Earlier this week, Brooklyn's incoming District Attorney Ken Thompson attended both massive Satmar commemorations of the rescue of the first Satmar Rebbe, Yoel Teitelbaum, from the Nazis 69 years ago. But is being seen in front of tens of thousands of people laughing and embracing Satmar powerbroker Moshe Gabbai (Friedman), a man who, it will almost certainly turn out, perjured himself in a grand jury in a case Thompson has pledged to review a good thing for an incoming D.A. to do?
Ken Thompson, left; Moshe Gabbi (Friedman), right; Williamsburg Satmar Rebbe Zalman Teitelbaum, middle front.
Earlier this week, Brooklyn's incoming District Attorney Ken Thompson attended both massive Satmar commemorations of the rescue of the first Satmar Rebbe, Yoel Teitelbaum, from the Nazis 69 years ago.
But is being seen in front of tens of thousands of people laughing and embracing Satmar powerbroker Moshe Gabbai (Friedman) – a man who, it will almost certainly turn out, perjured himself in a grand jury in a case Thompson has pledged to review – a good thing for an incoming D.A. to do?
No, it is not – especially when that case is Rabbi Baruch Lebovits, the notorious alleged serial pedophile who was convicted and sentenced to 1- 2/3 to 32 years in prison only to have the verdict overturned on a technicality. But that appeals court was quick to add that the evidence that Lebovits is a pedophile is still very strong.
Moshe Gabbai (Friedman) is related by marriage to Baruch Lebovits and has been working to keep Lebovits out of prison.
Moshe Gabbai (Friedman) is also a witness against purported extortionist Sam Kellner, whose son was alleged abused by Lebovits.
But the grand jury testimony of Moshe Gabbai (Friedman) against Kellner was almost certainly perjured just as other evidence against Kellner has turned out be perjured, made up or, it now seems, even doctored. And the trail of guilt for these destructive lies appears to lead back to the extended Lebovits family.
So why is Ken Thompson standing in front of tens of thousands of people, smiling, laughing and being embraced by Moshe Gabbai (Friedman)?
Perhaps because Moshe Gabbai (Friedman) is the gatekeeper to the Williamsburg Satmar Rebbe Zalman Teitelbaum. You can't get near Teitelbaum without the say-so of Moshe Gabbai (Friedman).
But why Thompson would put himself in this position five weeks before taking office and reviewing the Lebovits and Kellner cases is, frankly, beyond me, just as his campaign hire of damaged hasidic PR flack Yossi Gestetner was beyond me.
To add some sour icing onto an already rancid cake, here's another photo from that large Satmar gathering early this week. It's Ken Thompson greeting the Williamsburg Satmar Rebbe Zalman Teitelbaum – currently the world's leading anti-Zionist who literally paid Israeli haredim not to vote in this year's national elections: