. He had to get back to campaign operations.”
Grimm Wins Time to Look At the Assholes Who Put Recchia Up
Brooklyn Boss Seddio Who Gave Us Sock Puppet Recchia Does Not Even Vote
Malliotakis Calls Mark-Viverito Socialist . . . Speaker Calls Assemblywoman A Back Bencher
Melissa Mark-Viverito Strikes Back at Republicans After‘Socialist’ Jab(NYO)
Melissa Mark-Viverito, the City Council speaker and a proud Democrat, is striking back against a pair of Staten Island Republicans who knocked her as a “socialist” to the “left of Mao” at a recent campaign rally. Ms. Mark-Viverito, through a spokesman, derided an assemblywoman, Nicole Malliotakis, as a “back-bench” legislator. But I do expect more creativity from the back-bench Assembly Member,” Eric Koch, a spokesman for Ms. Mark-Viverito, told the Observer. At a campaign rally for Mr. Grimm on Saturday, the two Republicans ripped Ms. Mark-Viverito, along with Mayor Bill de Blasio, as dangerous liberals supporting the candidate trying to unseat Mr. Grimm, Democrat Domenic Recchia Jr. Though neither elected official has formally endorsed Mr. Recchia, a former
Brooklyn councilman and ex-colleague of both pols, the mayor lent a key staffer to Mr. Recchia’s campaign and the speaker held a fund-raiser for the Democrat. “I do agree with Nicole that the speaker–I would say she’s to the left of Mao,” Mr. Grimm told the Observer on Saturday, referring to the 20th century Chinese Communist dictator, Mao Zedong. “She does not represent the traditional values that made our country great. She wants to give our city away.” Reaction from the Grimm and Malliotakis camps after Ms. Mark-Viverito’s jab was equally fierce. Ms. Malliotakis, who sits in the minority and is one of only two Republican assembly members in the city, ripped Ms. Mark-Viverito for passing legislation that stopped the city from cooperating with the federal government in detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants and for allegedly not covering her heart during the Pledge of Allegiance at a 9/11 ceremony.
The Last Recchia and Grimm Debate
One of the greatest newspaper endorsement caveats of all time, from this morning's Staten Island Advance:
"There are, on occasion, electoral races in which both candidates are of high quality and high integrity and conduct a tough but fair campaign about the issues. Fair-minded voters have a difficult choice, but they can know that, no matter who is elected, they'll be well represented by someone who won't embarrass their community. The election for the House of Representatives seat in the 11th New York Congressional District is nothing like that." *
For Congress: Advance endorses Michael Grimm (editorial) *
Domenic Recchia: Staten IslandAdvance Endorsement ‘Got This Wrong’(NYO) * Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is backing Rep. Michael Grimm, adding a bold-faced name to Grimm’s growing roster of endorsements,
theObserver reports: *
A day after standing with Rep. Grimm on the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, Cuomo endorsed his Democratic rival, former city Councilman Domenic Recchia, State of Politics reports:
Thursday Update
"In a lighting round, Grimm and Recchia couldn't recall the last books they read."
Recchia and Grimm Clash in Final Debate Before Election(NYO) *
Grimm/Recchia Debate Alternates Between Issues, Attacks(NY1) *
Rep. Michael Grimm, Domenic Recchia Spar In Final Debate ForHouse Seat (WCBS) *
Michael Grimm, Domenic Recchia face off in final StatenIsland House race final debate (WNBC) *
Grimm and Recchia Spar in Final Debate of a Bitter Campaign(NYT) *
SI congressional candidates unable to name last book read (NYP)*
Michael Grimm defends his record against Domenic Recchia inbitter debate (NYDN)
A Congressional Mob War?
CHUCK TODD: Staten Island Congressional Battle: A Fight Between Mob Families
'I Think You Made Another Ad': Chuck Todd Says Staten IslandRace 'Fight Between Mob Families' (Morning Joe)
Did Chuck Todd just do it again? His comment a couple of weeks ago that Dem Alison Lundergan Grimes "disqualified herself" for refusing to say whether she voted for Barack Obama was quickly made into an ad by the McConnell campaign. On today's Morning Joe, Todd made a highly quotable claim about another race. Todd described the campaign for a congressional seat in a district located in Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn as "a fight between mob families." That sent Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough scrambling to disassociate themselves from the Meet the Press moderator. And at the end of the segment, Mika told Todd: "I think you might have made another ad!" Retorted Todd: "I'll never come on the show again."* Rep. Michael Grimm is set to roll out a new campaign adtoday featuring a Superstorm Sandy survivor, placing a bet that the endorsement will resonate with voters in his hard-hit Staten Island district.
Grimm ‘funneled’ illegal campaign cash through rabbi (NYP) Desperate to raise money in the weeks before his first run for Congress, Michael Grimm e-mailed an ally in a bold bid to score large, and likely illegal, donations. He asked for $10,000 donations from six people, when the legal limit for individual contributions is $2,400. “We have very little time, as I need to start collecting checks as soon as today or tomorrow,” Grimm wrote in the Oct. 18, 2010, missive to Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto’s organization. “I think that if the Rabbi calls the six people and asks them to each write one check for the $10,000, then we can finish this in the next few days.”* The House Majority PAC released a new TV ad slamming GOP Rep. Michael Grimm. The buy is $1.7 million, and the ad runs through ElectionDay. * Cuomo Won’t Commit to Campaigning for Recchia(NYO)
NY1 Poll Has Grimm in the Lead by 4%
Despite a 20-count indictment on charges including tax evasion and perjury, Rep. Michael Grimm is holding his own against his Democratic challenger
@repmichaelgrimm holds four point lead over @DomenicRecchia- 44 to 40.“Currently, each candidate is winning the home court contest, as Grimm leads on the west side of the bridge 48-39 percent and Recchia leads 42-35 percent on the east side, about a quarter of the district,” said Mr. Greenberg. “Grimm has solidified his Republican base, a quarter of the electorate, leads by 14 points with independents, and has the support of more than one-quarter of Democrats.
ItCH Alert: New Poll Numbers in the Grimm-Recchia Battle (NY1)In cd 11
Brooklyn & Staten Island @HowieHawkins and greens only polling 3% Obama unfavorable is 60% like the other cd19 & 21 Cuomo is 32%? * New poll shows @repmichaelgrimm leading
@DomenicRecchia44-40 among likely voters in #NY11(Capital)The survey found Grimm, who faces a 20-count federal indictment, is unpopular in the 11th congressional district, with 49 percent of voters saying they have an unfavorable opinion of him. Meanwhile, a majority — 54 percent of voters — believe Grimm’s legal troubles will make them less likely for them to support him in November. Still, Recchia has his own issues, the poll found. Forty-five percent of voters do not know who he is or have an opinion of the former
Brooklyn city councilman.
A new NY 1/Capital New York/Siena College poll shows incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm is locked in a neck-and-neck battle against Democratic challenger Domenic Recchia, leading by four points at 44-40:*
Embattled Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm holds leadover Democratic challenger Domenic Recchia: poll (NYDN) Grimm holds a 44% to 40% lead over Democratic challenger Domenic Recchia among likely voters, according to a poll released Tuesday.*
Grimm district poll: Strong support for police, DA in Garnercase (Capital)
Justice Department Wants Grimm Trial Before the Election
Staten Island Congressional Race
Gentrification and the 11th Congressional District?
A Grimm Race
A top official in Israel tried to intimidate the rabbi who claims Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm shook him down for donations, sources familiar with the investigation told The Post....
NYT Gives No Reason to Vote For Recchia Except His Opponent is Corrupt
Domenic Recchia Jr., a down-to-earth Democrat with an ear for the complaints of ordinary citizens. Mr. Recchia compiled a solid record of achievement on cultural and financial issues as a member of the New York City Council, where he served as chairman of the powerful Finance Committee and helped negotiate the city’s $70 billion budget. He doesn’t have Mr. Grimm’s experience in Congress, but he doesn’t have Mr. Grimm’s dubious record,
either.Mr. Recchia is by far the best choice in District 11.
* Just a day after promising not to
build low-income housing on Staten Island, former Councilman Domenic
Recchia, who is challenging GOP Congressman Michael Grimm, softened his
stance, saying “the people in this district will decide,” the Observer
reports: http://goo.gl/t0N7tj
* Just a day after promising not to
build low-income housing on Staten Island, former Councilman Domenic
Recchia, who is challenging GOP Congressman Michael Grimm, softened his
stance, saying “the people in this district will decide,” the Observer
reports:
http://goo.gl/t0N7tj
GRIMM SURPRISE --“Teenage Girls Freak Out After Heartthrob Congressman Shows Up At Party,” by Business Insider’s Colin Campbell:
“Congressman Michael Grimm (R-New York) made a very special visit to a
constituent's sweet 16 birthday party last weekend … Based on a series
of since-deleted tweets, Grimm, who was once labeled one of the ‘sexiest
bachelors in Congress’ and one of the ‘most beautiful people’ in
Washington, made quite the impression among the teenage crowd. ‘F***ing
Michael Grimm is going,’ one teen wrote on Twitter. ‘I'm gonna dance
with him all night and make him fall in love with me.’ Grimm reportedly
promised her that wouldn't be their last encounter. ‘He told me he's
taking me to prom I was like you fricking better,’ the teen wrote.”
http://read.bi/1rn0NYS
* Domenic Recchia, a former New York
City councilman and Democrat who is running to unseat Rep. Michael Grimm
of Staten Island, said he would not build any low-income housing in the
borough after a Staten Island GOP official warned that he would, the
Observer reports:
http://goo.gl/UlJasR
Grimm Future
* A federal judge on Tuesday said U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm's tax-fraud trial will begin Dec. 1, despite defense lawyers' objections that negative political advertisements airing as he campaigns for re-election might bias potential jurors, The Wall Street Journal writes:
Representative Michael G. Grimm’s verbal attack on a television
journalist in the Capitol was reviewed by the Office of Congressional
Ethics.
A Grimm Message From the Gambino Family to the FBI Agent That Investigated Them
Congressman Michael Grimm accused the
media of trying to destroy him and vowed to campaign harder than ever
for reelection while admitting his fundraising has dried up and that he
will likely not be able to run TV ads defending his record, Politico reports: “A defiant Rep. Michael Grimm, in his most extensive interview
since federal prosecutors accused him of rampant fraud, accused the
media on Tuesday of trying to destroy him and vowed to campaign hard for
reelection — even as the New York Republican acknowledged his
fundraising has dried up to the point he can’t air TV ads. Insisting
he’s not the ‘bad boy’ of Congress, the former Marine and FBI agent
suggested that GOP leaders including Speaker John Boehner were acting
‘politically’ by refusing to back his reelection to a competitive Staten
Island congressional district.* Michael Grimm laughs off criminal charges(NYP)
p. Michael Grimm’s campaign manager quit after indictment stopped donations: source(NYDN)
Without campaign manager, “It is gonna be Grimm and Guy Molinari running this race themselves" the source said 2/2
Ex-Politicians Keeping $100 Million in Private Slush Funds via
.Indicted Congressman
Michael Grimm allegedly kept the
cell phone registered to his FBI alter ego Michael (‘Mikey Suits’)
Garibaldi long after leaving the agency and joining Congress, the
Daily News reported.
Mr. Grimm allegedly used the phone as his primary number and received
mail addressed to Michael Garibaldi as recently as last year.
Grimm Arrest and Campaign . . .
Is the GOP Looking to Dump Grimm
Saturday
Friday
“Staten Island Democrats nominated candidates for state races on
Thursday night, but their eyes were on the federal House battle” between
Congressman
Michael Grimm and Democrat
Domenic Recchia, the
Staten Island Advance reports. “Boy, are we excited now,” declared State Senator
Diane Savino.
A Grimm Choice
* Former New York City Councilman
Domenic Recchia received his second labor endorsement—from the union
RWDSU—in his bid to unseat Staten Island Republican Rep. Michael Grimm,
State of Politics reports: http://goo.gl/6tynWQ
* Evidence against indicted Rep.
Michael Grimm includes texts and emails between him and cooperating
witnesses, three years of financial disclosures and the tax returns of a
former business partner linked to the Gambino crime family, the Daily
News reports: http://goo.gl/Ac2A38
in
an op-ed in the Huffington Post, City Councilman
Rory Lancman discusses the problem of wage theft, using charges against embattled Congressman
Michael Grimm stemming from his ownership of an Upper East Side health food restaurant as his hook. “If
Al Capone introduced
Americans to the seriousness of tax evasion, then hopefully Michael
Grimm’s indictment will do the same for the seriousness of wage theft,”
he wrote.
Grimm Set To Appear In Court On Federal Tax Evasion Case
Federal prosecutors say
they will hand over thousands of documents and emails to U.S. Rep.
Michael Grimm’s defense team ahead of his trial on tax fraud charges.
National Republican money
could be re-directed from embattled Rep. Michael Grimm’s campaign in NY-11 to other House races upstate.
Grimm’s Democratic opponent, former NYC Councilman Domenic Recchia, released
an on-line video.
Thursday
Rep. Michael Grimm, who quit as an FBI agent eight years ago, was barred from returning to its New York field offices – even after he was elected to Congress.* One GOP
activist suggested the party unite behind Grimm, get him re-elected this fall and then force him out and fill his seat with a special election.
Tuesday
Grimm’s ex pleads not guilty to illegal campaign fundraising(NYP)
* The Times writes that the law should be changed to make it easier for candidates to remove themselves from
the ballot, and in Rep. Michael Grimm’s case, without that option, he
should agree to lose one for his party *The New York Times
editorial board argued that Mr. Grimm’s scenario justifies an
election-rules change: “The law should be amended to make it far easier
for candidates to remove themselves from the ballot on their own
initiative. Absent that option, Mr. Grimm should agree to lose one for
his party.”
* Diana Durand, Rep. Michael Grimm’s
former girlfriend, pleaded not guilty to making fraudulent campaign
donations to Grimm, the Journal writes: * Though Congressman Michael Grimm is not accused of any campaign finance fraud, his former “very close” associate, Texas businesswoman Diana Durand, was arraigned in federal court on campaign finance charges, the Staten Island Advance
reports: “But attorney Stuart Kaplan told reporters after the
arraignment that Ms. Durand was “not a sophisticated woman” and was
unaware of campaign finance laws.”* Michael Grimm: ‘I Really Am One of the Luckiest Members of Congress’(NYO) *
Michael Grimm not worried about winning re-election(NYP)
According to a new
DNAinfo.com report, Congressman
Michael Grimm,
a former FBI agent, was barred from returning to the FBI’s field
offices even before last week’s indictment: “[S]ecurity personnel at the
FBI’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan and a satellite office in Kew
Gardens, Queens, posted Grimm’s photo inside their glass-enclosed
stations in the event he showed up, sources said.” The report continues: “Sources say Grimm’s FBI identification picture
was posted shortly after he resigned from the bureau in 2006 and now
hangs with about two dozen other ex-agents and federal employees. ‘They
are all employees who were fired, or they were under circumstances where
… are no longer welcome back,’ the former FBI official explained.”
Monday
The Staten Island Advance‘s Tom Wrobleski looked at the post-indictment landscape for Congressman Michael Grimm:
“So a little more than a week after the ground shook in Island
politics, only two things are clear: Grimm has been indicted and he’s
running for re-election, and could win. And for some, that’s amazing
enough all by itself.”
“Even a prison sentence itself would not bar someone from running for Congress, even though it’s been more than 200 years,” the
Staten Island Advance also noted. “In 1798, Vermont Rep.
Matthew Lyon
ran for Congress from prison and won. He assumed his seat in Congress
after serving four months in prison for ‘libeling’ President
John Adams. The House tried to expel him but failed.”
Saturday
Friday
Thursday
Rep. Michael Grimm pleads case to GOP leader(NYDN)* Congressman
Michael Grimm “got a chance to plead his case Wednesday” to House Majority Leader
Eric Cantor, the
Daily News
reports: “A source said Cantor (R-Va.) did not demand Grimm’s
resignation, despite GOP leaders’ decision to cut ties with Grimm. ‘We
have a system that affords the congressman the presumption of innocence,
Cantor said.”* And talk show host
Geraldo Rivera gave
another pro-Grimm speech yesterday on his radio show:* An assistant U.S. attorney working Rep. Michael Grimm’s corruption case is
running for the state Assembly.
's ex-girlfriend pleads not guilty in campaign donor scheme.
Grimm Reaper: Indictment and Uncertainty
Monday For Politician, an Indictment Looms, and So Does a Campaign for Re-election(NYT) With an indictment of Rep. Michael
Grimm on federal fraud charges looming, New York City Republicans are
now facing a dreaded scenario as they look to retain the city’s only
Republican congressional seat.* Another key Grimm supporter, former Borough President
Guy Molinari, blamed Senator
Chuck Schumer. “Schumer has a lot to do with it,” Mr. Molinari told the
New York Post.
“I know him well. I know what makes the beast tick. It’s a witch hunt —
a political witch hunt.” A Schumer rep responded, “This accusation is
laughable and yet another complete figment of Guy Molinari’s
imagination.” The
Staten Island Advance
looked at how the indictment can be expected to play during Mr. Grimm’s
re-election campaign: “We can already imagine the slew of ‘Michael
Grimm: Indicted Congressman’ commercials and mailings that Recchia and
the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will roll out this fall.
But we fully expect that Grimm won’t even break stride.” There’s only
one way to get Mr. Grimm off the ballot–assuming he even wishes to do
so–election attorney
Jerry Goldfeder writes in
City & State:
“In that New York law forbids a person from running for two public
offices at the same time, Grimm could be nominated for another office.
The tried and true method in our state for doing this would have the GOP
nominate him for Supreme Court Justice.”
Wednesday Update
PARTY'S OVER? House GOP campaign arm won't commit support to Michael Grimm(NYP)
GOP Looks for New Ballot Access New York Republicans are looking for
ways to remove Rep. Michael Grimm from the ballot despite the fact the
deadline for a challenger to get on the ballot passed earlier this
month, The Wall Street Journal writes: * Republicans have begun shutting off
support they have given to Grimm, with the National Republican
Congressional Committee booting him from its Patriot Program and House
Speaker John Boehner seemingly passing on an opportunity to defend
Grimm, the Daily News reports: *LOOKS GRIMM: Republican leaders shut off support as Rep. Michael Grimm casts himself as victim following indictment(NYDN) “Beyond the mechanics and politics of the case,”
Bloomberg Businessweek writes on Congressman
Michael Grimm‘s
legal woes, “the Grimm indictment serves as a window into the world of
employers who pay workers under the table. It’s a stratagem with obvious
appeal, letting business owners report lower revenue, limiting income
taxes, and lower wages, reducing employer contributions.” * The NRCC
booted Mr. Grimm from it’s “Patriot Program” and disinvited him to a May
fund-raiser, the
Daily News reports. Locally,
The Wall Street Journal
reports that Republicans are looking at the not-so-easy possibility of
replacing Mr. Grimm. “I’m not saying it’s gotta be Michael Grimm but to
have a Republican in Congress from New York City is really important,”
said the state’s GOP chair,
Ed Cox.*
Republicans Want to End Michael Grimm's Reelection Bid(WSJ)
Meanwhile Mr. Grimm’s Democratic challenger, former Councilman
Domenic Recchia,
is launching his “Kitchen Table Listening Tour” today in the Dyker
Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. “The issues that are discussed at the
kitchen table of working families across Staten Island and Brooklyn are
the same issues that Congress should be focused on,” Mr. Recchia said in
a statement.
Malliotakis Wants to Run
Assemblywoman Malliotakis plans run for Grimm’s seat(NYP) Hours after lawyers for the Staten Island congressman announced on
Friday that he would be indicted for alleged tax fraud, Malliotakis was
on the phone with business mogul and former Republican mayoral candidate
John Catsimatidis, plotting a run. “She did say she has interest,” Catsimatidis told The Post. “If she
wants to go after the seat, look, she was very helpful in my campaign,
and I always support my friends.” * Assemblywoman
Nicole Malliotakis told the
Staten Island Advance that while she might have interest in Mr. Grimm’s seat if it were open, she did not reach out to the NRCC, as the
New York Post
reported: “‘I have not reached out to them, they have not reached out
to me,’ she said. The NRCC confirmed that, saying the Post report was
‘false.’”*. begs “creative” elex lawyers to get another GOP candidate onto ballot cc
* Rep. Michael Grimm announced
he would step down from his post on the House Financial Services
Committee in order to prevent his recent legal troubles from distracting
from its agenda, DNAinfo reports * New York Republicans are trying to stop Rep. Michael Grimm from seeking reelection this year(WSJ) * Appearing on Staten Island for the first time since Mr. Grimm’s indictment, Democrat Domenic Recchia stuck to his talking points. “The people of Staten Island and South Brooklyn deserve better,” he told the Staten Island Advance. “They’re
getting a hard worker, who is a family man, whose wife is a public
school teacher, I have three children, I know what the families are
going through.” * Michael Grimm may have to dip into his personal pocketbook to pay mounting legal fees (NYO)
N.Y. Congressman Michael Grimm expects to face criminal charges, his lawyer says (WSJ) * Indictment Expected for Grimm, Staten Island Congressman(NYT) * Rep. Michael Grimm to be indicted(Washington Post) * Federal prosecutors
are preparing
criminal charges against Rep. Michael Grimm, capping a two-year FBI
investigation that ranges from his business dealings to his first
campaign for Congress in 2010. The GOP is
likely stuck
with Grimm – good news for Democrat Domenic Recchia! – unless he
resigns, dies, moves out of the district, runs for a judgeship (
he IS a lawyer) or is found guilty before the election. *
Dems and GOPers in shock as questions fly about continued candidacy (Brooklyn Paper) *
Indictment Expected for Grimm, Staten Island Congressman(NYT) *
Rep. Grimm Expects to Face Criminal Charges(WSJ) Saturday Update like rats fleeing a sinking ship. A second top staffer leaves GOP Rep. Michael Grimm's D.C. office(SI Advance) *
Dems and GOPers in shock as questions fly about continued candidacy (Brooklyn Paper) *
Republicans may have no choice but to defend : *
Feds to File Criminal Charges Against Rep. Grimm(NY1) *
6 key players in Rep. Michael Grimm's case: Six key players to take note of in regards to Rep. Michael
Sunday In the face of federal indictment, Rep. Grimm decries 'political vendetta' *Rep. Grimm's campaign accountant key witness in indictment(NYDN) *
Reporter Tom Wrobleski has the mechanics of what happens if Grimm decides not to run. (SI Advance)
A dish full of humble pie could have saved Michael Grimm a bellyful of trouble with the feds, reports our Dareh Gregorian.
The temperamental congressman - who was busted Monday on fraud and tax
evasion charges - missed multiple chances to end some of his legal
problems before they began, the Daily News has learned.
His opponent may be indicted for tax fraud, but Democrat
Domenic Recchia insists that Congressman
Michael Grimm
is still a formidable foe. “Michael Grimm is a hard worker. This is
just the beginning. There’s a lot more to do,” Mr. Recchia told the
Staten Island Advance. Meanwhile, former Congressman
Mike McMahon, defeated by Mr. Grimm in 2010, told the paper, “Happy days are here again.”
Michael Grimm indicted on fraud charges(NYP) *
Congressman Michael Grimm was indicted in a federal court for allegedly
hiding $1 million in receipts from the government, concealing employee
wages and lying under oath while running a Manhattan restaurant, The New York Times reports: *
Grimm brushed off the allegations as a “political witch hunt” and said
he will still be running for re-election, while his lawyer in a
statement said the charges were the culmination of a “calculated
campaign of leaks, rumors, innuendoes and speculation,” the Observer reports
Geraldo Rivera Defends ‘Great Guy’ Michael Grimm After ‘Pathetic’ Indictment(NYO) Talk show host Geraldo Rivera is steaming mad over the federal
government’s “pathetic, politically motivated witch hunt” and “fishing
expedition” against Republican Congressman Michael Grimm,
who pleaded
not guilty yesterday to a slew of charges, including fraud and tax
evasion. “Are you kidding me? You indict an FBI hero agent, a combat
veteran of
the United States Marines, a two-term congressman, the only Republican
in the area, and you indict him for hiring undocumented immigrants?” Mr.
Rivera raged. “You go to any kitchen of any restaurant in this city,
you’re going to find undocumented immigrants!”
I Have an Election to Win’: Michael Grimm to Continue Campaign Despite Indictment(NYDN) * Can Michael Grimm Win Re-election Now?(NYO) * Grimm Resigns Committee Seat While Battling Charges | (Roll Call) * A congressional candidate in New Hampshire is donating the money he received from Rep. Michael Grimm to charity. * A restaurant at the center of the Grimm scandal is called “Healthalicious.” Seriously.* Grimm, Staten Island Congressman, Charged With Fraud(NYT)* Grimm’s meteoric rise was too good to be true(NYP) * The Daily News writes that if Rep. Michael Grimm cares as much about the people of Staten Island and
Brooklyn as he claims to, he will step down and let someone else serve
the 11th Congressional District: * And here’s video, via the
Staten Island Advance, of local residents reacting to Mr. Grimm’s indictment:*
Democrats Push Astorino, Cox To Call On Grimm To Resign (Updated)(YNN) * Ross Barkan in the Observer takes a look at indicted Rep. Michael Grimm’s chances of re-election, taking
into account an analysis from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report
showing that Grimm’s traditionally Republican district—covering Staten
Island and part of Southern Brooklyn—now leans Democratic
FBI Asst Dir: "In this 20 count indictment, Rep. lived by a new motto: fraud, perjury, and obstruction."* Rep. Michael Grimm indicted on 20 criminal charges (Politico) * "Rep. Grimm was anything but an upstanding citizen. He cheated, evaded and then lied," said head of FBI's NY office (CrainsNY) *
GRIM DAY: Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm BUSTED in 20-count indictment following probe of campaign finances(NYDN) * :
Rep. Grimm accused of concealing more than $1M in sales and wages at a NYC restaurant(WNBC) *
Feds Accuse Rep. Michael Grimm Of Wire Fraud(Gothamist) Update: Rep. pleads not guilty during arraignment and released on $400k bond. Also ordered to surrender passport and firearm *
Grimm Charged With 20 Counts Of Fraud Indictment Reveals(YNN) * Grimm doing presser at War Memorial in Cadmen Plaza at 1 pm*
GOP Rep. Michael Grimm pleads not guilty at arraignment, puts up house for bail | (SI Advance)*
Grimm’s fairy tale(NYP Ed)
Normalizing Corruption * The Post writes that it has become so commonplace to see New York politicians indicted that it barely raises
an eyebrow, with corruption present at all levels and across party
lines: * --No campaign finance charges, yet -- News’ John Marzulli and Dareh Gregorian:
Investigators had been examining his fundraising in a 2010 race and his
involvement in the restaurant for the past two years, but none of the
charges in the indictment unsealed Monday had to do with campaign
finances. … “When the dust settles, he will be vindicated.’ …
Investigators found out about the restaurant shenanigans from Ofer
Biton, a fundraiser for Grimm who also had a financial interest in
Healthalicious, sources said.”*
Grimm becomes underdog in congressional seat race after indictment(NYDN)
"It Not Like the NY Congressional Delegation is A Bunch of Nobel Prize Winners" Ben Smith
Meanwhile, Congressman Michael Grimm raged against a New York Times
op-ed linking veterans to hate groups. “How can someone that is
apparently so well educated be so darn ignorant? This is one of the most
outrageous and ignorant things I’ve ever seen written–even for The New York Times,” Mr. Grimm fumed last night on Fox News’ The Kelly File. “You shouldn’t even be allowed to use this under your birdcage.”
Grimm Hits Recchia for Brooklyn Residency via
Meng Mugged
“While this was a frightening ordeal, I fortunately was not seriously injured,” -Grace Meng
Rep. Grace Meng attacked, robbed(Wash Post)
Congresswoman Grace Meng Attacked and Robbed Last Night(NYO)
New York City Legislator Mugged on Capitol Hill(NYT)
* Rep. Grace Meng, New York’s first
Asian-American congresswoman, was mugged near her home in Washington,
D.C. Tuesday night, suffering multiple bruises and a blow to the back of
her head, and losing her Gucci tote bag to the mugger* Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng violently mugged for her Gucci handbag near Capitol Hill(NYDN)
An Anti Gun Hero Leaves
The
Daily News editorial page
paid tribute to retiring Congresswoman
Carolyn McCarthy:
“New York is losing a public servant and one of its most powerful
voices against senseless firearm violence. We wish retiring Rep. Carolyn
McCarthy the very best.”
The NRCC’s
fake campaign website targeting congressional hopeful
Domenic Recchia may violate federal rules.
“This doesn’t even strike me as a close call,” said the senior counsel
for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan campaign watchdog group.
Plea talks between federal prosecutors
and Dianna Durand, Rep. Michael Grimm’s ex-girlfriend, have reportedly
broken down because she will not implicate Grimm in an investigation
into fundraising practices, the Daily News writes:
___________________________________
Congressional Race Dead End
Councilman Recchia slapped with $2,657 city tax lien(NYP)
* New York City Councilman Domenic
Recchia, currently running for Congress, wrote to a federal judge
seeking leniency for reputed mobster Angelo Spata, extolling the
community service Spata performed in his district, the Daily News
reports: http://nydn.us/IQqCiX
Eyes on Recchia in Congressional Race Against Grimm
GOP To Use de Blasio Low Poll Numbers On Staten Island in Congressional Race
In an effort to keep the Staten
Island congressional seat held by Rep. Michael Grimm in Republican
control, the GOP plans to tie de Blasio and his drop in popularity since
his election, to Democratic challenger Domenic Recchia,
the Daily News writes:
Congressional Race Dead End
Councilman Recchia slapped with $2,657 city tax lien(NYP)
* New York City Councilman Domenic
Recchia, currently running for Congress, wrote to a federal judge
seeking leniency for reputed mobster Angelo Spata, extolling the
community service Spata performed in his district, the Daily News
reports: http://nydn.us/IQqCiX
More Legal Problems for Grimm
Rep. Grimm pal busted for ‘illegally routing campaign cash’(NYP) The feds busted a close pal of Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm
Friday for illegally routing cash to his campaign, according to a
Brooklyn federal court complaint. Diana Durand, 47, was arrested in Houston and faces election fraud
raps for using straw donors to exceed campaign contribution limits to
Grimm’s 2010 campaign, the court papers state.
A Texas woman faces charges for
allegedly illegally donating more than $10,000 to the 2010 campaign fund
of Rep. Michael Grimm, who represents Staten Island and parts of
Brooklyn * =The Texas woman who the FBI says illegally donated more than $10,000 to Rep. Michael Grimm
is relying on a former G-man who shares an FBI background with Grimm and who has ties to Staten Island to keep her out of jail
This is What It Takes to Get Media Coverage in New York?
Staten Island Congressional Race
The
Staten Island Advance profiled the race between Congressman
Michael Grimm and
Domenic Recchia.
“For Grimm, all the activity has been a righting of the ship following
the controversy that erupted after he threatened NY1 reporter
Michael Scotto,” according to the
Advance. “The pot is boiling,” said Mr. Recchia. “The campaign is going extremely well.”
Meeks and Clarke Trip On Oil $$$
The state-owned oil company of
Azerbaijan secretly funded an all-expenses-paid trip to a conference at
Baku on the
Caspian Sea in 2013 for 10 members of Congress – including two New Yorkers, Reps. Yvette Clarke and Greg Meeks – and 32 staff members. * Reps. Yvette Clarke and Gregory Meeks were part of the bipartisan party that traveled overseas on a Caspian Sea junket that was secretly paid for by the state-owned oil company of
Azerbaijan, the Daily News reports:
Meeks A Traveling Man On the Taxpayer Dime
Gregory Meeks travels the globe on taxpayers’ dime: watchdog (NYP) Rep. Gregory Meeks raked in thousands of travel miles last year, crisscrossing the globe in luxury trips to at least 16 countries — including some funded by taxpayers. His 2014 travel schedule was so packed that the Queens Democrat flew to a different destination almost every month. Last summer, he trekked to
Austria, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan and Russia over 10 days in August and September. To unwind, Meeks, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, headed a few weeks later to the opulent Aria Resort in
Las Vegas for a fund-raiser organized by his
PAC. * Assemblyman Keith Wright took taxpayer reimbursement for car repair visits, but CarFax.com shows at least 14 of such tune-ups appear to have also been paid for by his campaign committees, the Times Union reports: * U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks traveled to at least 16 countries last year and has traveled more since 2001 than any other Congress member from New York, which has some questioning how he spends his time, the Post reports:
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Joel Siegel
Sal Albanese
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