- Got tips? Send them to tips (at) r8ny (dot) com
- Blog on Room Eight
- sign-up to receive a daily digest by email
- Advertise on Room Eight
- Login / Sign-up
AdvertisementAround Room EightGot Something To Say? Blog It on Room Eight Subscribe
Want a Daily Digest of Room Eight by Email? Sign-up Here! AdvertisersRecent Posts
Advertising SpaceRoom Eight is a member of the NYC BlogAds network. BloggersBlog RollNew York Politics National Blogs Misc New Yorkers |
Is NYC Councilmember Tish James in trouble?
Word out of the 35th City Council District is that NYC councilwoman Letitia “Tish” James is in political trouble, and may be headed for legal trouble too. Rumors have been circulating for over a year now that Ms. James was under investigation of some sort(s). The veracity of this rumor has never been confirmed by official sources, but as time has elapsed the rumor has perpetuated. Given the recent scandals surrounding Speaker Christine Quinn and also many of the other council members -for their improper use of taxpayer dollars (at least prima facie)- it is not surprising that at least three potential challengers are already lining up to unseat Ms. James -if she is still in office next year. At least one of these challengers believes that it will be an open seat. Sources are saying that Tish is going down (for the full count). They expect the shoe to drop real soon. We will see; all I am doing here is giving you the 4-1-1 in terms of what is being said on the rough and tough political streets of Brooklyn. And though I may piss-off many of my detractors by doing this: some folks seem to think I do this real well, and they love to read my columns. Recently, a top staffer from Ms. Tish's office was arrested by Homeland Security forces. This staffer (Ray Martin) is said to know where all the bodies are buried (so to speak). This has set off a chain of speculation as to what's going on behind the scenes. I am sure you all can recall, Ms.James came to office in 2003, when as the candidate of the Working Families Party she was victorious over Geoffrey Davis (Democrat) in the general election. This was the maiden victory of the WFP in the New York City Council. The historic significance of her win was lauded by many people, who had been fighting to break the two party (Republicans and Democrats) stranglehold on this city and state. These events unfolded after the incumbent councilman James Davis was murdered in the council chamber in July that year. James Davis had defeated Tish in 2001. After defeating Geoffrey Davis (the brother of James) in 2003, Ms. James faced a spirited challenge from Eric Blackwell in 2005; she won handily. The dynamic Mr. Blackwell has openly stated his intention to mount another challenge next year, and has been actively seeking support for this run over the past few months. He even appeared before the Campaign Finance Board recently, still trying to obtain his matching funds from the 2005 campaign. Eric Blackwell is a university lecturer and an urban planner. He was born and raised in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. He has lived there all his life and knows first hand the political issues surrounding this district. He says that he intends to run even stronger next time around, after totaling close to two thousand votes in 2005. Geoffrey Davis is also said to be considering another run for his deceased brother's old seat. Geoffrey is presently considering a run for District Leader in the 43rd Assembly District come this September. He will be challenging the incumbent attorney/community activist Jesse Hamilton. There are also big rumors that another potential challenger for Tish is a woman with the same last name. She ran for the council last year, in a special election for the 40th district. Her name is Jennifer James. This may comes as a surprise to many, since she was last sighted working for King’s County leader Assemblyman Vito Lopez -as Executive Director of the Brooklyn Democrats organization. It is said that Ms. James has since left that post and is seriously contemplating this run for the 35th district. Other potential runners in this race include Anthony Herbert, Walter Moseley, ex-cop Mr. Billups and James Caldwell of the BUILD organization. Tony Herbert is presently running for State Senate against incumbent Velmanette Montgomery. Over the years Tony has done good community work on the issues of gang violence, crime and the concerns of inner-city minority youth. Walter Moseley (the son of the venerable community activist and former School Board member Marilyn Moseley) is presently running for male district leader (DEM) in the 57th AD. He, his mother and many other political activists in Brooklyn have been slowly building a political organization in the district during the past few years. Stay tuned-in folks.  I am really starting to question your reading abilities Lew. I have wondered many times whether you understand what you read when I write these columns/lol. I won't fight you here in this thread. I consider you a political friend so I won't submit you to a pounding here. You have my number, so call me and we can discuss this. I am quite willing to enlighten you on things that may appear confusing. This isn't rocket-science.
Rock: Assemblyman Vito Lopez said yesterday that it was over for Councilman Recchia in his quest for the Congressional seat in the 13 CD, due to personal & family problems. Could those personal problems be attributed to the slush fund scandal? Why is he being pushed out after trying very hard to raise monies etc. Has another deal been made? I know you have many contacts, let the people know.
I don't have facts. I know there is some ambuiguity as to what Recchia is doing- relative to the congressional race. There are many rumors floating around about many many council members. At some point officials will have to come out and tell us what's the real deal. I feel that Recchia will run, but's that's just a gut feeling that's all; and I will qualify it to say that it will only happen if he escapes any permanent damage from all this ongoing council scrutiny.
Only the councilmembers who don't support DA Hynes for reelection will be arrested. Those that support the DA like Fidler are free to steal from the people.
Don't forget Chris Owens. I think Chris lives in Tish's district and I presume he is still looking for a race to run in. Taking on Tish might be more realistic for Chris than running for BBP or taking another shot at his dad's old seat inh the 11th CD. Chris vs. Tish, the brawl to settle it all :) Why was Musa Moore paid so much from Tish and the judges. This article might help http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0631,barrett,74024,5.html
What utter gibberish passes for comments on this blog. I think Lew from Brooklyn read your commetns VERY VERY clearly Rock. Printing unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo is boorish at best. Following commenters throw unrealated bullshit against the wall to the entertainment of the select few haters. EVERYONE who knows ANYTHING knows that the Recchia personal situation is related to the sexual assault on his wife by an as of yet unapprehended stranger. Seethe SI Advance story on this. Recchia has not even been mentioned in connection with the Council funding issues. The DA Hynes comment is slander without any basis in fact. I guess Clarence Norman and Diane gordon and Gerry Garson were not Hynes supporters before they committed crimes for which the Brooklyn DA prosecuted them? The facts speak for themselves. Get real folks. You are bringing the level of htis blog site down beneath the gutter. Rock this is low. Real Low. Lew is right. Your story is senseless gossip writing that doesn't have real facts. The story of Martin has nothing to do with Tish. Your sources are weak and so are you. Find another job or take lessons from a professional blogger. Maybe Liz or Azi can help you.
Get real Hynes had no chooice Clarence Norman was backing a candidate against Hynes Gordon started as a DOI and was forced no Hynes Garson was on 60 minutes taking an envelope full of money What is the big secret councilman steal member item funds because they know the local DAs will not go after them.
This is a political blog for political insiders. If we can't put up rumors here, I'm not sure there's much of a point. Rather than castigate Rock, why don't we just thank him for letting us know about what he desicribed as the talk on the streets, and see what happens. If nothing happens, then next time Rock says something like this, you can feel free to discount it. If somethin does indeed happen, then next time we will know that he has credibility on such matters. Period. It's really that simple. The fact that this is a political blog for insiders does not excuse baseless character assasination. This is on the level of the assanine Rock is gay stuff. There areno relevant facts here....just some street BS. As to the Hynes hater, Norman did not support a candidate against Hynes until AFTER Hynes indicted him. Lok it up. DOI began the Gordon investigation, Hynes completed it and is sending her to jail.The Garson video that was on TV was MADE by Hynes' investigators. Duh. There has not been one single solitary allegation of a CouncilMember stealing funds. AND jurisdiction over such primarily rests with the MANHATTAN DA. Duh again. Did I ever accuse anyone of stealing anythig? The answer to that is: NO. "Improper use" -which was my term- and "stealing"-not my term- are two different things. Did I call something as factual that isn't? Didn't I say that what I am writing about here is "street talk" only? Also, "the veracity of these rumors haven't been backed up by official sources". I qualified everything I said here that wasn't factual. I never directly accused anyone of anything. I stand by what I wrote. I can (if needed) give names of people who have said these things to me, since they are willing to go public with what they know. If Tish isn't under investigation then the authorities can SIMPLY say so. She must have a spokesperson for these things, no?
Rock: You are absolutely correct & I stand shoulder to shoulder with you. What you are really trying to do, that most politicians are afraid of, is keeping the word "transparency" relevant. Transparency in government & those who are our elected officials. As we see "transparency" is still unfolding , the Slush Fund investigation is not over. Who knows where this will all lead to? Rock: Keep up your good work.
Where is anyone's character assasinated? Rock does this same thing in his VINES columns all the time. a lot of which is political gossip and innuendo. What's all the fuss about. He seems to be correct most of the time. I am sure he is wrong sometimes. Time will tell about Ms. James. Rock has good sources we all know that.
The only "real" problem Tish James may have is "Ray Martin" lingering on her staff constantly trashing and backstabbing her. This fellow doesn't contribute a single thing and it is highly doubtful he has any "goods" on the council member except for whatever is in his fictitious mind.
I hope it's not Walter Mosley, the author. He does have a lot of experience with crime, although the detective genre, not like so many of Brooklyn's electeds, who are the criminals themselves.
What about the allegation about Mathieu Eugene youth group in the Times last month. The one where the City's Department of Youth and Development refused to fund 45,000 dollars which was one of Councilman Eugene member items. There are no records of Eugene brother Maxi who got thousands of dollars in checks from the group. Is it ok to steal if your elected, Rock?
Real journalists disclose their conflicts of interest. What's your agenda here, Rock? Why do you want to knock off Tish James so much? There are no real journalist out there anymore. There all busy kissing ass to pols in hopes to one day becoming high paid lobbyists or government employees. The new media the blogs even print the invations for fund raisers for the elected officials and a few connected consultants who are also lobbyist and destroy the political process. It is good for DEMOCRACY when Rock hits one of these BUMs I look forward to June 2009 when petitions begin to circulate and I will have a chance to unseat an incumbent. Tish isn't under investigation and will be alive and well next year. As for the Musa Moore question "Why is he being paid so much" simple he wins the majority of the races he works on (just ask the Judges, District Leaders, City Council Members, Senators, Assemblymen, etc. he helped elect). I'm not a fan of big budget campaigns but the facts are the facts, he has a very strong track record of winning and if you disagree you are out of your mind. The more you win the more you earn, that's a fact of life. It's called supply and demand! In 2005 didn't Tish beat Eric Blackwell by something like 89%? Rock, thanks for the open discussion and I look forward to the day you decide to run.
If I had an agenda it would be to get 90% of all elected officials voted out of office. Sorry: make that 95% (with about 98% of the black and Hispanic ones). I don't have an agenda: I just write for the blogs sometimes. I also say the same stuff on radio and on television in some of my appearances (contributions) on other mediums.
I am no fan of Ray Martin, actually I think he's a first-class fraud. But is is a drag to see somebody deported to a virtual Siberia. Welcome to post-9/11 America. Ray just "didn't get it.
Musa is a legend in his own mind. Many of the races that one might like to credit him with were won in spite of him, not because of him. He couldn't even win his own district leader race so how in the hell has he done so well on others..... Musa puts up posters. There is no strategy to that...... He is not a technicial, a strategist, or even a hack, he is a poster boy who shakes people down for money to do something that half retarded monkeys could do.
Futher more, what's his deal with PEF and how is he still doing his own "consulting" thing on the side? Rock you did it again. You broke the news ahead of main stream media and all the talking heads. U R D BEST.
Rock asked if Tish was in trouble
well, it is clear that she is not in trouble
and, unlike Kendall Stewart, the trouble faced by her employee has NOTHING to do with her
to give Rock credit here for anything but malicious gossipmongering is criminal
and I don't even like the lady
even if I wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating crackers
now if she was eating crackers, that would be a story I am also no fan of Ray Martin. I do hope Ms. James does not allow him to return to her office if he is not deported. I believe Ray Martin has helped to fuel a lot of the rumors out there to make himself seem more important to her office and the community. Regardless of how you the owner of this blog may feel about Leticia James, she was the best qualified canidate out there at the time. Mr. James Davis and Mary Pinkett had already sold out the neighborhood to developers. Errol Louis, Peter Williams, Eric Blackwell, Tony Herbert, Chris Owens all missed an opportunity long before Ms. James. I am a long time resident of Fort Green/Clinton Hill and the area has become almost impossible to stay in because of the rising costs of housing. Something that would take more that a city councilmember to resolve.
Rock did break this story. Like he has done many times before. Two days after he posted his story here the New York Daily News and the New York Post did stories about Tish James and her staffer who was facing deportation (Ray Martin). You people are nothing but player haters why don't you give credit where credit is due. He is the best blogger here and you envy him all of you who attack him all the damn time. He is too good for this site.
Now let me help clear up some misconceptions here, Rock you are 100% right when it comes down to sharing the insider tips on these political prostitutes. Tish James in under investigation and just had her offices raided by the Feds where the went through all of her files. In addition she was just fined by the NYC Campaign Finance Bd for $5,000 worth of Campaign Funds she can't seem to find the documentation to support. As for her being the best qualified, that I leave to sheer doubt. Davis and Herbert lost to a deal that was orchestarted by the WFP and Clarence Norman not Tish James. The Democratic Party cut a deal to get Tish on the WFP line because they wanted someone that they felt would do the bidding of the clan with the Atlantic Yards and local contract opportunities. What they got was a very selfish and unappreciative political prostitute that sold the 35th CD out completely. Let's not talk about how ratner helped out financially from $50,000 campaign fine she received back when she was seeking his support for her candidacy. "Wow we see what she has done to him" This chick would eat her young that is how foul she is... James Davis had a list of properties that was City owned and available for development. Tish sold off everyone of those properties to Jewish companies as repayment for their support of her candidacy. "You see it is not what you know it is who you know" It is not that she was better qualified, she was the political hack that they needed to put in place. Tish continues to be a divisive sellout to her community even today. Yesterday, she announced that she will be working to secure $500,000 for surveillance cameras in Crown Heights. This was the dumbest stunt ever pulled by someone that is suppose to be about serving all people in her district. She totally negated all the good that this so called press conference was setup to do, and bring about peace and harmony...NOT!!!! Her announcement was even more divisive and really a travesty to give the impression that one persons life is better than the other and that this community deserves more protection. The Crown Heights crime rate is extremely low, yet Ft. Greene is at an all time high with young people being shot and killed almost every week.!!! Go figure....If that is what one seeks in an official to be considered better qualified, well damn I have a monkey that can count to 10 for sale!!!
 Isn't Tish against Atlantic Yards. And isn't Geoff Davis in favor?
Firstl, Tish James gets very little, if any, Jewish landlord or real estate money. She has alienated more Jewish landlords with her demands for "affordable housing" in their non-government supported buildings and developments. She is a thorn in their tuchus, so to speak. They don;t like her. Look at her support from zip codes 11225 and 11213. Very little Jewish money. 2. can anybody tell me if Raymond Martin has been deported yet? He was in the best sense a ward heeling fraud a la 60s povertician. Good riddance.
I think Jesse Hamilton has a problem, Geoff Davis is going to wipe the district with him. Remember Jesse ran for assembly and leader when he won the leadership against someone who didnt even campaign and still came in second in a five way race. This is going to be a even fight no state money used in a county race. Jesse has done nothing with the two years he had, guess what times up.
While James Davis was running against Clarence Norman and his machine Jesse Hamilton was part of that same machine working as the treasurer. Which means he signed all checks... Jesse Jesse Jesse.
I am not surprised at this ..if you knew him personally as I did ..he really is slim ...although I dont wish to take joy out of anyone's troubles, tribulations ... I can't help but say you reap what you sow..and I am sure there is more to the story --he is certainly capable of more --illegal infractions ..good luck in Jamaica!
There are moments when you are spot on, Rock, and other times you are off in out space. This is one of the latter examples. First of all, Tish beat Blackwell and Herbert by massive margins. I would consider Blackwell's challenge "anemic" not "dynamic," as you wrote. As for Herbert, well, he made a big deal about spending a few years to challenge Velmanette Montgomery, and now he has disappeared without even a whimper in that race. If he dared to whimper, we'd probably hear some really embarrassing details of his staff abandoning him. And Jennifer James? Didn't she run about 10th in a field of 9 (or 13 or 751) in the free-for-all in the 40th race? She may be a fundraiser, but she was an extremely weak candidate. I don't have much good to say about Ray Martin, but I am disgusted by the lack of humanity by Homeland Security. The most recent story is the Chinese guy who died in the custody of our immigration system. You may find such situations as fodder for your political fantasies, but this is the first time that Mr. Martin has gotten my sympathy. Everyone I know says something bad about Tish. But she is rock solid in her re-election prospects. I was at the installation of Judge Diana Johnson. Tish reigned supreme there. Much as people may grumble about Tish, we're all glad that she's there to thumb her nose at Vito Lopez. Post new comment |
Hot Topics
Gov Wire
Political Update
Google AdsSearchRoom Eight Extras |
delicious
digg
Rock, this post was beneath you, my friend.
There isn't a reasonable fact to support the notion that Tish is under investigation. You have pieced tegether a series of unrelated facts and cast a HUGE personal aspersion on someone's character.
You also omit that you assisted the "spirited" challenger to Tish, Mr. Blackwell, in his last campaign. As I recall, she crushed him.
Rock, you are better than this, and you ought to delete this post in the name of your own reputation.
Lew from Brooklyn