How Jeffries got here

From: POLITICO New York Playbook - Monday Nov 21,2022 12:34 pm

Nov 21, 2022

After formally launching his bid for House Democratic leader, Brooklyn’s Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday he expects his party to have “noisy conversations” but ultimately chart a united course.

“Though people have doubted us, tried to create this frame of Democrats in disarray, we always are consistently able to come together,” he said in an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union .

Jeffries appears to be on a glide path to the top job, announcing his candidacy on Friday in a letter to colleagues and drawing no opposition. The consolidation of congressional power in a one-mile radius stretching from Park Slope (where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer lives on Prospect Park West) to Prospect Heights has not been lost on the folks back home.

Jeffries is known as a careful tactician, down to his slow and measured style of speaking , though he began his career as an insurgent with an unsuccessful run against an incumbent for an Assembly seat he eventually won on his third try. He headed to Congress after a combative primary against City Council Member Charles Barron, and has been cultivating colleagues and rising through the ranks ever since, passing up calls to run for mayor . At 52, he represents a generational shift for Democratic leadership as a slate of octogenarian leaders step aside.

As for how he cleared the field, avoiding the jockeying that would be expected with the exit of longtime leader Nancy Pelosi, Jeffries offered little insight, only generalities that he focused on doing his job well and “try and let the rest take care of itself.” He added that he hasn’t spoken recently with Kevin McCarthy, the next likely speaker, and the caucus will “fiercely and vigorously oppose any attempts at Republican overreach and any Republican extremism.”

Barring any late-hour drama, his elevation is expected to be made official in Nov. 30 leadership elections.

IT’S MONDAY and the lake-effect snowstorm in Western New York has beat the state record for most snowfall in 24 hours (more than 70 inches in some parts of Erie County). Follow Buffalo News’ full coverage .

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PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be off for Thanksgiving this Thursday and Friday but back to our normal schedule on Monday, Nov. 28.

WHERE’S KATHY? In Erie County.

WHERE’S ERIC? Discussing the attempted attack on the Jewish community with Jewish leaders and law enforcement, delivering remarks at at the Big Apple Circus Announcement, and speaking at the Benedict College marching band’s selection as the HBCU’s school of choice for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

“ Voter turnout in NYC plummeted from 2018 — even with early voting ,” by WNYC’s Clayton Guse: “Voter turnout in New York City fell sharply from four years ago, despite this election marking the state’s first time for early voting for a gubernatorial race. The low numbers proved to be a key factor in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s slim victory over Rep. Lee Zeldin. Election night results show just 36% of New York City voters cast ballots for governor, compared to a 55% voter turnout rate in the rest of the state. The data does not include some absentee and provisional ballots. The preliminary data shows the turnout rate across the five boroughs dropped 10% from 2018, while the voter turnout rate in the rest of the state fell by just 4%.”

“ Two Men Arrested in Threat to New York’s Jewish Community Are Charged ,” by The New York Times’ Hurubie Meko, Vimal Patel and McKenna Oxenden: “Two men arrested just before midnight on Friday at New York’s Penn Station, in what authorities said was a ‘developing threat to the Jewish community,’ have been charged with multiple felony counts, including criminal possession of a weapon and making a terroristic threat. Authorities seized an 8-inch military style knife and an illegally held gun with a 30-round magazine from Christopher Brown, 21, and Matthew Mahrer, 22. They also found Mr. Brown in possession of a Swastika arm patch and ski mask. Law enforcement officials with knowledge of the situation said that threats of violence to Jewish sites, including 'shooting up a synagogue,' were recently made in social media posts and that there was a reference to a violent act occurring on Friday.”

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

Hochul's victory created another hurdle: Democratic unity in New York , by POLITICO’s Anna Gronewold: Gov. Kathy Hochul won an unexpectedly competitive election as feuding Democrats reluctantly set aside their ideological differences to avoid squandering the governorship. Her next challenge will be trying to replicate that peace. Hochul heads into her first full term facing factions of moderates, progressives, establishment and fringe groups who remain divided on how the party should combat public safety issues, a housing crisis and the effects of inflation. The Democrats are also at odds over whom to blame for their brutal election showing, in which they lost three House seats as Hochul won a narrow victory over Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin.

— Rev. Al Sharpton suggested Saturday that Democrats blaming NYC mayor Eric Adams for Democrats’ midterm results could be enabling the next Rudy Giuliani.

— Zeldin beat Hochul in three heavily Asian Assembly districts in Queens and Brooklyn.

“ Jay Jacobs’ businesses collected $6M in PPP loans — yet donated $54K to Cuomo, Hochul ,” by New York Post’s Matthew Sedacca and Rich Calder: “The embattled boss of the state Democratic Committee quietly collected $6.1 million in federal pandemic relief loans for various ventures he runs — yet these businesses donated $54,000 over the same period to the campaigns of Govs. Hochul and Cuomo, records show.”

“ These 36 Finalists Are Likely to Be New York’s First Marijuana Retailers ,” by The New York Times’ Ashley Southall: “The Office of Cannabis Management published the list of candidates ahead of a vote on Monday by its governing body, the Cannabis Control Board, that would ramp up the race to begin legal sales in the state despite a legal challenge to the licensing program. Regulators also released 282 pages of draft regulations laying the foundation for the broader market. The candidates, who were chosen from a pool of 903 applicants , are mostly businesses owned and controlled by people who have been convicted of cannabis-related offenses or their close relatives, as well as a few nonprofits that serve people with histories of arrest or incarceration. All the listed finalists are expected to be approved during Monday’s vote.”

“ State releases police use of force data for 2021 ,” by Capitol Pressroom’s David Lombardo: “Police officers in New York used force in at least 10,836 incidents in 2021, including 79 where they reported discharging a firearm, 1,003 where a chemical agent was used and 21 occurrences of deploying a chokehold or similar restraint, according to data collected by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. The newly released information stems from the state budget adopted in the spring of 2019, which requires law enforcement agencies to document instances when officers used force in the line of duty.”

“ Manhattan Democrat Brad Hoylman wants New York to probe ‘long COVID’ effects on workers ,” by New York Post’s Zach Williams: “A Manhattan Democrat wants New York to figure out how much so-called ‘long COVID’ is dragging down workers across the Empire State, per legislation introduced Friday. ‘It’s incumbent on government to get a handle on how many workers aren’t back because of long COVID and the cost to the state of these absences and also how we can protect them and provide for these employees moving forward,’ state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) told The Post. The coronavirus can cause a range of long-term symptoms such as chronic fatigue, sleeping problems, heart trouble, shortness of breath and a brain fog that makes mental tasks difficult, according to the Centers for Disease Control.”

#UpstateAmerica: A deer broke into a Johnstown nursing home and wreaked havoc.

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TRUMP'S NEW YORK

Former finance chief of Trump Organization wraps up testimony , by POLITICO’s Danielle Muoio Dunn: Allen Weisselberg, the star witness in the Manhattan District Attorney’s criminal tax fraud trial against the Trump Organization, finished testifying Friday against his longtime employer. Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer at the organization, testified this week that the company cleaned up its fraudulent tax practices after Donald Trump became president, and it became apparent “everybody was looking at our company from every different angle you could think of.” Two of Trump’s sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., took over as senior officials in 2017. On Friday, Weisselberg testified that the two Trump sons became aware of elements of the off-the-books compensation scheme once the cleanup was underway. Weisselberg continued that he wasn’t disciplined and was given a $200,000 raise.

— “ Trump Ordered His Companies to Fight Criminal Tax Fraud Case ,” by Bloomberg’s Greg Farrell and Patricia Hurtado: “The criminal tax fraud case against a pair of Trump Organization companies playing out in a Manhattan courtroom this month went all the way to trial because of one man: Donald Trump. Companies under criminal investigation often cut deals to lessen or avoid prosecution in exchange for paying a penalty and changing their conduct. But because the two Trump business units would have had to say their employees knowingly committed tax fraud, the boss wouldn’t let them strike a plea deal with prosecutors, according to a person familiar with the decision.”

Biden and the Boroughs

“ For NYC migrants, just getting inside immigration courthouse is a feat ,” by Gothamist’s Arya Sundaram: “Each weekday morning before dawn, hundreds of people stand outside the main immigration courthouse in Manhattan in a line that often curves around the building. They arrive as early as 10 p.m. the night before, with some people wrapping themselves in cardboard to brace themselves against the cold. They covet a spot inside the federal office building, most for mandatory check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Gabriel Acosta, from Venezuela, said he arrived at 4 a.m. ‘Because I have to,’ he said. ‘They could deport me,’ another man added. By around 7:15 a.m., police and guards cut off the line.”

AROUND NEW YORK

— The state Education Department banned the use of Native American mascots for public schools.

— A staffer for street safety advocacy group Transportation Alternatives was hit by a driver in Brooklyn as he biked to an event to commemorate victims of traffic violence.

— The Manhattan district attorney’s office will halt the prosecution of a woman accused of killing her husband who said she was a domestic violence survivor and acted in self defense.

— The owner of a Hell’s Kitchen gay bar said the NYPD has been dismissive in response to vandalism attacks on his business.

— Advocates urged the release of an inspector general’s report into the NYPD gang database.

— Mayor Eric Adams’ efforts to address the mental health crisis have fallen short , according to a report by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

— The Brooklyn Nets ended Kyrie Irving’s suspension after he apologized for an antisemitic tweet.

— A bill introduced in the City Council would change how transgender people are assigned housing at city jails.

— The Long Island town of Lynbrook has a contingency plan in case the internet ever goes out for months.

— Belleayre, Gore, Whiteface, Hunter, Killington and Okemo ski resorts opened this weekend .

— Former Albany bishop Howard J. Hubbard formally asked the Vatican to permanently remove him from being a member of the clergy amid accusations of child sexual abuse.

— Mayor Eric Adams signed a package of legislation to combat rats.

— A disciplinary trial has been scheduled for two police officers involved in the fatal shooting of dancer and personal trainer Kawaski Trawick in his Bronx apartment.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) … Tina Brown … ABC’s Rick Klein … Bret Stephens … Bloomberg’s Max Abelson … NYU’s Mitchell Moss … Valerie Berlin of BerlinRosen … Alexis Weiss … Gabriel Panek … (was Sunday): POLITICO’s Dan Goldberg … Bloomberg’s Ian Kullgren … CNN’s Ryan Struyk … Yahoo Finance’s Julie Hyman … David Einhorn …

… (was Saturday): former Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) … Meghan Burris of NAFCU … Time’s Sam Jacobs and Vera Bergengruen … Cait Graf … Charlie Siguler … Jerry Sheindlin ... Louis Susman ... Calvin Klein ... Michael Dale-Stein ... Ivan Levingston ... Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel ... Seth Cohen ... Trudy Stern ... Andrew D. Hevesi (h/ts Jewish Insider)

Real Estate

“ NYC principal’s wife rakes in cash from Dominican teachers paying steep rent ,” by New York Post’s Georgia Worrell and Susan Edelman: “The wife of a Bronx principal collects rent money from teachers recruited from the Dominican Republic and forced to share a co-op apparently owned by the principal’s mother. The city Department of Education announced with great fanfare in September that it had hired 25 bilingual Dominican teachers to work with Spanish-speaking students. But the program is now embroiled in accusations that the foreigners have been controlled and intimidated by a group of DOE administrators profiting as their landlord.”

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