State Senator Malcolm Smith starts his Saturday praying.
"God, let him go back into his elected official office," a preacher says.
Whether that will happen after next week's Democratic primary is unclear.
Smith faces a new bribery trial in January. The first one this summer ended abruptly in a mistrial.
"It has a profound impact on you. There is no question about it," Smith said. "I have never been involved with the law in any regard."
He is also staring down his toughest re-election fight yet, against a former City Councilman, Leroy Comrie.
Smith's indictment rattled the city's political world, but he is hardly the first elected official in southeast Queens to be slapped with handcuffs.
Former state Senator Shirley Huntley had the experience in 2012. Earlier this year, it was City Councilman Ruben Wills.
"I know because of where I come from and the color I am, it doesn't usually work like that with you guys, but I am presumed innocent," Wills said in May.
It's a familiar line.
"I always continue to tell people of my innocence, and the more information that comes out, the more they realize," Smith said.
It's also a familiar subject: federal investigations into politicians' pockets.
"All of us, whoever we are, once you get elected, you're a target, and I think we realize that we are targets," said Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens.
It seems that focus is zeroed in on southeast Queens, with scandal after scandal slamming the same neighborhoods.
6 comments:
Which preacher said that? Yank his church's tax exempt status.
I guess the big question is why there is the same level of corruption in the rest of the borough but the arrests are far lower.
With the football season now on,God is too busy fulfilling the prayers for touchdowns and sacks than helping you get votes Malcolm Xcrement.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I guess the big question is why there is the same level of corruption in the rest of the borough but the arrests are far lower.
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Don't know what the answer to that is, but the entire Southeast Queens, specifically, Jamaica, has corruption going on with almost every single leader and on every different level, while the area is a complete shambles. I don't think another area can claim this to that extent from assembly members all the way to Congress and then throw in some church leaders to boot
It is one thing to have an area have one corrupt leader, while the area is not so bad, but when the area is a gigantic mess and almost all the leaders are corrupt on different levels, then something mighty wrong is going on and needs to be investigated.
One corrupt politician leaves the stage only to be followed by another in their place.
they all take advantage of each other down there.
Its like watching a pack of hyenas on National Geographic.
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