As Brooklyn D.A. Charles J. Hynes repeatedly tried to speak on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall, protesters – including Mark Meyer Appel from the anti-child-sex-abuse organization Voice of Justice – chanted “Hynes must go!,” delaying Hynes' announcement by several minutes. When Hynes finally was able to speak he accused the protesters of being anti-democratic.
Brooklyn D.A. Charles J. Hynes
Last updated at 2:37 pm CDT
Protesters Lash Out At Brooklyn D.A. As He Tries To Announce Re-Election Campaign
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes had some surprise difficulty launching his re-election campaign today, Politicker reported.
Hynes was shouted down and heckled as he tried to speak at the campaign’s launch event this morning.
Hynes was trounced in the Democratic primary last month by Ken Thompson and is now running as a Republican and Conservative despite promising Thompson and the the public that he would not do so.
As Hynes repeatedly tried to speak on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall, about 20 protesters – including Mark Meyer Appel from the anti-child-sex-abuse organization Voice of Justice – chanted “Hynes must go!,” delaying Hynes' announcement by several minutes.
When Hynes finally was able to speak he accused the protesters of being anti-democratic.
“This is all about a pre-election. I don’t mind dissent as you can yell all you want but at least be decent enough to listen to what I have to say.”
“We’ve listened for 21 years,” Appel reportedly shouted in retort, prompting Hynes’ supporters to scream “Shut up!” in response. Politicker reported that one of Hynes’ backers called out to Hynes and asked him to investigate Appel's (purported) criminal record.
Appel told FailedMessiah.com after the rally that he does not have a criminal record. He said what Hynes and his supporters are really worried about what Ken Thompson will find in Hynes' office when he takes over after Hynes loses the November general election. "The FBI should investigate that," Appel said, referencing an earlier FailedMessiah.com report about Hynes' top aides removing boxloads of records from the office early in the morning after Hynes' primary loss to Thompson.
Appel also stressed that getting Hynes out as D.A. is not a Jewish issue, citing the litany of wrongful convictions and scandals from Hynes' prosecutors that have negatively impacted Brooklyn residents of all ethnicities (although it appears that blacks and other minorities have suffered from Hynes' prosecutors' wrongdoing more than others).
At the rally, Hynes immediately lashed out at Appel.
“You’ve already demonstrated you’re opposed to the Democratic process,” Hynes seethed.
Hynes also continued to promote his apparent lie about Thompson and convicted felon Clarence Norman.
“Now that Norman has acknowledged that he ran Thompson’s field operation on primary day, it defies credulity that Thompson continues to deny that Norman had anything to do with the campaign,” Hynes said, despite refusing as recently as yesterday to give any proof of this claim to the Village Voice and other media outlets who have asked for it.
Attending the campaign rally in support of Hynes were Bobover hasid Rabbi Ben Barber, Munkatcher hasid Rabbi Israel Steinberg, and Chabad hasid Rabbi Shea Hecht, but other rabbis were notably absent – perhaps because both Satmar hasidic factions had just endorsed Ken Thompson.
Also attending the rally in support of Hynes was Arthur Aidala, the attorney for accused haredi pedophile Rabbi Boruch Lebovits. Aidala is a long-time Hynes crony.
Update 2:10 pm CDT – Gothamist adds:
Brooklyn DA Charles Joseph Hynes formally announced his intention to run for reelection as a Republican on the steps of Borough Hall this morning. A few yards away, two former Brooklyn ADAs leaned against a railing and took in the scene. "Joe Hynes is a good guy. I know Joe," one said. "But he shouldn't be doing this."
The former ADA, who declined to be named because he was speaking so candidly about former colleagues, surveyed the crowd of about 100 Hynes supporters. "At least half of these people are from his own office."
When asked which scandal was most responsible for Hynes's downfall—Wrongful convictions? Pulling punches with Orthodox sex abusers?—the former prosecutor referred to Hynes's top deputy, ADA and rackets chief Michael Vecchione, who was excoriated by a federal judge for his part in convicting a man who served 16 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit.
"Vecchione should have fallen on his sword. He should have left. Half of this office should go, really."…