Westchester DA Moves To Vacate 26 Convictions Following Release of Police Whistleblower's Secret Rec

Three years after a Gothamist series unearthed claims of false arrests and rampant police corruption in Mount Vernon, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah is asking the court system to dismiss 26 convictions, which her office has determined were tainted by discrepancies in police paperwork, as well as prosecutors’ failure to turn over key pieces of evidence to the accused.

That series by this reporter, which relied on a police whistleblower’s secret recordings, played a major role in the ouster of Rocah’s predecessor, whose office failed to disclose the tapes to dozens of defendants it continued to prosecute, despite the fact that they contained explosive admissions and statements from officers who did not know they were being recorded.

Those statements included an account from an officer, who admitted to safeguarding crack for a drug dealer his team had allied with, and described his colleagues in the narcotics unit framing innocent people for drug sales. They also included a conversation in which another officer described standing by as her colleagues assaulted a resident and then arrested him on trumped-up drug charges.

During her 2020 election campaign, Rocah promised to get to the bottom of the scandal. She won handily and took office in Jan. 2021. Now, after a nearly two-year investigation, Rocah’s revamped Conviction Review Unit is notifying the courts that it has uncovered more prosecutor disclosure failures and troubling police practices in a drug operation, rendering 26 people’s past convictions and one defendant’s pending charges untenable.




https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/5/10/23717665/westchester-da-rocah-vacate-convictions

NY: Queens GOP Chair Stands By George Santos Following Indictment and Arrest

U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-Queens/L.I.) turned himself in to federal authorities Wednesday morning following an indictment on 13 charges that span allegations that he used campaign funds for personal shopping, fraudulently claimed unemployment benefits, and lied to Congress about his income — but one key local supporter is standing by his side.

Tony Nunziato, chairman of the Queens County Republican Party, told THE CITY that he’s still not ready to call for Santos’ resignation from the congressional seat he won last year — and will not do so unless Santos is convicted.

“I’ll wait for the convictions. I believe in the court system,” Nunziato said in a phone interview. “I’m waiting to see what they say in court. Especially lately, we see many people being indicted. But they were wrong, and they were set free.”

Santos pleaded not guilty to all charges on Wednesday.

Nunziato said he was “very discouraged, very sad about all these charges.”



https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/5/10/23718738/tony-nunziato-queens-george-santos-indictment

NY: Rebranded LGBTQ political club emerges in Queens

A Queens-based LGBTQ Democratic club is rebranding under a new name and fresh leadership heading into the 2023 Pride season.

The Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens has been renamed the Lavender Line Democratic Club of Queens, or Lavender Democrats.

The new club’s goal is to expand the base of LGBTQ political activity and place a stronger emphasis on diversity at a time when the city is bracing for pivotal election cycles across multiple levels of government. There are LGBTQ elected officials in the borough, but there are also anti-LGBTQ lawmakers such as northeast Queens-based Councilmember Vickie Paladino, who has repeatedly hurled transphobic remarks and attacked drag story hour.

The name of the club stems from the lavender line painted along the route at the annual Queens Pride festivities, which takes place during the first weekend of June. Lavender Line is one of multiple Democratic clubs throughout the city, including the citywide Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City and the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, as well as Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn. Political clubs typically host regular meetings, vote to endorse politicians, host fundraisers, and campaign on behalf of their endorsed candidates, among other activities.

Lavender Democrats formed a leadership team that includes individuals who have been involved in the local LGBTQ political landscape, though the roles are considered “acting” at this point in time. Rod Townsend, the former president of the citywide Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, is the acting president, while Irak Cehonski is the executive vice president. Bill Behan is the vice president, John Simonian is the secretary, and Melissa Sklarz is the treasurer. Other roles are in the works, as well, according to the club.



https://gaycitynews.com/rebranded-lgbtq-political-club-queens/

SC House Democrats file 1,000 amendments to proposed anti-abortion bill

PA: Sen. Fetterman Endorses Neil Makhija for Montgomery County Commissioners Office

Neil Makhija over the weekend secured a major endorsement from US Sen. John Fetterman in his campaign for one of the two open Montgomery County Commissioners seats.

Fetterman stated that he and his wife, Gisele Fetterman, have known Makhija for years, calling him one of his “first and strongest supporters in southeastern PA.”

In an email announcing his endorsement, Fetterman said that Makhija’s campaign “is centered around building a healthier and more just Montgomery County. He is committed to expanding access to affordable housing, improving public transportation, and investing in our schools to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.”

Montgomery County will have two open County Commissioner seats up for grabs in the primary on May 16. The first vacancy opened up after former commissioner Dr. Val Arkoosh was appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Human Services by Gov. Josh Shapiro in January.The second opening comes from Commissioner Ken Lawrence deciding to not seek reelection.




https://keystonenewsroom.com/story/sen-fetterman-endorses-neil-makhija-for-montgomery-county-commissioners-office/

PA-HD163: Reproductive Freedom and Voting Rights on the Line in Upcoming House Special Election

There’s much more to Pennsylvania’s primary election next Tuesday, May 16, than municipal and county races. Democratic Control of the Pennsylvania House hangs in the balance with the special election to fill the 163rd Legislative District seat vacated by former Rep. Mike Zabel (D-Delaware). Zabel resigned from his seat after facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

Democrats flipped the House last November and regained the majority for the first time since 2009. However, it’s only aone seat margin that they gained following two special elections in February.

The 163rd House District in Delaware County used to be a Republican stronghold. The GOP held the seat for 40 years from 1979 to 2019, but Democrats flipped it, along with 10 other state House seats, in the 2018 wave election. Zabel won the seat by almost seven points in 2018 and increased those margins to 20 points in 2020 and 30 points under the new legislative maps in 2022.

Heather Boyd and Katie Ford were respectively nominated by the Delaware County Democratic and Republican committees to fill the open House seat. Boyd founded the Delaware County chapter of the National Organization of Women (N.O.W.) and worked as chief of staff for state Rep. Leanne Kruger (D-Delaware), and district director for US Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Delaware). Ford served as a combat medic in the Army and worked as a behavioral therapist.





https://keystonenewsroom.com/story/reproductive-freedom-and-voting-rights-on-the-line-in-upcoming-house-special-election/

PA: Campaigns turn up heat in crowded Democratic primary race for Allegheny County executive

Allegheny County executive candidates — and groups aggressively campaigning on behalf of some of them — are making their closing arguments to voters with less than a week to go until Tuesday’s primary.

State Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, has appeared to gain some momentum, with a recent poll showing her leading in the crowded Democratic race.

A poll by the business-organized labor group Pittsburgh Works Together, conducted between April 29 and May 1, showed that 32% of likely Democratic voters supported Innamorato in the six-way race, followed by 20% for both Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein and Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb.

Former Allegheny County Councilman Dave Fawcett of Oakmont found himself in a distant fourth place in the latest poll, with support from 9% of likely Democratic voters, while Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Sciulli Colaizzi and activist William Parker of Garfield both polled less than 2%.

The poll, with a 4.9% margin of error, said 18% of likely Democratic voters remained undecided.




https://triblive.com/local/campaigns-turn-up-heat-in-crowded-democratic-primary-race-for-allegheny-county-executive/

WA-GOV: With 'epic' announcement, Hilary Franz enters race for Washington governor

ublic Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz has entered the race to be Washington's next governor. The Democrat announced her campaign Wednesday morning, targeting the issues of climate change, the state's cost-of-living woes, and lagging wages.

"Our reality is changing, 'once in a lifetime' is now 'once in a month'," Franz said in her announcement video. "And while our planet changes, our laws don't keep up. On climate and across the board, we are paying the price. Wages are slow to rise. Housing is through the roof. Child care is out of reach. This is the harsh reality for too many in our state."

When Gov. Jay Inslee announced last month that he would not be running for a fourth term, a handful of Democratic names were rumored to replace him, and Franz was among them. Attorney General Bob Ferguson was also expected to run. He announced an exploratory campaign for the governor's race in early May.

So far, no prominent Republicans have announced their intentions to run for governor, though the state GOP does say it is optimistic about its chances in 2024.



https://www.kuow.org/stories/hilary-franz-enters-the-race-for-washington-governor

PA Supreme Court: Money, Endorsements May Tip Scale In Primary

You’ve seen them mixed in with all the signs for local candidates along the side of the road.

County commissioner. Township supervisor. School Board. Supreme Court Judge.

You may say, wait! Supreme Court Judge?

Yes, unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, we in Pennsylvania elect our judges – even to the highest bench in the Commonwealth.

And with a vacancy on the state’s high court, the battle is on in both parties to put their endorsed candidate in the best position to make it through the primary and onto the November ballot.

Democrats hold a 4-2 majority on the bench, following the passing of Chief Justice Max Baer. While the majority cannot change in 2023, it is important for the GOP to narrow the margin as the three Democrats elected in 2015 – Kevin M. Dougherty (D), David Wecht (D) and Christine Donohue (D) – are up for retention votes in 2025.

Republicans will decide between Carolyn Carluccio and Patricia McCullough. Carluccio, 62, is the first female President Judge in the history of Montgomery County. A former federal assistant U.S. Attorney, she also served as Montco’s first female Chief Public Defender and first Chief Solicitor. Carluccio is “highly recommended” by the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is the endorsed candidate by the Pennsylvania GOP.



https://www.politicspa.com/pa-supreme-court-money-endorsements-may-tip-scale-in-primary/121167/

Virginia county loses second registrar in 2 months

Few places have felt the effects of election denialism more than Buckingham County, Virginia.

In January, Republicans gained control of the local electoral board and advanced baseless voter fraud claims targeting the work of the then-registrar, Lindsey Taylor, who had been running elections in the county since 2019 and considered herself nonpartisan.

Taylor resigned in March as it became clear they wanted her gone. Two other staffers quit with her, following a deputy registrar who quit in February for the same reasons. The exodus of staff temporarily left the county without a functioning elections office.

On April 12, Luis Gutierrez took over as the new registrar, quickly establishing himself in the community as a combative figure.




https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/virginias-buckingham-county-feels-toll-election-denialism-rcna83319