Loretta Lynch speaking last night.

As indictments of minority elected officials continue to pile up, some leaders have openly suggested, while offering scant evidence, that a conspiracy exists to remove blacks and Latinos from power. But U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, one of two federal prosecutors responsible for bringing many of the recent corruption charges, outright rejected any conspiracy theories last night. 

"There certainly is no conspiracy to look at any particular group," Ms. Lynch told reporters after speaking in front of a civic group in Marine Park, Brooklyn. "[Pedro] Espada was from the Bronx. You have other politicians from this area who have been prosecuted here, politicians from my district have been prosecuted in Manhattan as well, because it depends upon what evidence develops and where the case takes you. You really can't predict that, to be honest with you."

Ms. Lynch is black and her fellow U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is Indian-American. Together, within the last two months, they have brought corruption charges against a slew of lawmakers, including State Senators Shirley Huntley, Malcolm Smith and John Sampson, as well as Assemblyman Eric Stevenson and Councilman Dan Halloran.

For her part, Ms. Lynch tried to rationalize why someone like State Senator James Sanders--the recent host of a debate dubbed "Attack on Black Leaders: Corruption or Conspiracy?"--openly wonder whether there is a conspiracy at work.

"No matter what type of case we prosecute, people who may feel targeted are concerned and make all kinds of statements about it," Ms. Lynch said. "It's part of the problem of public corruption that it really almost makes everyone look as if they're involved, even if they're not. And so you have people get very paranoid and very nervous and feel as if they're under a microscope ... We don't go around targeting people other than those that we strongly have evidence [against], but I think what happens is, the atmosphere is very toxic, for lack of a better word, and it does affect people and that's a byproduct of these cases," she said.

Councilman Jumaane Williams, who also attended last night's event, said the question of whether there is a conspiracy against minorities in power is not being framed the right way. The fact that he was even being asked about it, he said, was part of the problem.

"I've never heard anybody ask how it affects the white community," Mr. Williams said of the corruption scandals. "I think people look at elected officials of more color twice as hard and the blame is three times as much. So I think they have some kind of issue there, the fact that the question is asked for one group and not the other again shows how much of the problem there is."

When Politicker asked who the "people" were and whether they included federal prosecutors, Mr. Williams said it was "everybody."

"That's how, since I've been growing up, I've understood the world to be," he said. "It's unfortunate because I've tried real hard to change that but that's the way the world works."

James Sanders last night.

It is a question few in the New York political establishment dare to ask publicly: is the seemingly endless string of indictments and arrests of elected officials a conspiracy against minorities in power?

But there was Queens State Sen. James Sanders Jr., bellowing in a theater with a preacher's rhythm, more than implying last night that the recent arrests of black elected officials like Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, State Sen. Malcolm Smith and State Sen. John Sampson were not coincidental. Even State Sen. Shirley Huntley, who admitted to stealing funds earmarked for her district's underprivileged children and was sentenced Thursday for her crimes, could have been linked to a conspiracy, Mr. Sanders said.

Ironically, Mr. Sanders defeated Ms. Huntley last year--after she was indicted--and took her seat in the State Senate.

"Why aren't we hearing about other people wired and looking at different communities? Why is it seemingly a focus on this community?" the freshman state senator asked. "Why are we allowing folk who've been in power longer--who are perhaps smarter and slicker, who are are more dangerous under those conditions and perhaps robbing far more--we leave them alone and we target these over here?"

The mellifluous Mr. Sanders was speaking at last night's "Attack on Black Leaders: Corruption or Conspiracy?" forum in the Black Spectrum Theater in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens. After a showing of the R-rated 1993 political film Let's Get Bizee, a debate was held between two three-person panels: one side argued that the recent arrests of minority elected officials was a conspiracy against minorities in power and the other argued that prosecutors were correctly ferreting out corruption. Sitting on the "conspiracy" side was Paul Nichols, Mr. Sanders' chief of staff.

"The attack on minority leader is nothing more than a conspiracy, a conspiracy to thwart and to try to block the growing influence of minority power," Mr. Nichols declared. In a disclaimer, he said his views did not represent those of his boss.

On the other side, panelists like former Assemblyman Michael Benjamin argued that historically, white elected officials like former Queens Borough President Donald Manes and Bronx Democratic boss Stanley Friedman have been charged with crimes too. Mr. Nichols countered by saying blacks have been marginalized for generations and little has changed.

A hand count at the end showed that only three more attendees sided with the "corruption" position than the "conspiracy" one. Mr. Sanders himself, speaking before the audience, concluded that it "was a little bit of both" before elaborating with reporters after the debate. When Politicker asked him about the number of white elected officials that have gone to prison in recent years, including former State Sen. Carl Kruger, Comptroller Alan Hevesi and Assemblyman Brian Mclaughlin, Mr. Sanders insisted minority politicians were still disproportionately targeted.

"The so-called minority population of this state is very small. If it is proportionate, then the vast majority [of arrests] would be whites," he said. "It is close to 55 percent so-called minority and 45 percent white ... your math doesn't hold. The proportion around the state is 30 percent, yet they are making up 55 percent of the targets."

Councilman Leroy Comrie, a black southeastern Queens representative , arrived late to watch the debate. As Mr. Comrie was leaving, we asked the chairman of the Queens Council delegation if he believed there was an actual conspiracy against minority elected officials. He equivocated.

"I'm not rejecting any notion," Mr. Comrie explained. "All I'm saying is, it's not my job to be concerned about corruption or conspiracy. All I'm trying to do as an elected official is do right thing and encourage other people to be involved in government. Make people unafraid of government and make sure the government is responsive to people."

James Sanders. (Photo: Facebook)

Several days ago, State Senator James Sanders reacted to the news that his predecessor wore a wire in an attempt to reduce her corruption sentence, by criticizing her for "snitching." Well, the New York Post didn't take kindly to that, and this morning, the publication editorialized harshly against Mr. Sanders, claiming he "seems to be endorsing the crime-abetting law of street thugs."

Mr. Sanders released a follow-up statement this afternoon taking exception to the Post's characterization. "Snitching," Mr. Sanders wrote, was only in the context of entrapment, which he insisted the editorial missed.

"In response to the New York Post editorial on May 7, 2013, what was not said speaks volumes," Mr. Sanders said. "While the Post highlighted a portion of my statement made to the New York Times that mentions 'ensnaring' others, which in the context used, described entrapment, which is prohibit under the law, the article neglected to mention my encouragement to perform a public service by exposing actual corruption that one knows of. Deliberately leading people into a crime that they would not have committed, be they legislators or private individuals, is wrong and shows no honor. I have always and will always encourage full cooperation with law enforcement to root out real corruption."

The state senator's comments, of course, come as New York State has been rocked by multiple corruption scandals, not the least of which involves State Senator Shirley Huntley, his wire-wearing predecessor, who is due to be sentenced on Thursday. Additional information Ms. Huntley collected is due to be released at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

Mr. Sanders' full "snitching" quote to The New York Times was appended to his statement today:

“There are few among us who can stand up to 20, 30, 40 years without, as the streets call, snitching,” [Senator Sanders] said. “I think that it is tragic that one finds themselves in a world of pain and even more tragic if you’re trying to buy down your sentence by ensnaring others,” Mr.Sanders added. “Now, if you are merely speaking of what they have done, then you’re probably doing a public service. But if you are ensnaring people, then it just proves you have no honor."

(Photo: Facebook)

Councilman Donovan Richards will likely hire his one-time electoral rival Pesach Osina next week.

"It's an interesting time, you know, sort of like Barack and Hillary," Mr. Richards, the winner of an incredibly tight special election in southeast Queens last month, told Politicker on Friday. "We heal quick. You know, I think Pesach would certainly be a great addition to my team. He will help unite the community and he'll be a great asset. Don’t be surprised if he's hired next week."

Mr. Osina, an Orthodox Jewish staffer in Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder's office, came within 100 votes of defeating Mr. Richards in a majority black-district. The special election became racially-charged when an influential clergyman, Rev. Chuck Norris, controversially called on the the black candidates to unite and block Mr. Osina's path to victory. Nevertheless, the two of them seem prepared to let bygones be bygones.

"It's a great idea for Mr. Richards," a local Democratic source said. "It neutralizes future opposition and heals the bad blood from the race."

[Hat Tip Michael Fragin]

(Photo: Facebook)

With all absentee and affidavit votes counted, Mr. Richards padded his razor-thin 26-vote Election Day margin with another 133 votes, while his main competitor, Pesach Osina, only gathered an additional 80. This brought the unofficial tally to 2,646 for Mr. Richards and 2,567 for Mr. Osina, a wide enough margin to avoid an automatic recount. The results will be certified next week.

"We have a lot of work to do in the district," Mr. Richards told Politicker at the Queens Board of Elections. "We have to also make sure we reconcile the communities. I think that it's important that all communities are working together. You know, Pesach ran a great campaign, I have no ill will towards him and I look forward to working with every community."

Mr. Richards was alluding to the controversy generated around Mr. Osina's candidacy. As an Orthodox Jew running in a majority-black district, Mr. Osina faced backlash from some members of the southeast Queens black community, notably Bishop Charles Norris, who warned the 8-way race would allow "the young Jewish boy from the Rockaways" to win with a low plurality of the vote.

Despite the narrow loss, Mr. Osina's supporters were buoyant about the election's outcome because it demonstrated their ability to mobilize voters in their small but growing Far Rockaway enclave.

"We didn't even run to win the seat," said Moshe Friedman, an Orthodox Jewish political operative who worked on Mr. Osina's campaign. "We were running so people should go out and understand that we could swing an election any way we want. This is going to happen in the primary. Richards will not go out tomorrow and say, 'Let me ignore that community.' Because we're going to be organized and bring out the vote. There's no way we would have won the [September] primary any how. .... We wish good luck and we're looking forward to working with him."

The outcome of the election did not upset Mr. Osina's election lawyer, Jerry Goldfeder, either.

"No involvement by lawyers," he said. "The Board personnel worked very well, the voters spoke. That's how it should be."

(Pesach Osina)

One power broker in southeast Queens fears that the next City Council candidate to represent the 31st Council district will be a “young Jewish boy.”

In order to prevent Pesach Osina, an Orthodox Jewish former staffer to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, from winning the election, Bishop Charles Norris, founder of the Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, is urging some of the eight other candidates to step aside. The seat in the majority black district was left open when James Sanders was elected to the State Senate and next week's special election to replace him has attracted a crowded field.

“The black vote would be split among the six or seven candidates,” Mr. Norris told Politicker yesterday. “Since Jews vote in a bloc, as they usually do—and there’s nothing wrong with that—the young Jewish boy in the Rockaways would win.”

As one of the most influential religious leaders in the area, Mr. Norris is known for his fiery pronouncements and pessimistic attitude about the ability of the booming Orthodox Jewish enclave in Far Rockaway to peacefully coexist with the long-time black majority.

When asked if Mr. Osina’s victory would be a detriment to the black community, Mr. Norris laughed at the idea anyone wouldn't see how the election of a candidate who wasn't African-American would be problematic for the area's black community.

“Why would it be a detriment for him to win?” he asked. “Are you serious about that question? What has been happening in the Rockaways all the time is most of the people who have lived in that area are not Jewish. They don’t get the services that they really need, let alone deserve. If you think that electing someone who is not African-American is going to provide the kind of services that they need, you are sadly mistaken.”

According to one well-connected southeast Queens operative, Mr. Osina’s victory over the seven other candidates, who are all black, is a very real possibility. While the front-runner in the race, Mr. Sanders’s former chief of staff Donovan Richards, has amassed a bevy of labor endorsements and has far out-raised his competitors, rivals like Jacques Leandre (whom Mr. Norris endorsed), Michael Duncan and Selvena Brooks could cut into Mr. Richards’s African-American base. Meanwhile, one Far Rockaway Orthodox source estimated that the neighborhood's Jewish community boasts a solid bloc of 3,500 registered voters. Though that's a relatively small number, Mr. Sanders triumphed in his 2009 primary with a little over 3,000 votes. Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the district at the end of last year, may also have lingering effects on turnout reducing the number of votes needed to win the race.

As of this writing, Mr. Osina did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

(Photo: Facebook)

The February 19 special election to replace Councilman James Sanders continues to heat up, and one of the candidates, Donovan Richards, scored the influential endorsement of the labor-backed Working Families Party.

“A district that’s still badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy needs a champion for working families like Donovan Richards,” said Bill Lipton, the WFP's deputy director in a statement, referencing the extensive devastation that occurred along the southeastern Queens coastline. “Donovan has fought gun violence and protected libraries, schools and hospitals from cuts and closure. He’ll be a tremendous addition to the City Council.”

Mr. Richards, the chief of staff to Mr. Sanders when he was in the Council, might be considered the front-runner in the crowded field that also includes former State Senate staffer Selvena Brooks, attorney Jacques Leandre, Community Board 8 District Manager Marie Adam-Ovide and Pesach Osina, who works in Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder's office, as well as community activists Mike Duncan and Earnest Flowers.

In addition to at least one of the WFP's member unions, Mr. Richards also has Mr. Sanders's endorsement, all of which will probably boost him in what is almost certainly destined to be a low-turnout affair. The district was vacated when Mr. Sanders won election to the State Senate last fall.

Selvena Brooks (Photo: Facebook)

A candidate for City Council in a Sandy-ravaged Far Rockaway district is running on a hurricane-themed party line. Selvena Brooks is filing petitions to get on the ballot under the name of the "Rebuild Now" party.

Ms. Brooks, a communications specialist with the Service Employees International Union, will join a crowded field the special election to replace James Sanders in the 31st District. Mr. Sanders left his seat open after moving on to the State Senate in the last round of elections. Because New York City special elections are non-partisan, candidates like Ms. Brooks can more easily campaign outside of the two-party system.

“I am asking for people’s support on the Rebuild Now line, because we need strong leadership in not only rebuilding from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, but also rebuilding our education system, local economy and neighborhoods,” Ms. Brooks said in a statement.

The election, set for Feb. 19, has attracted a slew of candidates. Mr. Sanders’ former chief of staff, Donovan Richards, is a considered the front runner. However, Ms. Brooks, who has worked in the State Senate, will be one of several candidates with legitimate credentials in the race including; Attorney Jacques Leandre, community activist Mike Duncan, marketing firm head Earnest Flowers, Community Board 8 District Manager Marie Adam-Ovide and Pesach Osina, a staffer of Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder.

The district ropes in southeast Queens and Far Rockaway, which was hit particularly hard by Sandy. It has an African-American majority, but there is a sizable Orthodox Jewish community in Far Rockaway. A source with knowledge of the area told Politicker there are about 3,500 Orthodox registered voters, which could make Mr. Osina, who is also Orthodox Jewish, an intriguing dark horse candidate. Turnout in the election is expected to be low.

The tree leaning against Councilman Brad Lander's house. (photo: @bradlander)

Demonstrating that Mother Nature goes about her work without fear or favor, several prominent New York political figures were among the thousands who had their homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy this week.

In the middle of an interview with the Queens Times Ledger, for example, Far Rockaway Councilman James Sanders exclaimed, “A tree has fallen on my wife’s car.” Asked whether he wished he had left his flooded neighborhood, which was in the mandatory evacuation Zone A, Mr. Sanders expressed only one regret.

“I expected this and worse,” he said. “I regret not moving my wife’s car.”

Mr. Sanders and his wife were among the lucky ones on the southern coast of Queens and Brooklyn. His district was particularly hard-hit, suffering flooding and fire damage that left many homes in the area leveled and charred in a scene many have described as looking like a war zone.

Other political types were hit far worse. At the tip of the Rockaway peninsula, for example, a good portion of the Breezy Point section burned down, including the homes of Congressman Bob Turner and State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long. Both made it out safe.

Another lawmaker suffering hurricane-related damage was Park Slope Councilman Brad Lander, who, like many elected officials, was out and about during the storm, surveying damage and assisting constituents where he was able.

“Starting to get reports of trees down in the area,” Mr. Lander tweeted at one point, only to experience the reality for himself.

“Alas, this is our tree. Fallen on our house,” he later announced, attaching a photo of the uprooted lumber leaning into his home. “Everyone ok. Will be off Twitter a while. Can’t tweet own emergency.”

About 45 minutes later, Mr. Lander returned and revived his steady stream of updates, noting the storm-related chaos in Atlantic City, which was largely flooded.

“Horrible. Puts tree on our house in perspective, big time,” Mr. Lander wrote.

Mr. Lander and Mr. Sanders weren’t alone in their tree troubles. Carlo Scissura, a former chief of staff to Borough President Marty Markowitz, who gave up his own campaign for borough president to head the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, told us he suffered a similar fate.

“So I’m sitting my living room last night, and I have this tree that I put in when I started law school, so 1992. So, that was my thing, we’re putting the tree in, etc.,” Mr. Scissura said when we spoke with him Tuesday. “I’m looking at it yesterday, and 8 o’clock last night, the first part of it went down ... All that’s left now is the tree trunk and a few branches.”

Mr. Scissura described the damage to his Dyker Heights home as relatively extensive, although far less than that suffered by residents in low-lying areas.

“The gate is destroyed; the steps are pretty bad. It ripped the gate out of the outside of the house. So it’s pretty bad,” he said. “But you know what? No one got hurt, so we’ll fix it.”

We mentioned Mr. Lander’s situation, which Mr. Scissura said he saw unfold over Twitter.

“Brad and I have been commiserating over our house trees,” he jested. “I told Brad since his is just leaning, mine takes the cake so far.”

(Photo: Assemblyman Goldfeder, @YPGoldfeder)

Breezy Point, on the tip of the Rockaway Peninsula, was among the most devastated neighborhoods in New York City in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Indeed, floods and fires left the area reminiscent of a war zone.

The fires also claimed the homes of Congressman Bob Turner and State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long, Crain's Insider reported. Fortunately, Mr. Turner's office told the publication that the congressman and his wife made it out safely. Mr. Long is safe-and-sound too.

A number of other elected officials have also suffered storm damage, but nowhere near what Mr. Turner and Mr. Long endured. A tree fell onto Councilman Brad Lander's house, for example, as well as on his colleague James Sanders' car.

Mr. Sanders, who represents the hard-hit Far Rockaway neighborhood adjacent to Breezy Point, announced in the middle of an interview with the Queens Times Ledger, "A tree has fallen on my wife's car." Asked whether he regretted staying in his flooded neighborhood, Mr. Sanders replied, "I expected this and worse. I regret not moving my wife's car."

Update (2:29 p.m.): Mr. Turner provided the following statement:

“My thoughts and prayers are with all of my fellow New Yorkers and the many others who are experiencing loss as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Last night’s storm showed once again that the professionalism and bravery of our first responders is second to none. I want to commend the men and women who put their lives on the line everyday in order to keep others safe.

Times like these create tremendous obstacles. However, by working together we will ensure that the power is restored and our neighborhoods are rebuilt. I will be working with FEMA and other officials in the coming days to ensure that residents have access to the assistance they need. I would encourage people to go to my website or Facebook page to find information on how to contact emergency services.

I, along with many other Breezy Point residents, lost our homes last night and I am grateful that my family and I are safe after this destructive storm. I hope you will join me in lending a hand to those who were less fortunate and keep everyone impacted by this storm in your thoughts and prayers.”