John Sampson. (Photo: Facebook)

After State Senator John Sampson was arrested for his alleged involvement in a bribery scheme this morning, the lawmaker who replaced Mr. Sampson as the head of the Senate's Democratic conference, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, acted swiftly by stripping him of rank and privilege.

“These allegations are deeply disturbing," Ms. Stewart-Cousins said in a statement. "The alleged activity represents an offensive violation of the public trust for which there is no place in our government. Senator Sampson has been stripped of his ranking positions and all committee assignments."

Mr. Sampson was the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee as well as the Senate Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. According to Ms. Stewart-Cousins, Mr. Sampson "has also informed us that in order to avoid being a distraction to the conference he will no longer conference with the Senate Democrats.”

Mr. Sampson's own predecessor in Democratic leadership, State Senator Malcolm Smith, was arrested himself last month on corruption charges. At that point, however, he had left the Democrats for the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference. IDC leader Jeff Klein reacted similarly, booting Mr. Smith from the caucus.

U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch is holding a press conference to further unveil the charges at 11 a.m.

(Photo: Mirocznik campaign)

For local races, New York City overwhelmingly tilts towards the Democratic Party and there are only a handful of Council campaigns with the potential to be competitive in this November. The race for outgoing GOP Councilman Jimmy Oddo's seat is likely to be one of them. And, according to a source active in local politics, the Democratic establishment is backing Mendy Mirocznik, a non-practing rabbi and lawyer, for the Staten Island district.

“We’re seeing fewer education dollars, less transportation options, deteriorating roads and there seems to be no relief in sight," Mr. Mirocznik said in a statement announcing his candidacy yesterday. "Meanwhile, our small-businesses, the economic engine, of our community are struggling to survive - that is not a recipe for recovery. We need an advocate who will reverse this trend and bring real results for Mid-Islanders, and I believe I can do that.”

Despite the establishment support, Mr. Mirocznik, who also serves as the President of the Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island, is set to face primary opposition. John Mancuso, who waged an unsuccessful campaign against Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis last year, announced his own campaign over the weekend.

The Republican field is also heating up, with Mr. Oddo strongly supporting his chief of staff, Steve Matteo, for the job, as elements of the Staten Island GOP back party vice chair Lisa Giovinazzo.

Ken Thompson (Photo: Facebook)

Last night, the Kings County Conservative Party backed their borough's district attorney, Joe Hynes, for re-election and, citing his safety record, they formally offered him their ballot line come November. Although Mr. Hynes has been endorsed by the Conservatives for years, at least one of his Democratic primary rivals, Ken Thompson, was outraged by the bipartisan embrace and released a statement detailing his disgust.

"It is appalling that DA Hynes would accept the endorsement of a fringe right-wing group which opposes a woman's right to choose, gun control and a minimum wage increase, supports the racial profiling of suspects, and sought to remove President Obama from office," Mr. Thompson said this morning.

He went on to outline many of the Conservative Party's positions listed in its "2013 Legislative Program,"  including support for profiling, stop-and-frisk and gun rights, as well as opposition to abortion, minimum wage and gay marriage. "That is not what Democrats are about—and it is radically out of step with Brooklyn," Mr. Thompson argued.

For their part, both the Conservatives and Mr. Hynes' statements focused on his accomplishments in reducing crime rather than outlining a specific policy agenda.

"We are pleased to recognize his hard work with the Conservative Party endorsement,” Conservative Chair Jerry Kassar said, while Mr. Hynes added, “I am enormously honored by the Conservative Party’s recognition of my office’s role in making Brooklyn streets safer. I am very proud of our record and gratified by the Party’s endorsement.”

Another Democrat, Abe George, is also running against Mr. Hynes this year.

Update (2:55 p.m.):  Mr. George has now piled on.

 “Brooklyn Democrats want a District Attorney who reflects their values,” he said in a statement. “Charles Hynes says he is a progressive Democrat, yet he is ‘honored’ by the support of a party that opposes gun control and marriage equality and supports racial profiling. As District Attorney, I will fight crime, protect civil liberties, and help move Brooklyn forward, not backwards.”

(Photo: NY1)

Earlier this week, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins was elected to be the next leader of the Senate's Democratic conference, but, even though Democrats will have a numerical majority in the chamber, a breakaway group of Democrats will place Ms. Stewart-Cousins' caucus in the minority. Some partisans and activists have criticized New York's top Democrat, Governor Andrew Cuomo for not intervening in the matter or even expressing support on his party's behalf, but in a pair of TV appearances last night, Ms. Stewart-Cousins argued attention should instead be focused on his agenda, which "coincidentally" is hers as well.

"I met with the governor today, he wanted to talk to me and I brought colleagues with me," she said on Inside City Hall. "We did have a good conversation, we had an open discussion. We talked about the state of the state. We talked about his legislative priorities. Coincidentally, many of his priorities are ours as well. There wasn't a conversation about anger; there was a reality about the fact that Democrats are in a position to, again, to create an agenda and make it happen. I think he wants to make sure it gets done."

Ms. Stewart-Cousins has been going on a bit of a media tour since elected to  her new position. In addition to at least two radio appearances later today, she appeared on Capital Tonight last night too, where she echoed her previous comments about Mr. Cuomo.

"We had a very heartening conversation about his agenda. Of course he wants his agenda passed and his agenda looks very similar to ours. So we talked about working together as partners trying to find ways we can push forward. I think the commitment is really, again, [to] a professional, substantive, productive session. We're willing to work--we want to be partners with the governor, we want to get our work done," said Ms. Stewart-Cousins. "I think that certainly the governor does have an agenda that is quite progressive and realizes that we are likely partners."

Ms. Stewart-Cousins' comments echoed Governor Cuomo's repeated statements during the leadership flap when he argued his concern was not who controlled the State Senate chamber, but whether he'd be able to pass his "progressive" agenda.

Addressing the five breakaway Senators who belong to the "Independent Democratic Conference," Ms. Stewart-Cousins claimed neither she nor Mr. Cuomo knows how their governing coalition with the Republicans will actually function.

"None of us understands exactly how this new coalition is going to work," she added on Inside City Hall. "So we are proceeding optimistically and with the idea that, at the end of the day, the people's business--which is what we are all there for--will get done."

Despite her optimism, she did not express confidence that the IDC will return to the Democratic fold anytime soon.

"I want to begin the dialogue," she said. "I don't know what's going to happen in terms of any big change between now and when we start [the legislative session], but I'm certainly going to make sure that there is no obstacle to us really working together. Hopefully they will agree and will find some common ground. Again, maybe, who knows, we can be Democrats just the way that our electorates expected that we would be."

(Photo: Facebook)

Earlier this evening, the Senate Democratic Conference officially gave the boot to John Sampson and handed their top leadership position to Westchester's Andrea Stewart-Cousins. In order to stress their unity, the Senate Democrats sent out a press release with almost every member of their conference touting Ms. Stewart-Cousins's credentials and prospects going forward. They even included a statement from "Senator-Elect Cecilia Tkaczyk," whose opponent just declared victory in a race the Democrats are still contesting.

For his part, Mr. Sampson took the news humbly, simply saying, “I look forward to working with Leader Stewart Cousins as we move the Democratic Conference forward serving all New Yorkers. The people of New York want a progressive and democratic agenda and that is what the Democratic Conference under the leadership of Senator Stewart Cousins will provide."

The significance of today's announcement is difficult to ascertain. Although a majority of the State Senate will belong to members registered to the Democratic Party, five Democrats have their own breakaway conference and one conservative Democrat stated he will directly caucus with the GOP.

View the full bombardment of supportive quotes below:

Senate Democratic Conference Announces Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins as New Conference Leader

 First Female Legislative Conference Leader in State History

The Senate Democratic Conference has announced that Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins has been selected by the Conference as leader. Senator Stewart-Cousins, from Yonkers, New York and representing the 35^th Senate District would be the first female Conference Leader in the history of the State. 

Leader Stewart-Cousins has long been an advocate for good government reform including campaign finance reform and has been one of the leading progressive leaders in New York pushing for raising the minimum wage, standing up for women’s health, help for small businesses, enacting common sense gun laws, and providing real mandate relief for local communities.

“I am truly humbled and honored to be selected by my colleagues for this position. I look forward to advocating for the progressive agenda that the people of New York have demanded. I will work with my colleagues in the Republican and IDC Coalition to ensure that the progressive issues that both the Governor and our conference believe in are advanced,” said Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “I want to thank Senator Sampson for all his hard work and his dedication to the Senate Democratic Conference and to the people of New York.”

“I look forward to working with Leader Stewart Cousins as we move the Democratic Conference forward serving all New Yorkers. The people of New York want a progressive and democratic agenda and that is what the Democratic Conference under the leadership of Senator Stewart Cousins will provide,” stated Senator John Sampson.

The Senate Democratic Conference laid out a progressive agenda New Yorkers responded to and have overwhelmingly demanded through their votes on Election Day. Senate Democrats will continue to lead the fight on this progressive agenda.

Senator Joe Addabbo said, “I commend our new Democratic Conference leader, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, for her dedication to the conference and the hard working men and women of New York State. I look forward to working with her to advance the progressive agenda the voters sent us to Albany to achieve."

Senator Neil Breslin said, “I applaud Senator Stewart-Cousins on becoming the next leader of the Senate Democratic Conference. The people of New York expect progressive leadership from their state representatives, and under Senator Stewart-Cousins, that is exactly what we are going to ensure gets done.”

Senator Adriano Espaillat said, “Under Conference Leader Stewart-Cousins, Senate Democrats will continue to be a powerful voice for New York’s working families. I look forward to working with Senator Stewart-Cousins to continue to grow the Democratic conference and apply progressive solutions to move our state forward.”

Senator Mike Gianaris said, “I want to give my immense thanks to John Sampson for his leadership and I look forward to working with Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Her historic election will help move our conference forward and help us pass the progressive agenda that we successfully ran on and the people of New York have demanded.”

Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson said, “I am proud to join my Democratic colleagues on this historic occasion in applauding our new Conference Leader, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Senator Stewart-Cousins has been an excellent public servant, and I am confident she will be an exceptional leader for our conference.”

Senator Tim Kennedy said, “Senator Stewart-Cousins has been a voice for the underserved and a champion for working families. Today she earned her place in history by becoming the first female, African-American Minority Leader in New York State history. I look forward to working with her and continuing to move this state in a new direction by championing issues that are important to Western New Yorkers.”

Senator Liz Krueger said, “Senator Stewart-Cousins will ensure that New York remains committed to a progressive agenda. She has been a great Senator and I know will be a great Conference Leader.”

 Senator Jose Peralta said, “I am proud to support Senator Stewart-Cousins as Democratic Conference Leader. This next session will be extremely important and we must work together to ensure the people of New York have a strong voice fighting for them in Albany to increase the minimum wage and enact common sense gun laws.”

Senator Jose Serrano said, “I commend Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and look forward to serving with her as our new Democratic Conference leader. The residents of New York have repeatedly called for progressive leadership, and that is exactly what Senator Stewart-Cousins, and the entire Democratic Conference, will provide.”

Senator Daniel Squadron said, “Today we made history, electing the first woman leader of a New York legislative conference. I look forward to working with Senator Stewart-Cousins' leadership to continue to move forward the progressive foundation that Senator Sampson has built.”

Senator-Elect Terry Gipson said, “I am eager to get to Albany and fight for my constituents. I am honored to support Senator Stewart-Cousins as Democratic Conference Leader.”

Senator-Elect Brad Hoylman said, “I look forward to taking my place in the State Senate this January to begin representing the interests of all my constituents. I am proud to be part of an historic first for New York State Government. With Senator Stewart-Cousins as our leader, I am confident that together with my Democratic colleagues we will give New Yorkers the progressive government they deserve. I commend Senator Sampson for laying the groundwork for our conference’s further success.”

Senator-Elect George Latimer said, “I served with Democratic Leader Stewart-Cousins in both the State Legislature and the Westchester County Legislature and I know that she will be a strong voice for Democratic values.”

Senator-Elect Ted O’Brien said, “It is an honor for me to take my place alongside my Democratic Senate colleagues to select Senator Stewart-Cousins as our conference leader. I look forward to serving under her leadership and working to represent my constituents, and all New Yorkers, in the State Senate.”

Senator-Elect Cecilia Tkaczyk said, “As I stand ready to complete the election process and take my place in the State Senate, I look forward to serving with Senator Stewart-Cousins as she leads the Senate Democratic Conference into the next legislative session and beyond.

(Photo: Wikimedia)

Yesterday afternoon, the course of the New York State Senate was altered when a faction of the on-paper Democratic majority announced they would instead form a power-sharing agreement with the Republicans, equally splitting control of the chamber in an "unprecedented" fashion. Although labor has been wary of the situation thus far, seemingly preferring Democratic rule, Transport Workers Union Local 100 called the new coalition-style government "the best possible option" for the state.

“In the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy, and the devastation suffered by the working families of New York, we must get down to the business of governing," said the union's president, John Samuelsen, in a statement late last night. "The Independent Democratic Conference— led by serious, effective senators such as Jeff Klein, Diane Savino, and Malcolm Smith — has shown great commitment in fighting for public union employees and their families. It is obvious that at this point their decision to create a bipartisan coalition was the best possible option to ensure a functioning government for all New Yorkers and NYC Transit Workers and our families.”

For what it's worth, TWU Local  100's endorsements sometimes cut against the political grain, and the union, which has been without a contract since January, likely has a particularly vested interest in the state government in the coming months.

In contrast, several other unions have responded more coolly. RWDSU, for example, ominously warned the smaller Democratic conference to deliver on the minimum wage legislation they support.

“We are pleased that Senator Klein has made passage of a minimum wage increase in New York a priority," RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum said in a press release yesterday. “The bill that he introduced last year, to increase New York’s minimum wage to $8.50 an hour and then index it to inflation, should not be weakened by his new coalition partners. We would expect that this will be the same bill he will pass for with his new Republican colleagues."

While the labor-backed Working Families Party sounded aggressive on the topic, with their executive director, Dan Cantor, declaring the new coalition "puts the progressive agenda in jeopardy" and suggested a potential electoral face-off could occur next time these senators face the voters.

"On Election Day, New Yorkers made their voices heard for a Democratic-Working Families majority because of the issues that hang in the balance in Albany," Mr. Cantor  said. Public financing of elections. Women's health. Reforming stop and frisk. Raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation. A real DREAM Act. These are not trivial issues. Senator Klein has voiced support for them in the past, but his Republican partners stand against us on each one. The burden therefore rests on the shoulders of Senator Klein and the IDC to prove that they can deliver. If they can, then this coalition may yet be validated. But if they cannot, then we will hold them to account."

(Photo: MSNBC)

"Well, I agree!" Mr. Hayes said after playing a clip of the governor dismissing his criticism, calling for a policy-oriented discussion instead of a partisan one. "If the governor wishes to see more substantive rhetoric on the issues, he's welcome to come on Up anytime. Because I do not care about a senate Democratic majority because I care about the New York State Democratic Party, which has been an absolutely dysfunctional mess as long as I can remember. I care because I care about a higher minimum wage, public [campaign] financing and marijuana decriminalization, all extremely important pieces of legislation that have essentially no chances of passing if Republicans control the senate, but do have a shot if Democrats control it. My point is that I'm sure a political mind as sharp as the governor's recognizes that as well."

Control of New Yorker's upper legislative chamber is currently up in the air, possibly depending on the outcome of a tightly-contested race in the Albany area. However, even with a numerical majority, Democratic defections could keep control in Republican hands. Mr. Cuomo, who is considered a possible presidential candidate in 2016, has not expressed a partisan preference in the outcome, much to the frustration of Mr. Hayes and others. "It is an impending disaster which may end up being a real missed opportunity to create positive change," Mr. Hayes said.

Watch below:

(photo: msnbc.com)

"So what do we know that we didn't know last week? We now know that Democrats cannot count on New York's supposedly Democratic governor as an ally and every Democratic primary voter in the country should know that too," he opened up his segment, clearly on a roll. "We already knew that in the run up to the election, Andrew Cuomo, whose aspirations for national office are well-known, did essentially nothing to aid the Democratic Party in its quest to take back the the State Senate from Republicans."

Mr. Hayes blasted Mr. Cuomo's "putative reason" for endorsing two Republican senators--their support for same sex marriage legislation--by asking why he declined to support a Democratic challenger in a race where the pro-gay marriage Republican had already been defeated in a primary. He also criticized the governor for not working to stop Democratic Senator-elect Simcha Felder from caucusing with the GOP, as Mr. Felder's move may end up being decisive in helping the Republicans hold onto their majority, depending on one race that's still too-close-to-call and more possible Democratic defections.

"Despite the fact that he's the leader of the Democratic Party in the state, and wishes someday to be the Democratic nominee for President, Cuomo has refused to intervene with Felder, saying he won't insert himself into the controversy," My. Hayes argued. "Watching all this unfold, one can't help but suspect Andrew Cuomo actually does not want a Democratic majority in the State Senate because a Republican majority gives him more of an opportunity to burnish his bipartisan compromiser bona fides before launching his presidential campaign. And much, much, much more insidiously, we suspect he doesn't want a Democratic majority because said majority stands ready to pass a whole raft of incredibly important, ground-breaking progressive legislation, including public financing for elections, marijuana decriminalization and a minimum wage hike, among others. The governor says he favors all those policies, but in this case, he sure is not acting like it. We're almost entirely sure that very soon Andrew Cuomo will be coming before many of the people watching this show, asking for your support in a Democratic primary race to be the next president. You should remember this remarkably cynical display when he does."

For his part, Mr. Cuomo has contended he's completely focused on his gubernatorial duties, and does not currently have the White House in his eyes. As for his endorsements, at the time the governor simply said they were on a case-by-case basis depending on the attributes of the individual senators involved.

Watch below:

(Photo: Facebook)

Tells us how you really feel, Councilman Lew Fidler.

Mr. Fidler, who yesterday criticized Senator-elect Simcha Felder for vowing to cross party lines and caucus with the Republicans, took another pass this afternoon in a lengthy statement where he demanded Mr. Felder himself answer questions about the decision.

"Simcha is correct that the parties are not a religion, nor should they be," Mr. Fidler wrote. "But being open and honest with the voters should be."

Additionally, Mr. Fidler recalled the time Mr. Felder, a former colleague in the City Council, avoided voting for now-Speaker Christine Quinn by exiting the room, arguing even an abstention such as that would be more noble than outright joining the GOP conference.

"Several years ago as a member of the City Council, Simcha agreed to support a candidate for Speaker and then conveniently went to the men’s room at the time of the vote," he continued. "I’d much prefer that behavior to the overt choice to mislead. Simcha and I will, I hope, continue to be friends….but he needs to answer the questions or they will haunt him from the first day he takes office."

Although Mr. Fidler requested Mr. Felder personally answer his questions about when the senator-elect specifically decided to join the Republican caucus, or what he was promised in return, it doesn't seem the councilman will immediately get his wish.

“As Senator-elect Felder said repeatedly from the moment he began his campaign, he would caucus with the group of Senators that would most benefit his district. When he takes office in January as a member of the Majority Conference, the people of Brooklyn will benefit from his decision," Mr. Felder's spokesman, Kalman Yeger, said in a statement when reached for a response. "Simcha looks forward to working with all of Brooklyn’s elected officials – Democrats and Republicans – to provide the most and best to their shared constituents, and firmly believes his decision will enable him to do so.”

View Mr. Fidler's full statement below:

Statement from Councilman Lew Fidler Regarding Simcha Felder’s Move to the Republican Party:

A Challenge that Simcha Felder Must Answer.

Yesterday, I expressed my disappointment in my friend and former colleague Simcha Felder’s decision to caucus with Republicans and asked for an explanation. Through a spokesman, Simcha issued a statement which on its face lacks any substantive credibility.

Throughout the campaign, Simcha had assured the voters---and me personally---that he would sit with whichever party delivered the most for his district. Transactional for sure, but apparently honest. I took him at his word as did most voters.

Simcha’s explanation yesterday was a subtle yet wholly significant explanation from what he had promised. It waxed poetic about philosophies and abounded with some nonsense about the Republicans in the Senate being compassionate towards the poor and for the middle class.

That begs the question: When did Simcha Felder come to understand the philosophies of the political parties? What changed about the philosophies of the parties since the election that Simcha was not aware of before the election? If he knew, the philosophies of the parties before the election, why did he not state publicly that he would sit with the Republicans? That is the true issue here…..was Simcha Felder being honest with the voters of the district? Since it would be hard to imagine that Simcha learned anything about party philosophy after the election, Simcha did a disservice to the voters of his Senate district. Surely, countless thousands chose him over his Republican opponent because he was the Democratic Party candidate.

Therefore, Simcha---and not his spokesman---owes an answer to those questions---and specific answers, not pabulum---to those questions.

Additionally, if Simcha chooses to revert to his transactional answer, then he needs to tell people what pieces of silver were offered and by whom. Whatever was promised is being paid for out of the public till and the public has a right to know that as well.

I applaud the statement made by my friend and County Leader Frank Seddio. To those that differ, I would suggest that there is a huge difference between endorsing candidates of other parties from time to time and running on a party’s line and then without any intervening event, indicating that the other party is more consistent with the candidate’s own philosophy and organizing the legislative body with the other side. Simcha is correct that the parties are not a religion, nor should they be. But being open and honest with the voters should be.

Simcha needs to answer those questions. If he can’t, and does not think he can philosophically be a Democrat, he ought to do the right thing and change his party enrollment. As Democrats, we are free to---and should---disagree on issues all the time. But when you believe that the other party shares your philosophy of government more than your own, then you should change parties. To thine own self, be true.

Several years ago as a member of the City Council, Simcha agreed to support a candidate for Speaker and then conveniently went to the men’s room at the time of the vote. I’d much prefer that behavior to the overt choice to mislead. Simcha and I will, I hope, continue to be friends….but he needs to answer the questions or they will haunt him from the first day he takes office.