Trouble brewing in southern Brooklyn politics
In the wake of indictments of two Republican Party officials charged in an alleged bribery scheme to get Queens Democratic State Senator Malcolm Smith onto the ballot as a Republican in this year’s mayoral race, Brooklyn Republican State Senator Marty Golden has called for the U.S. Attorney’s office to release the name of one GOP official dubbed in the indictment “Chairman Number One.”
Among those indicted were Smith, Queens Republican Councilmember Dan Halloran, Bronx GOP Chair Jay Savino and Queens GOP Vice Chair Vincent Tabone, plus two officials from Rockland County.
“Descriptions within the sealed complaint raise serious questions concerning the integrity of said County Chairman,” Golden wrote in an April 11 letter to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. “Although this individual has not been indicted, I believe the 300,000 plus members and hundreds of activists within the City’s Republican Party require the publication of such information to allow them to determine if said individual should remain a leader within the Republican Party.”