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July 1, 2007
Fight Among Brooklyn Democrats Intensifies
NY Times - City Room Blog
The testy fight over a Brooklyn judgeship has become a family affair. Major R. Owens, who served in Congress for 24 years until January, has teamed with his son, Chris, in calling for the resignation of Brooklyn’s Democratic Party leader, Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez.The Owenses object to Mr. Lopez’s support for a candidate for a Surrogate’s Court judgeship, Civil Court Judge ShawnDya L. Simpson. They say Ms. Simpson is far less qualified than their choice, Diana Johnson, a State Supreme Court justice.
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Chris Owens called for Judge Simpson to end her candidacy for Surrogate’s Court — but that seems unlikely. They are also pushing for legislation that would bar elected officials like Mr. Lopez from holding important party positions.The assemblyman, they said, “has built a taxpayer-supported empire through housing and senior citizen programs.” They also blasted Mr. Lopez, chairman of the Assembly’s Housing Committee, for orchestrating a “last-minute passage of a modified version of an affordable housing bill that included a windfall provision for developer Forest City Ratner’s controversial Atlantic Yards project.”
Posted by amy at July 1, 2007 11:09 AM