Posted on 05/19/2018 5:43:53 AM PDT by Kaslin
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was the leader of the #Resistance legal strategy, focused seemingly more on litigating against President Donald Trump’s policies than representing the interest of his state.
He was using the job to build a national platform. And why not?
Two of the last three Democratic governors—Eliot Spitzer and Andrew Cuomo—were high profile attorneys general, using it as a springboard for bigger ambitions.
Schneiderman, after resigning last week in disgrace, will never reach those ambitions. Four women accused him of physical abuse. Schneiderman resigned just hours after the allegations he denied were made.
The massive scandal that represents much of what is wrong with Albany could present a massive opportunity for the Republican party in the state, as a candidate with a record of reform and fighting corruption has stepped forward.
Rockland County Attorney Thomas Humbach is seeking the state GOP’s nomination. The state party is holding a convention next week to endorse a candidate in a lead up to the state primaries held in September.
Humbach served as Rockland County Attorney in 2014, in the state’s third most populous county that is not part of New York City. The county is near the city, and so he has already had some of the major market media exposure.
As county attorney, Humbach recouped taxpayer money illegally paid to elected officials after taking legal actions. The officials were unlawfully paid for services on a county board. Most officials paid the money back and judgements were filed against officials who haven’t.
Since taking the job, Humbach slashed the amount of money paid to outside legal lawyers by 50 percent, saving county taxpayers about $650,000.
He tracked down inappropriate contracting practices and developed reforms to make county contracts subject to more oversight, which he said yielded $1 million in savings and revenue.
This could be the reputation needed to combat the rot in New York politics.
“When a New York State Attorney General, a person we look for to uphold the law fails so completely, it is clear that a new focus is necessary to make this state respected,” Humbach said in announcing his candidacy a day after Schneiderman resigned. He added, “What is needed in Albany today is a person with the clarity of purpose, and the understanding of government, that I will bring to the Office of Attorney General.”
There’s one other big reason for the GOP to be more hopeful about snatching the AG’s office in New York this November.
Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is weighting an independent run for attorney general. Among the parties trying to woo him is the New York Reform Party.
The left actually loves Bharara. Trump fired him in early 2017, so he must be good, goes the reasoning among many progressive activists. However, Bharara prosecuted New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, for corruption charges. So, the state’s Democratic establishment won’t welcome him.
He could also offer the same “breath of fresh air” aura as Humbach going into the campaign. But, third party candidates rarely ever win. Bharara could, however, draw heavily from whoever the Democrats nominate to run in November.
For now, Humbach’s chief rival for the Republican nomination is Manny Alicandro, a corporate attorney from Manhattan. But the field could grow.
Democrats appear headed for a free-for-all to try to keep the seat held by their one-time hero Schneiderman that includes numerous state legislators, mayors, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, progressive firebrand and former gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout and others openly considering vying for the office.
In the past, Republicans have had success winning governorships in blue states. But down ticket races have typically been out of reach. It’s different this time.
Nationally, a Republican win in the New York attorney general race would strike major symbolic blow to the Democrats’ #Resistance legal strategy.
It’s still an uphill battle to be sure. But, a Democratic scandal that rocked the office, plus a divisive battle royal for the Democratic nomination, plus a (mostly) liberal third party candidate could equal the perfect storm for a reformer GOP candidate to take advantage of the mess.
Humbach could be the right candidate for the right time if he can seize the moment.
Won’t happen.
<><>Andrew Cuomo believed in Eric Schneiderman.<><>
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a 2014 campaign rally. Photo: David McGlynn
<><>Sen Kristin Gillibrand believed in Eric Schneiderman<><> <><>
<><>"Dreamers" believed Eric Schneiderman.<><>
<><>Robert Mueller believed in Eric Schneiderman.<><>
Politico reported that Mueller has teamed up with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office. Mueller and Schneiderman have reportedly begun sharing evidence from their parallel probes into Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman.
SOURCE https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/08/trump-robert-mueller-eric-schneiderman
<><>Obama believed in Eric Schneiderman.<><>
Dateline Jan 21, 2012---Then-U.S. Pres Obama is greeted by NYAG Eric Schneiderman as he leaves Air Force One after landing at Albany Intl Airport in upstate Colonie, NY. (Lori Van Buren / Albany Times Union)
No sooner had Schneiderman been named by Obama in his 2012 SOTU address to lead a mortgage abuse unit to investigate and redress the perceived wrongs committed by Wall Street in connection with the sub-prime mortgage crisis, Schneiderman fired his first shot, filing a suit alleging that several major banks and a mortgage registration service engaged in fraudulent foreclosures. Billions in settlements were handed over by Obama to leftist groups like La Raza and Acorn.
<><>Chuck Schumer and Alec Baldwin believed in Eric Schneideran.<><>
Sen Schumer, Andrew Cuomo and Alec Baldwin praise Schneiderman at his swearing in, Jan 07, 2011
LISTEN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSyYR4iah8M (2m 38s long)
NYAG SCHNEIDERMAN IGNORED ALBANY CORRUPTION (CUOMO'S BAILIWICK)
Ever since powerful Albany pol, Sheldon Silver’s, arrest, there’s been nothing more thunderous in New York than the silence of the state’s top lawman, Eric Schneiderman. For years Assembly Speaker Silver “monetized public office” — why should it have taken a federal prosecutor to bring him down? Why wasn’t it New York’s attorney general Schneiderman? Schneiderman has said before that "state laws don’t give him much power to prosecute crooked pols." But even if it’s true, the excuse doesn’t wash in this case.
When Gov. Cuomo set up the Moreland Commission to “probe systemic public corruption and the appearance of such corruption in state government, political campaigns and elections in New York State,” commission members were deputized under Attorney General Schneiderman. This was done specifically to give them the authority to investigate the Legislature. Gov. Cuomo later shut down the Moreland Commission before it could finish its work — as we can see by corruption charges against Silver. He did so, moreover, after his own staff had been pressuring Moreland investigators against some subpoenas they’d wanted to send out.
Which leaves us with questions. First is whether the governor in fact had the authority to take these powers from Schneiderman’s deputies in the middle of their investigation. Even if he did, why wasn’t Schneiderman screaming to high heaven about what was happening to his deputies?
It’s not like Schneiderman to be shy about asking for more power......after criticism of grand jury-decisions in Staten Island and Missouri over police actions that left African-American men dead, AG Schneiderman asked for the power to investigate and prosecute cops involved in altercations with civilians. But when it came to Albany’s sleaze, NYAG Schneiderman looked the other way. There’s more charges coming. Every charge proven will also be an indictment of Eric Schneiderman’s dereliction of duty.
SOURCE http://nypost.com/2015/01/25/eric-the-silent/
NOTE: AN HOUR AFTER THE STORY SURFACED, CUOMO UNCEREMONIOUSLY DUMPED SCHNEIDERMAN indicating Cuomo KNEW.
Cuomo not taking the cop-out stance of "giving the guy a chance to explain himself" speaks volumes.
SCHNEIDERMAN'S SEXUAL DEVIANCY----spitting at, slapping and choking women he was intimate with was WELL-KNOWN IN POLITICAL CIRCLES.
Could be the jaded pols got vicarious thrills by Schneiderman recounting his abuse to them.
As the story unfolds about deviant Schneiderman, we learn:
<><> early on, businessman Trump (then a Democrat) was the go-to guy for Dems wanting campaign contributions:
<><>the money-hungry beggars squeal bigtime on their opponents, other pols, (their own sex lives), to get bigger donations.
<><> S/derman hit Donald up and got $12,500, a nice piece of change; musta been pretty good squealing.
ITEM-—Trump has recently tweeted S/derman squealed damaging stuff about Obama, Cuomo, maybe Chuckie, maybe other Dems.
BOOM This explains why creepozoid S/derman filed 100 lawsuits against Donald. The craven creepo used Third World tactics to intimidate Donald.
The lowlife pervert S/derman like some tinpot dictator, employed the machinery of govt to prevent Donald from exposing S/derman’s stupidity in spilling damaging info about high-ranking Dems.
The incompetent hack AG asshole from Connetticut is now Senator
Fake news: Rockland County is the seventh most populous county outside NYC and sits far behind Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Erie, Monroe, Onodaga, and Orange.
In NY, first being AG is almost a prerequisite to becoming governor...recently Spitzer and Cuomo took that path. In NY you have to know where the bodies are buried to lead with any effect. You have to be able to extort the NY legislature.
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