George reportedly said he would support the other Democratic challenger
to current D.A. Charles J. Hynes, Kenneth P. Thompson, a prominent
lawyer in private practice and a former federal prosecutor. This means
Thompson will face Hynes in one-on-one matchup primary match-up.
Opposition votes against Hynes will no longer be split between Thompson –
who earlier this week received the endorsement of New York City’s
largest union, Local 1199 S.E.I.U., which represents health care workers
– and George.
Ken Thompson
Abe George Drops Out Of Brooklyn DA Race
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Abe George said he is dropping out of the race for Brooklyn District Attorney, the New York Times reported late today.
George, a former prosecutor in Manhattan, said he would support the other Democratic challenger to current D.A. Charles J. Hynes, Kenneth P. Thompson. Thompson is a prominent lawyer in private practice and a former federal prosecutor.
This means Thompson will face Hynes in a one-on-one matchup primary match-up. Opposition votes against Hynes will no longer be split between Thompson – who earlier this week received the endorsement of New York City’s largest union, Local 1199 S.E.I.U., which represents health care workers – and George.
Thompson has also been endorsed by two Members of the United States Congress, Yvette D. Clarke and Hakeem Jeffries.
Hynes is now 78-years-old, and his office is ridden with scandal. He has been Brooklyn’s DA since 1990.
“Brooklyn can’t afford another four years of Joe Hynes, and I realize that in order to defeat Joe Hynes I must put Brooklyn ahead of my own ambitions. Today, I am urging all of my supporters to back Ken Thompson for district attorney because together we can begin to clean up the mess Joe Hynes has created in Brooklyn.
“Ken [Thompson] is a man of integrity and justice who will fight to end the pattern of wrongful convictions and prosecutorial misconduct that has tainted the D.A.’s office,” George said in a statement released to the Times.
Thompson welcomed George’s endorsement.
“Now we are united with the common goal of restoring integrity and justice to the Brooklyn district attorney’s office, which for too long has failed to deliver,” Thompson said in a statement.
A Hynes campaign spokesman, George Arzt, attacked George’s endorsement and its timing,noting that tonight at midnight was the last moment possible to have George’s name removed from the ballot.
“This is Tammany-style back-room dealing at its worst. The question is: What did Thompson offer George to drop out? It doesn’t pass the smell test,” Arzt, who has consistently pooh-poohed reports of Hynes’ wrongdoings, told the Times.