May 08, 2018 · The state attorney general has resigned after four women have accused him of physical abuse. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced his resignation Monday night, hours after The New...
Jul 17, 2018 · New York State's former attorney general Eric Schneiderman has returned nearly $1 million in campaign donations, two months after he resigned following accusations of sexual violence against him.
May 08, 2018 · New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Resigns Amid Abuse Allegations May 7, 2018 / 11:05 PM / CBS New York NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/CBSNews) -- New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman...
Apr 12, 2022 · NY Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin has stepped down. Stephen Yang Embattled Lieutenant Gov. Brian Benjamin resigned Tuesday evening just hours after he was indicted by federal prosecutors in Manhattan...
Barbara Underwood (Acting) | 2018 |
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Eric Schneiderman | 2011 – 2018 |
Andrew M. Cuomo | 2007 – 2010 |
Eliot Spitzer | 1999 – 2006 |
Dennis Vacco | 1995 – 1998 |
District Attorney of New York County | |
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Incumbent Alvin Bragg since January 1, 2022 | |
Formation | 1801 |
First holder | Richard Riker |
Website | ManhattanDA.org |
Office and current official | Salary |
---|---|
Attorney General of New York Letitia James | |
New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez | |
New York Public Service Commission James Alesi | $127,000 |
New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball | $120,800 |
The call was echoed by Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, who led the charge to oust Al Franken from the Senate. “The violent actions described by multiple women in this story are abhorrent,” she said in a statement. “Based on this extensive and serious reporting, I do not believe that Eric Schneiderman should continue to serve as attorney general.”
The Assembly speaker, Carl E. Heastie, planned to discuss possible replacements on Tuesday, according to Michael Whyland, a spokesman for Mr. Heastie. Whoever is chosen to fill out Mr. Schneiderman’s term could then seek election in November.
Ms. Manning Barish, in The New Yorker account, described being slapped by Mr. Schneiderman after they had both been drinking; she and Ms. Selvaratnam said several of the attacks occurred after alcohol had been consumed.
Andrew Cuomo, the son of Mario Cuomo and another former attorney general, announced his resignation Tuesday afternoon following a damning investigation into sexual harassment allegations leveled by 11 women .
Pataki was succeeded by Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a former attorney general, who resigned after just two years following a scandal involving a high-priced prostitution ring.
Michael Ruiz is a U.S. and World Reporter for Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @mikerreports. If you've got a tip, you can email him at [email protected].
Thirty-four-year-old Spitzer decided to run as a Democratic candidate in the 1994 election for Attorney General, as did Koppell, Brooklyn Family Court Judge Karen Burstein, and Kings County DA Charles J. Hynes. At the time, Spitzer was a young and relatively unknown defense attorney representing white-collar criminals.
Spitzer joined the staff of Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, where he became chief of the labor-racketeering unit and spent six years (1986–1992) pursuing organized crime. Spitzer's biggest case came in 1992, when he led the investigation that ended the Gambino crime family 's organized crime control of Manhattan's trucking and garment industries. Spitzer devised a plan to set up his own sweatshop in the city's garment district, where he turned out shirts, pants and sweaters, and hired 30 laborers. The shop manager eventually got close to the Gambinos, and officials were able to plant a bug in their office. The Gambinos, rather than being charged with extortion—which was hard to prove—were charged with antitrust violations. Joseph and Thomas Gambino, the latter being an extremely high-ranking member, and two other defendants took the deal and avoided jail by pleading guilty, paying $12 million in fines and agreeing to stay out of the business.
Four years later, Spitzer again wanted to run for Attorney General and on May 6, 1998, he announced he would run for the office for a second time. On May 28, he emerged as the front-runner among the Democratic candidates, ranking first at the Democratic convention with 36% of the vote. He also had the most amount of money, with over $2 million. In September, he won the Democratic primary election with 42% of the vote. He defeated State Senator Catherine Abate (27%), Koppell (22%), and former Governor's Counsel Evan Davis (9%). In the general election Spitzer would face the incumbent, Dennis Vacco, a Republican.
A 57-page report issued by the Attorney General's office concluded that Spitzer engaged in creating media coverage concerning Senator Bruno's travel. The investigation looked into both Bruno's travel and the Senate leader's allegation that Spitzer used State Police to spy on him. Cuomo concluded that "These e-mails show that persons in the governor's office did not merely produce records under a FOIL request, but were instead engaged in planning and producing media coverage concerning Senator Bruno's travel on state aircraft before any FOIL request was made." It also suggests that the governor's staff lied when they tried to explain what they had done and forced the State Police to go far beyond their normal procedures in documenting Bruno's whereabouts.
In the wake of the revelations, and amid threats of impeachment, Spitzer announced on March 12, 2008 that he would resign his post as governor at noon on March 17, 2008. Spitzer said at a news conference in Manhattan:
In November 2008, the Department of Justice declined to prosecute Spitzer for violating the Mann Act.
According to Nell Minow, a corporate-governance expert, Wall Street reaction to the scandal was largely positive, due to a general dislike of Spitzer amongst investment professionals. Governor Spitzer made his rise to victory in New York City politics promising "ethics and integrity to be the hallmarks of [his] administration." He had prosecuted several prostitution rings in his career, and his connection with a prostitution ring was felt as a betrayal by some women's rights and anti-human trafficking groups that had previously worked with him.
This also reduced the total number of superdelegate votes available. Spitzer discussed his status as a superdelegate on The Colbert Report on February 12, 2008, the day before Spitzer met his escort at the Mayflower Hotel.
In an editorial reflecting on the scandal, philosopher Martha Nussbaum wrote "Spitzer's offense was an offense against his family. It was not an offense against the public. If he broke any laws, these are laws that never should have existed and that have been repudiated by sensible nations.".
Governor Spitzer, referred to as "Client 9" in an affidavit filed in US Federal Court, arranged to meet at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on February 13, 2008 with a prostitute named "Kristen". "Kristen" was later identified as 22-year-old Ashley Dupré.
By resigning his position as governor, Spitzer lost his status as a superdelegate in the 2008 Democratic nomination for President, depriving Hillary Clinton, whom he supported, of a superdelegate vote. This also reduced the total number of superdelegate votes available.