Can Anyone Really Be Surprised That Cuomo's Man Jeffrey Klein Sold Out The New York Senate Democrats... Again?

Andrew Cuomo, Jeffrey Klein-- same, same

Blue America didn't get involved with all that many state legislative races this cycle. But one we did work on was in the Bronx, for a reformer and former New York Attorney General, Oliver Koppell, who ran against an extremely corrupt fake Democrat from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party, state Senator Jeffrey Klein. The New York State Senate had been under Republican control for decades until 2008, when a majority of Democrats were elected. However, because small factions of conservative state senators elected as Democrats have split off and voted with Republicans, the balance of power has been constantly shifting between Democrats and Republicans. Klein, who deserted his Democratic Senate colleagues with three other "Democratic" senators in 2012 to vote with Senate Republicans, is now extorting a leadership position with mainstream Senate Democrats as a price for returning to the Democratic fold. Predictably, New York's corrupt conservative governor, Andrew Cuomo, and-- more distressingly-- the Mayor of New York City, Bill De Blasio, and the pathetic cynics and suckers who call themselves the Working Families Party supported Klein’s Machievellian power play-- which anyone with a 3-digit IQ knew was a total ruse.

This is from the joint statement Cuomo and Klein released in June that killed Koppell's chance to beat the anti-working family faction:

Senator Jeffrey D. Klein said, “The Independent Democratic Conference has served as a strong, stabilizing, sensible force for governing in New York State for four years... Yet as we reflect on these past achievements, it is also clear that core Democratic policy initiatives that the IDC championed remain unfinished. As Democrats, the IDC remains committed to the fight for an equal education for all New York students-- which the Dream Act would provide, protecting a woman's right to choose, increasing workers' wages, and enacting meaningful campaign finance reform. I agree with Governor Cuomo that these are progressive priorities we must pass.

“Therefore all IDC members are united and agree to work together to form a new majority coalition between the Independent Democratic Conference and the Senate Democratic Conference after the November elections in order to deliver the results that working families across this state still need and deserve.”

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said, “I applaud the IDC’s decision. There is no doubt that we have accomplished much for the state over the past four years. We have transformed the state government from dysfunctional to highly functional, a deficit to a surplus, and losing jobs to gaining jobs. There is also no doubt there are progressive goals that we have yet to achieve and that we must accomplish next January.”

Klein, who spent $1.7 million to Koppell's $94,000, won the primary, 65-32%, although Klein lost Riverdale, by far the most enlightened and best educated part of the district. In the general election last Tuesday, 3 Democratic incumbents were defeated, Cecilia Tkaczyk (Albany area), Terry Gipson (Dutchess County) and Ted O'Brien (Rochester suburbs), which landed Republican Leader Dean Skelos a 32-31 seat majority. Cuomo didn't do anything to help the Senate Democrats because he is more comfortable with conservatives controlling the upper chamber while liberal Democrats control the Assembly.

On Tuesday night before the votes were even counted, Klein, firmly allied with Cuomo, was already offering his services to Skelos. Yesterday he publicly proposed an alliance between the IDC and the Republicans. Predictably real Democrats-- not the Cuomo variety-- are furious. And no one more willing to express it openly than our old pal, Oliver Koppell who was so badly betrayed by Cuomo, DeBlasio and the Working Families Party.

"As a condition for support in the Primary from Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and the Working Families Party, Jeffrey Klein issued a statement on June 25th conveying that the IDC would form a new coalition with State Senate Democrats to achieve unfinished 'core Democratic policy initiatives.' His candidacy in the Primary further emphasized his commitment to vote with mainstream Senate Democrats. Yet as soon as Republicans earned a State Senate majority with 32 seats on November 4th, Klein chased after their power and once again betrayed Democratic voters by offering to re-partner with Republicans.

"Klein has again demonstrated that his motivation in forming the IDC was never about an idealistic bipartisan State Senate-- it was about personal power. Let's not forget that the Democrats won the Majority in 2012. Senator Klein's partnership with the Minority Republicans stripped the Senate Democrats of the Majority and put it squarely in the hands of Skelos and Klein. That power was used to deny New Yorkers an adequate increase in the minimum wage and passage of the Women's Equality agenda, the DREAM Act, GENDA legislation, a moritorium on fracking, and campaign finance reform with public financing.

"Klein handed the Majority to the Republicans which enabled them to raise the millions of dollars that funded so many Republican State Senate victories on November 4th. Klein now seeks to continue to increase the power of Skelos and Senate Republicans at the expense of fellow Democrats."

As long as grassroots Democrats keep countenancing these sleazy careerist political hacks calling themselves "Democrats," the party-- whether in Albany or DC-- is doomed to the kind of revulsion from enough voters to give the Republicans opportunities to win power. It's the Jeffrey Kleins, Steve Israels, Joe Crowleys-- allies, by the way-- who keep Democrats from participating in elections by making it impossible to simultaneously maintain a sense of human dignity and vote.

Bronx Lawbreaker Jeffrey Klein Says He's Entitled To Be A Lawmaker

Conservative crook Jeffrey Klein thinks he's above the law

We've written about the race between sleazy Bronx state Senator Jeffrey Klein and reform challenger Oliver Koppell before-- and Ken and I have both spent time with Koppell and Blue America has endorsed him. Last night the NY Times joined us:

Senator Jeffrey Klein is facing a primary challenge this year largely because he led a disruptive power grab in Albany that gave Republicans veto power over some of the state’s most important issues. Mr. Klein and several other state senators created the Independent Democratic Conference, which broke away from the Democrats almost four years ago. Their defection hobbled the Democrats while giving Mr. Klein a new title (temporary president of the State Senate) and more ability to raise campaign funds. His alliance with the Republicans resulted in the failure to approve public financing of campaigns and stronger protections for women.

Mr. Klein’s challenger is Oliver Koppell, a former City Council member and one of New York’s most experienced public servants. Mr. Koppell would spend his time working for New Yorkers, not for himself. As a former Assembly member and briefly the state’s attorney general, he is by far the better candidate. We enthusiastically support Mr. Koppell in this district.

The sleazy characters at the Working Families Party had drafted Koppell to run against Klein, then bowed to demands by Andrew Cuomo to be part of a spurious deal that included the WFP endorsing Cuomo and right-wing nut Kathy Hochul while abandoning Koppell. Today an old friend from Riverdale, who is afraid of retribution from Klein if her name is used, wrote a guest post about the race for DWT today. She tells me none of her Riverdale neighbors are planning to vote for Klein, who is generally viewed as a disgrace to the area and just another corrupt careerist using politics to line his own pockets.


Just How Corrupt Is State Sen. Jeffrey Klein?
Ms. X

The snake in the grass really has some grass. Turns out that Jeff Klein, the turncoat senator in New York has grass-- actual green grass but he shouldn't. He bought a residential house in a residential neighborhood and has been using it for his law office for years even after being given violations. Not allowed. Just recently he refused to allow an inspection of the property. He bought it with a residential mortgage (when commercial mortgages would have cost more), took residential tax breaks and claimed it was his primary residence when he lived somewhere else getting a tax exemption for a primary residence. He has grass at his law office. Real grass.

The city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) has renewed efforts to compel state Sen. Co-majority Leader Jeff Klein’s law office to comply with zoning laws. After first citing the East Bronx law office as an illegal commercial use in a residential zone in 2006, the DOB has now referred the site to its padlock unit-- the first step in a long process that could end with the office’s eviction.

DOB documents show that on Aug. 4 and 12, an inspector unsuccessfully tried to enter Klein, Calderoni & Santucci, LLC at 1614 Williamsbridge Road in relation to a complaint saying the building was an illegal conversion of a residential space.

The document states that a female inside the office denied the inspector access the first time and there was no answer to the official’s knocks and ringing the second time.

After that, the inspector quickly referred the matter to the padlock unit-- an arm of the DOB empowered to padlock illegally used buildings if the owner and occupant fail to end the illegal use after lengthy further negotiations.

A DOB document on its Building Information Site dated Tuesday confirmed that the complaint has been “accepted by padlock unit.”

Mr. Klein, who is in a Democratic primary fight, declined to comment on the matter on Thursday.

The New York Post first brought the complaint to light in 2012. Mr. Klein’s firm purchased the two-family house in 2005 and immediately converted it to office use. He told the Post that he was unaware, until he received a notice of violation from the DOB in January 2006, that he was not in compliance with zoning laws.

At the time of the Post report, the newspaper quoted him as saying he thought that payment of a $480 fine had settled the matter, although the city had issued a directive to “discontinue illegal use.”

Asked why so many years elapsed between visits by building inspectors, a department spokesperson said the DOB only acts quickly if the violation poses a health hazard and that otherwise, it is up to owners to resolve complaints.

The spokesperson added that it revived the case this year after receiving anonymous complaints to 311 saying Mr. Klein had not resolved the situation.

In the meantime, the DOB has received an additional complaint about the office’s prominent gold-letter sign, claiming that it, too, is illegal.

On Thursday afternoon, a man working in the front office of Klein, Santucci & Calderoni declined to give any comment. He said Mr. Klein, Dominick Calderoni and Fred Santucci were not available and directed inquiries to Mr. Klein’s Senate office.

Update: On Friday, Mr. Klein's campaign spokeswoman said a lawyer for the senator's law firm would provide a statement on Monday.

Monday? Labor Day? Slowest news day of the entire electoral cycle?

Will New York Crooked Politician Jeffrey Klein Be Hoist On His Own Petard?

When the Watergate scandal started unfolding, the Nixon White House plan of action was to keep responsibility and accountability as far from Nixon as possible. G. Gordon Liddy was certifiably insane and was never going talk and even relished the idea of being tortured so he would be able to stand up to it. The rest of the hands-on-crew were offered immense sums of money to accept jail sentences which they were assured would be dealt with through executive clemency after "a short time" while their families were well taken care of and and with good jobs waiting for them after prison. Rick Perlstein's new book, The Invisible Bridge, chronicles the unraveling of that strategy, starting with ex-CIA and FBI agent James McCord and culminating in the revelations of White House counsel John Dean that led directly to a virtual plea bargain to keep Nixon out of prison while getting him out of the White House.

But criminally-minded conservatives never learn and all think they can beat the system. When the criminal secrets of crooked Republicacrat state Senator from the Bronx, Jeffrey Klein, started coming out in the press, he dealt with it the same way any junior-league Richard Nixon would: buying off the witnesses. Many people have wondered why, exactly, Klein hired NY Post writer Candice Giove as his deputy director communications director after she started exposing his criminal activities in the press.

A cancer on New York's dysfunctional political system, Klein is a sociopathic wheeler-dealer flitting back and forth between the corrupt Republicans and the corrupt Democrats in Albany. Most recently he made a deal with Cuomo and the rest of the transactional corrupt Albany Dems to come back into their fold. Before that though, writing with Isabel Vincent, Brad Hamilton and Michael Gartland, Giove spilled the beans on Klein's nature in a March 2012 article, "Coldblooded Pol's Ethics Gap." Klein is graphically portrayed as a large iguana and the article begins with an immediate attack on his character: "He’s as slippery as his pet iguana," wrote his future staffer.

State Sen. Jeffrey Klein has for years tried to project the image of an independent, incorruptible watchdog-- fiercely protecting his constituents from subprime lenders, foreclosing banks and shady Albany politics. He even led a rebellion against his own party, creating an independent conference of four dissatisfied Democrats.

But like his illegal reptilian pet, the Bronx lawmaker’s pattern of behavior is far more slick than his shining public persona.

Klein has gamed the system-- and possibly broken the law-- for years, thumbing his nose at city zoning regulations, getting tax breaks he isn’t entitled to, and failing to disclose his assets to state officials. His ethical breaches range from a dubious mortgage and scandal-scarred political donors to questionable court appointments and renting his Senate office from a firm with alleged mob ties.

Among the highlights:

• In 2005, Klein and law partners Dominick Calderoni and Fred Santucci Jr. took out a $450,000 mortgage to buy a two-family home on Williamsbridge Road in the Morris Park section of The Bronx. They applied for a residential mortgage knowing the property would be used for commercial purposes. The trio immediately turned the two-story building into a law office, ignoring the zoning code despite signing a mortgage mandating that they “comply with all laws.”

• The city slapped the firm with a violation and fine for “illegal use in residential district.” The firm ignored the city directive to “discontinue illegal use.”

• There is no certificate of occupancy for the home, which is required when work is done on older homes.

• The property had a STAR tax exemption for two years, a break given only to a primary residence. Klein got the same break on his actual Bronx home during one of those years.

• The law office was improperly taxed at a lower residential rate for seven years, saving the firm tens of thousands of dollars.

• Klein failed to reveal his ownership of the home, and two mortgages on it, on his yearly state financial disclosure forms-- a possible breach of the state Public Officers Law.

• Klein accepted a $4,500 campaign contribution in 2006 from Edul Ahmad, a Queens real-estate agent indicted last year in a $50 million mortgage fraud scheme.

• The lawmaker moved his district office to the Hutchinson Metro Park, an office complex owned by Hutch Realty Partners, which has contributed more than $30,000 to Klein’s campaign coffers. Two of its owners, Michael Contillo and Joseph Deglomini, were indicted along with a mobster in a 1990s racketeering case.

• Klein has raked in $166,974 since 2003 through 43 separate appointments as a legal guardian, referee and other court-appointed jobs. Most of the appointments came through the Appellate Division’s Second Department on Long Island, 18 miles from his Bronx office, where his partner Santucci’s father was a justice.

• Klein put Calderoni on the state payroll as a part-time lawyer with enough hours so he qualified for state health insurance. Calderoni quit the job suddenly last year when questions were raised about it.

• Between 2007 and 2011 Klein was a lawyer for the William Gallina law firm in The Bronx, which has more than 100 lawsuits against the city. Meanwhile, Klein’s own firm was raking in $2.25 million from the city to review lawsuits and decide whether the city should settle or go to court. After The Post reported the conflict in December 2011, Klein claimed he quit the Gallina firm.

...Astonishingly, Klein said the three law partners were unaware their property was not zoned for a business when they purchased it. He said they believed the city violation was taken care of when they paid a $480 fine in 2006 and they did not know the violation was still open.

He said the firm has hired a lawyer to see if they can change the zoning to accommodate their business.

As for his financial disclosures, Klein argued he didn’t really own the law office building so he didn’t have to report it, despite the deed being in his name and those of his partners. He provided a letter from his accountant saying the law partnership was the “equitable owner” of the house.

Deliberately lying on the state forms is a violation punishable by a $40,000 fine.

After The Post raised questions about the forms, the state Legislative Ethics Commission on Friday began looking into the matter.

Klein denied his law partner’s father had influenced any of his court-appointed jobs.

Klein, 51, who has lived his entire life in a three-block area of The Bronx, was elected to the Assembly in 1994. He ran for the Senate in 2004 after his predecessor, Guy Velella, was sent to jail in a corruption scandal.

The perpetually tan lawmaker, who sports a diamond-studded gold Rolex and drives a Mercedes worth some $58,000, earns $79,500 as a senator.

The divorced lawmaker is dating state Senator Diane Savino, another member of his breakaway Independent Democratic Conference.

You think Giove won't spill the beans on Klein some day? Some day soon, hopefully. Blue America is backing good government progressive reformer Oliver Koppell in his courageous bid to oust Klein from his perch and upend the shady deals he has with corrupt Republican Dean Skelos and corrupt Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

A New York State Senate Race With National Implications

Bronx Sen. Jeffrey Klein-- New York's top GOP enabler

Blue America's normal job is to vet candidates in House races-- and occasionally in Senate races-- and endorse the progressive cream of the crop. We'll occasionally stray from that mission when we find an especially important state legislative race. That's why we've joined other progressives backing Oliver Koppell in the Bronx this year.

A key test of the power of political blackmail is taking shape in his state Senate race. The New York State Senate had been under Republican control for decades until 2008, when a majority of Democrats were elected. However, because small factions of conservative state senators elected as Democrats have split off and voted with Republicans, the balance of power has been constantly shifting between Democrats and Republicans. The latest developments place in question which party will control the state Senate after the November elections.

State Senator Jeffrey Klein, who deserted his Democratic Senate colleagues with three other "Democratic" senators in 2012 to vote with Senate Republicans, is now extorting a leadership position with mainstream Senate Democrats as a price for returning to the Democratic fold.

Incredibly, the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, and-- even more distressingly-- the Mayor of New York City, Bill De Blasio, are supporting-- encouraging-- Klein’s cynical power play. Standing in the way of Klein continuing in office after betraying his Democratic colleagues and blocking a progressive Democratic agenda is Oliver Koppell, a former New York State Attorney General, State Assembly Member, and New York City Council Member. Koppell is running against Klein in the September 9th primary to determine the Democratic candidate.

Supporting Oliver’s campaign for the 34th district will send a strong message that political blackmail cannot work. It will also assure that a real liberal Democrat with an actual progressive vision will occupy the Senate seat in the 34th-- a wide swath of gerrymandered district that includes Throggs Neck, Riverdale, Pelham Bay, Hunts Point, Van Cortlandt Village, Kingsbridge and a slice of southern Westchester County.

The history here once again demonstrates that truth can be stranger than fiction.

The story begins in 2004, when Jeffrey Klein was elected to fill the seat of Republican ex-state Senator Guy Velella, who left office after pleading guilty to taking bribes. Klein, then an Assembly Member, was elected in a primary against Stephen Kaufman, another Democratic Assemblyman. The key issue in that campaign was whether Kaufman would vote with Republicans who were then in the majority in the State Senate. Kaufman received campaign assistance from Republicans. Klein pledged, if elected, to be a loyal Democrat. Klein won the Senate seat.

Democrats remained in the minority in the State Senate until 2008, when a majority of State Senators were Democrats. However, four Democratic senators, known as the “Four Amigos,” negotiated back and forth between Democrats and Republicans in order to advance their positions, power and personal careers. As a result, for much of the two years that Democrats held the majority, there was a legislative stalemate. Ultimately, however, the “Amigos” joined the Democrats, although 3 of the 4 rare now in prison on various corruption charges.

For the 2010 legislative elections, Klein became Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee-- a kind of mini-Steve Israel, and every bit as venal and incompetent. Despite spending millions, and putting the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee in debt, the Democrats lost the majority in the 2010 elections.

In early 2011, Klein, who had campaigned across the state for a Democratic majority, deserted the Democratic party and, with three Democratic colleagues, joined the majority Republicans in order to gain positions and power. They called themselves the “IDC” (Independent Democratic Conference.)

To everyone’s surprise, in the 2012 legislative election, Democrats, including Klein, won a majority of seats in the State Senate. Klein sought to become Majority Leader of the Democrats, but failed. State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, an African-American Senator from Westchester County, was elected to lead the Democrats. Instead of accepting the results of a Democratic selection process, Klein and three IDC colleagues made a deal with Dean Skelos, the Republican leader, to keep the Republicans in power. Under the deal, Skelos and Klein were designated Co-Presidents of the Senate. As a result, Dean Skelos and the Republicans still held essential control, and progressive legislation has been blocked from passage for the past two years.

Blocked measures include campaign finance reform, including public financing of state campaigns; an increase in the minimum wage; the Women’s Equality agenda; and the DREAM Act, enabling the children of undocumented immigrants to apply for state financial aid for college. All of these measures had overwhelming support in the Democratic-controlled State Assembly but were not enacted in the Senate because of Klein's deal with Skelos.

Because of Klein’s power and influence, many feared that his partnership with Skelos would go unchallenged. However, at the urging of state Senate Democrats, representatives of the Working Families Party, union leaders, and other progressives, Oliver Koppell announced that he would challenge Klein in the Democratic primary.

Facing the possibility of defeat by Koppell, particularly due to the threats by several powerful unions, Governor Cuomo and Mayor De Blasio to support Koppell, Klein agreed to switch his allegiance and vote with Senate Democrats beginning in 2015-- provided that he would be anointed Co-President of the Senate (now with Andrea Stewart-Cousins rather than with Dean Skelos.) Unfortunately-- and incredibly-- this extortionist demand has been accepted by the Governor, the Mayor and union leaders.

Stabbed in the back by the Working Families Party, Cuomo and De Blasio, Koppell now faces a major uphill battle. However, if the history of Klein’s betrayal and the damage it has caused can be brought to the attention of Democratic voters, Klein’s career can be brought to an end. That's where Blue America comes in and why we're asking for your help today.

I spoke with Koppell on the phone yesterday and he assured me that even in the face of opposition by the Governor, the Mayor and politically powerful unions, he pledges to stay in the race and beat Klein at the ballot box in September.


UPDATE from Dan Jacoby

Dan e-mailed me with an addition I thought worth adding to the post:

I liked the column. It mentioned a few things that aren’t talked about. I’d like to add one more.

One is something nobody mentions. Back in late 2006, when David Paterson left his position as Senate Minority Leader to become the Lieutenant Governor, Jeff Klein threw over Eric Schneiderman in favor of Malcolm Smith in order to become the Deputy Minority Leader. In other words, he made a play for personal power. So his creation of the IDC in early 2011 was nothing new.

But it’s probably worse than that. He must have known just how incompetent a leader Malcolm Smith would be (many of us did), and figured that he would slide in to the top spot when Smith got chucked out. When that didn’t happen (Sampson took over, and then Stewart-Cousins), he first contemplated leaving the Senate, and then came up with the IDC notion.