This is the week we'll most likely find out if City Council member Alan Gerson gets back on the ballot. A State Supreme Court judge is expected to rule on Wednesday.
Meantime, the Daily News looks at the United Jewish Council's role in several races, including the Gerson campaign. Ray Dowd, attorney for Gerson challenger Pete Gleason, first floated this angle in The Lo-Down on Friday. The UJC's role was revealed in court testimony by Renee Abramowitz, a UJC employee who collected signatures for several candidates. In today's News, Elizabeth Benjamin writes:
powerful elected Dems – the same pols who fill the charity's coffers
with millions of dollars of publicly funded pork… The campaign work for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, city Controller William Thompson and City Councilman Alan Gerson is a no-no that endangers the organization's tax-exempt status and raises questions about whether the nonprofit broke the law… Gerson has funneled $16,000 in Council discretionary funds to UJC –
$8,000 this year and $8,000 last year. UJC also got nearly $150,000 in
Council grants for seniors and $8,000 directed by Councilwoman Rosie Mendez. A spokesman for the Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty – with which the UJC is affiliated – said it will work "to ensure a mistake of this kind does not happen again." Silver, who is running to be a delegate to next month's Democratic
judicial nominating convention to select state Supreme Court justice
candidates, was also on the petition. Silver – who represents the lower East Side and has directed more
than $2.3 million in member items to UJC since 2006 – said he had
"never heard" of (Howard) Fried (Abramowitz's boss) and doesn't know Abramowitz. She and Silver both
live on the 500 block of Grand St.
The Post says City Council members "showered their staffs with tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses at the end of the last fiscal year."
The world's largest matzo ball, 267 pounds, was unveiled last week at "Noah's Ark Deli." It was a publicity stunt for an upcoming charity basketball game. Pieces of the matzo ball were then donated to the senior center at the Henry Street Settlement.
“A spokesman for the Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty – with which the UJC is affiliated – said it will work “to ensure a mistake of this kind does not happen again.” Silver,
Mistake? Shelly Silver, top lawyer, makes mistakes when it comes to Election Law? Year after year? LMAO
Silver’s Chief-of-Staff, Judy Rapfogel, who is also his cousin, is married to William Rapfogel, CEO of the The Met NY Council on Jewish Poverty, which gets millions from pols like Silver, Gerson, Stringer, etc.
Who are these people kidding?
David Weinberger, Silver’s District Leader and petition co-ordinator is also the Director, I believe, of the UJC.
It is rumored he makes $50,000 for attending a monthly meeting.
And who said Shelly, and Judy, and David, and William don’t eat Pork? LOL
This is incestuous putrid pork at that.