Sexual Harassment Sanctions Against Outgoing Roosevelt Island Assemblymember Micah Kellner Reversed On Appeal - Kellner Charges Assembly Ethics Committee A "Kangaroo Court Doing Speaker Silver's Bidding"

Outgoing Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side NY State Assemblymember Micah Kellner

  Image of Micah Kellner From NY State Assembly

received some good news regarding his appeal of sanctions imposed by Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver against Kellner for allegedly sexually harassing female members of Kellner's staff.  According to the November 10 decision of Appeal Hearing Officer Howard A. Levine (text of full decision):

... I conclude that the appealed June 10, 2014 determination of Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver should be, and it hereby is, upheld in part, with respect to the findings that Member Kellner violated the Speaker's December 30, 2013 admonishment and directives by having an intern working in his district office and then attempting to obstruct the climate survey by instructing his staff members not to disclose the intern during the survey.

The June 10 determination is reversed as to the findings that Member Kellner violated the 2009-2010 Sexual Harassment Policy by his conduct toward two female staff members, and the matter is remitted to the Speaker for reconsideration of the sanctions to be imposed in light of this decision.

Capital New York reports today:

A hearing officer has dismissed a second round of sexual harassment charges against outgoing assemblyman Micah Kellner, and has asked Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to review his June order stripping Kellner of his official offices.

Kellner, a Manhattan Democrat, was hit with two complaints by the Assembly's bipartisan ethics committee, both stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched and communicated with members of his official staff in 2013. Kellner has apologized for his actions, but in December of last year was sanctioned by Silver after a committee report

The committee hit Kellner again in June, after it found he was employing an intern in violation of the December sanctions and in light of additional accusations of harassment. Kellner unsuccessfully appealed his initiation sanction, but the decision on an appeal based on the second round of sanctions was issued on November 10 and released by Kellner to reporters on Monday.....

The New York Daily News Tweets:

Ex-Assemblyman Micah Kellner: Ruling shows my sexual harassment case was prosecuted by 'kangaroo court' http://t.co/UDzexxYcBg
— NYDN Daily Politics (@DNDailyPolitics) November 24, 2014

and adds:

... Kellner opted not to run for re-election this year in the wake of the allegations against him. He remains an elected district leader.

The Manhattan Democrat has been fighting sanctions Silver imposed against him last year after the Assembly Ethics Committee found he violated the chamber's harassment policy and created a hostile work environment for a female staffer in 2009 and a man in 2011...

Mr. Kellner lost the Democratic Party nomination for NYC Council District 5 (representing Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side) and the General Election running as the Working Families Party candidate to Ben Kallos in 2013.

More on the sexual harassment allegations brought against Mr. Kellner from previous posts here and here.

Mr Kellner issued this statement today regarding the decision on his appeal of sexual harassment allegations:

On November 10th Speaker Sheldon E. Silver's hand picked Appeals Officer, Howard Levine, found the following regarding the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee's decision to recommend sanctions in June 2014 against me to the Speaker for violating the Assembly sexual harassment policy:

• That the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee and it's investigator, Merrick Rossein violated provisions of the Assembly's revised sexual harassment policy written by Rossein. (See Pg. 20)
• In their rush to judgement, the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee and Rossein violated my constitutional right to due process. (See pg. 20-28)
• Levine accuses Merrick Rossein of attempting to mislead him regarding certain facts in the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee's flawed investigation. (See Pg. 24, Citation 7)
• Levine questioning the evidence before him, accuses Rossein of misusing confidentiality to obscure facts in an attempt to manufacture evidence where he lacked it. (See Pg. 26, Citation 9)
• Levine accuses Rossein of violating the appeals process Levine set forth by making arguments in secret. (See Pg. 26, Citation 10)

Ultimately, Levine dismissed the sexual harassment findings against me, remitting the sanctions back to the Speaker for reconsideration, while illuminating in scathing detail the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee and it's investigator Merrick Rossein's inability to follow their own procedures or conduct a fair process. (See Pg. 30)

It is Speaker Silver's responsibility to act upon his Appeal Officer's decision; to either accept or reject it and reconsider the sanctions. Speaker Silver had no qualms about releasing previous decisions when it was convenient for him, but when it is not he actively chooses to violate my rights once again by ignoring this damning decision and pretending it does not exist. Instead the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee has just last Thursday re-accused me of the identical false allegations that Speaker Silver's own hand picked appeals officer dismissed only days earlier- proving conclusively that the Ethics Committee is nothing more then a kangaroo court doing Speaker Silver's bidding.

Speaker Silver put my appeal in the hands of a lobbying firm, assuming they would also do his bidding because it was in their financial interest, but when they showed a shred of fairness Speaker Silver, making this up as he goes along, decided to ignore his hand picked appeals officer and ham handily invoke double jeopardy.

Much has been made about the cost of these false allegations. It has cost my constituents equal representation and two hard working, honest public servants their jobs. So I say it is time to end this farce. Speaker Silver should accept his hand picked appeals officer's decision, fire Merrick Rossein as outside counsel and demand the resignation of Chuck Lavine as Chair of the Assembly Ethics Committee, but I am not holding my breath.

Last June, former Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matthew Katz noted:

I am appalled at the vindictiveness of Speaker Silver and, having known and worked with Assembly Member Kellner since he entered State politics, reject the charges mounted against him. Further, I have to wonder why Silver is withholding grants to organizations within the 76th AD, especially Roosevelt Island. Why are we being tarred with the same brush used against Micah?

There has been no comment yet from Speaker Silver on this matter.

New Harassment Allegations Against Roosevelt Island/Upper East Side Assembly Member Micah Kellner - Charges Denied By Kellner, Says Ethics Committee Star Chamber Against Him And Assembly Speaker Silver Punishing Constituents By Withholding Legitimate Community Grants

 Image of Micah Kellner From NY State Assembly

Reported previously on the sexual harassment charges leveled against Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side Assembly Member Micah Kellner by former staff members. 

The NY Daily News Celeste Katz Daily Politics blog reports today:

Manhattan Assemblyman Micah Kellner - already in hot water for sexual harassment - was punished again Wednesday for making unwanted advances toward staff members.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver admonished and severely reprimanded Kellner after an Assembly ethics committee accused him of “unwanted and inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature” toward two female members of his staff....

Click here for the full NY Daily News Daily Politics blog post.

According to NY State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver:

The Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee has issued a letter recommending further sanctions against Assemblymember Micah Kellner after investigating allegations that he violated the terms of my December 30, 2013 Letter of Admonition. Specifically, the Committee found that Assemblymember Kellner violated my order not to have interns in his office, attempted to obstruct a climate survey mandated by the Letter of Admonition and engaged in additional sexual harassment beyond the matters that were the subject of the 2013 investigation.

Because of these most recent findings, I am implementing the recommendations of the Committee in full. I have directed Assemblymember Kellner's Albany and district offices be closed and his staff allocation reduced to zero by the end of June.

Also, consistent with the unanimous recommendation of the Committee on Ethics and Guidance, I hereby admonish and severely reprimand Assemblymember Kellner on behalf of the New York State Assembly and its members and declare that his conduct with respect to these matters violates the Assembly's policies on sexual harassment and is inconsistent with the standards of conduct to which Members of the Assembly should be held.

Assembly Member Kellner responds to the charges:

Speaker Silver's decision to close my offices is a classic example of the politics of personal destruction. Because I have exercised my right to appeal the sanctions he has imposed, an appeal in which the arbiter appointed by the Speaker has determined that I am entitled to due process and to see the evidence presented against me - a ruling that the Assembly has so far defied - new charges have now been trumped up against me.

It is no coincidence that these new and unsubstantiated accusations only came to light after Speaker Silver and the Ethics Committee were handed an overwhelming defeat by his own hand-picked hearing officer, Howard Levine, in the initial decision of May 12th on my appeal.

The Ethic Committee is grasping at these new allegations and its secret star chamber report as weapons to prejudice the appeals officer against me while simultaneously trying to get me to drop the appeal. The Assembly Ethics Committee's outside counsel both violated the Committee's requirement of confidentiality by revealing these new allegations to the hearing officer,who is not a party to them, as well as requesting I drop the appeal when he spoke to my attorney regarding these new allegations.

Shelly Silver created the game, he picked the players and set the rules, and now he is furious and embarrassed that he is losing - plain and simple.

What is most deplorable is that the Speaker continues to punish the residents of the Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island, first by withholding community grants for legitimate vetted organizations, and now by denying them the resources of my office, which assists New Yorkers from all walks of life every day.

I will appeal this decision immediately.

Mr. Kellner is not seeking re-election to the NY State Assembly.

UPDATE 9:30 PM - The NY Daily News reported on April 7:

Nearly 20 Manhattan community groups have been caught in the crossfire of an ugly battle between Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and embattled Assemblyman Micah Kellner.

Silver recently put on hold $185,000 in funding for the groups that Kellner (D-Manhattan) has secured for his district since 2009....

and:

... The legislative member items totaling thousands of dollars each that Silver froze were earmarked for a range of groups, including parent teacher associations, local parks, the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association and Orphans International America.

“I certainly hope that this is simply a bureaucratic mixup,” Kellner said. “I can’t believe the speaker would be so petty as to punish children, seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities.”...

Click here for the entire NY Daily News article.

UPDATE 6/18 - Former Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matthew Katz adds:

I am appalled at the vindictiveness of Speaker Silver and, having known and worked with Assembly Member Kellner since he entered State politics, reject the charges mounted against him. Further, I have to wonder why Silver is withholding grants to organizations within the 76th AD, especially Roosevelt Island. Why are we being tarred with the same brush used against Micah?

Roosevelt Island's NY State Assembly Member Micah Kellner Not Running For Re-Election Reports Politcker - Democratic Party Battle To Succeed Mr. Kellner Begins

  Image of Micah Kellner From NY State Assembly

NY Observer's Politicker reports that Roosevelt Island NY State Assembly Member Micah Kellner is not running for re-election. According to Politicker, Mr. Kellner said:

I’ve been very proud to represent Upper East Side, Yorkville and Roosevelt Island,” he said. “In light of the slow pace of the appeal, I decided to not to run for re-election because this community deserves an election based on the issues they care about and not a referendum on sensationalized, five-year-old allegations

The Twitterverse reports:

So I'm hearing @MicahKellner announced that he's not running for reelection at Dem club mtg
— Victoria Bekiempis (@vicbekiempis) February 21, 2014

and Politicker has audio of Mr. Kellner's announcement provided by the campaign of Ed Hartzog who is seeking to replace Mr. Kellner.

The NY Daily News Celeste Katz Daily Politics Blog has more on the Democratic Party battle among candidates to succeed Mr. Kellner.

As I reported in January, a power struggle between supporters of two hopefuls eyeing Kellner's seat -- regardless of whether he stayed in the game or not -- led to some bad blood on the East Side.

At the time, investment banker Gus Christensen tried to pack a group in Kellner's district, the Lenox Hill Democratic Club, by underwriting $2,600 in dues for friends to join just before the club picked a president to replace businessman David Menegon, who's also on a mission to succeed Kellner.

Ostensibly with an eye to getting the club's endorsement for Assembly, Christensen ended up winning the vote -- although his backers insisted he could have done so without opening his wallet.

Now the man he defeated, M.J. Dillon, has co-founded a new organization, the Four Freedoms Democratic Club....

Click here for the entire post by Ms. Katz.

Corey Evans is another candidate expected to try to replace Mr. Kellner.

As far as I know, there is no current Democratic Party club on Roosevelt Island. It will be interesting to see if Roosevelt Island Democratic Party members line up behind one candidate.

Roosevelt Island And Upper East Side NY State Assembly Member Micah Kellner Sanctioned For Sexually Harassing Staff Members - Details In Letter From Speaker Sheldon Silver

Reported last July 24 that Roosevelt Island/Upper East Side NY State Assembly Member Micah Kellner (who was running for NY City Council at the time and lost)

 Image of Micah Kellner From NY State Assembly

 was accused of sexual harassment by a junior member of his Assembly staff. At the time Mr. Kellner responded to the charges by saying:

Over four years ago, for a few weeks while I was still single, I exchanged instant messages with a female member of my staff that were flirtatious. It was inappropriate. I was wrong and it was stupid. When I was told that my staffer felt the messages were unprofessional, I immediately stopped and regretted placing her in that position. I was sorry then and I am sorry now.

The NY Times reported yesterday:

A state assemblyman from the Upper East Side of Manhattan was sanctioned on Monday after an ethics investigation found that he had sexually harassed staff members.

The assemblyman, Micah Z. Kellner, a Democrat, was stripped of his position as chairman of the Committee on Libraries and Education Technology and will be forbidden to hold leadership positions in the future. He will also be barred from having interns and will have the size of his staff reduced over time, the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, said...

According to the NY Daily News Daily Politics:

... In banning Kellner from any future leadership posts and freezing his staff allocations - effectively reducing Kellner’s staff through attrition - Silver went beyond the punishment recommendations made by the ethics committee.

In a letter to Kellner, Silver said his behavior was “intolerable” and “inconsistent with the standards of conduct to which members of the Assembly should be held.”...

Capital New York adds:

... "The findings of the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee concerning the conduct of Assemblymember Kellner are deeply disturbing and I am immediately implementing all of its recommendations," Silver said in a statement. "Let me be clear – this type of behavior is not to be tolerated."

A review by the Ethics Committee, which has an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, substantiated the complaints and said Kellner's conduct was “unbecoming of a member of the Assembly and reflects poorly on the entire body.”...

Capital New York provides the full letter sent from Assembly Speaker Speaker Silver to Mr. Kellner admonishing Mr. Kellner for his actions.

I asked Mr. Kellner for a comment and will update if received.

The NY Daily News also asked Mr. Kellner for a comment and report:

Reached on cell phone Monday night, Kellner declined to comment, saying he and his lawyer were still reviewing the ethics committee report.

UPDATE 7:10 PM - A spokesman for Assembly Member Kellner replied:

Assembly Member Kellner does not accept the Ethics Committee’s and Speaker Silver's findings. The letter sent by the Committee was factually inaccurate and the investigation was flawed. Assembly Member Kellner will appeal the ruling in accordance with the Assembly’s 2009-2010 Assembly Sexual Harassment Policy, Article VI, mandating that a hearing officer be designated to conduct a public hearing concerning these findings. At a hearing, sworn testimony must be taken from all witnesses permitting the fundamental right to cross examine the accuser and the evidence that exists. Perhaps then the real facts surrounding this matter will be heard.

NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo issued the following statement:

The latest reports of sexual harassment in the Assembly should be the last straw.

This pattern of behavior is repugnant by every standard and directly contradicts the policies the Assembly has advanced for the last 20 years.

Assemblymember Micah Kellner's conduct, confirmed by the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee's investigation, has no place in New York State government. It is time for him to immediately deny these allegations or resign. Likewise, Assemblymember Dennis Gabryszak must immediately deny the allegations against him or resign. If they do not resign, the Assembly must send a clear message that they do not tolerate this abuse of women and should seriously consider moving to expel them if they seek to return this coming session.

Enough is enough. It’s a new year; let’s start with a clean slate.

Ben Kallos Wins Election To Represent Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side In New York City Council District 5 - Let's Get To Work Says Mr. Kallos

Councilwoman @JessLappin introducing as Ben says thanks to his vols!!! pic.twitter.com/TrKykbmLOq
— Ben Kallos (@kallos) November 6, 2013

Democrat Ben Kallos won election last night to represent Roosevelt Island and the Upper East in the New York City Council beating Republican Ed Garland and Assembly Member Micah Kellner, who ran on the Working Families Party ballot line, by a wide margin. In this three way race, Mr. Kallos received nearly 57% of the vote to 33% for Mr. Garland and 10 % for Mr. Kellner. Here are the vote totals as compiled by the NY Times

Image From NY Times

and the official count from the NYC Board of Elections.

Of the Roosevelt Island vote, an unofficial tally has Mr. Kallos with 879 votes, Mr. Garland 147 votes and Mr. Kellner 245 votes.

Upon learning of his win last night, Mr. Kallos tweeted:

Let's get to work!
— Ben Kallos (@kallos) November 6, 2013

Roosevelt Island Congresswoman Maloney tweeted:

Congrats Ben @Kallos on being elected to the NYC Council! #progress !
— Carolyn B. Maloney (@CarolynBMaloney) November 6, 2013

Here is Mr. Kallos (right), with campaign staffer Saul Nadel (cener) and Roosevelt Island Disabled Association President Jim Bates (left)

in the very early stages of his campaign at the October 6 2012 Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Festival.

Today he is the newly elected NYC Council Member for Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side.

Congratulations Mr. Kallos.

UPDATE 11/8 - From Ben Kallos:

I'm honored to be selected as the next Council member for the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island and want to extend my deepest thanks to the voters and volunteers who made this happen. So many members of our community were part of this campaign and I am humbled by the overwhelming support. Like Councilmember Lappin's office, our office will be open to all and powered by residents as we seek to continue the progress she has made over the past eight years. I am excited to get to work on important issues like opening up seats in schools so all kids can have the opportunities they deserve, keeping housing affordable for seniors and fighting against the proposed garbage dump at 91st St.

The East Side Our Town has an interesting article on this race focusing on Assembly Member Micah Kellner loss to Mr. Kallos. According to East Side Our Town:

Five months ago, Micah Kellner was a shoo-in for the city council on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Embraced by the city’s Democratic establishment, including outgoing Council Member Jessica Lappin, the 34-year-old state assemblyman had every hallmark of a rising star.

Then, in late-July, Kellner’s campaign was derailed when sexual harassment allegations made against him in 2009 became public. The allegations cost Kellner almost all of the endorsements he had won — and lost him the Democratic nomination to rival Ben Kallos, who until then was seen as a longshot.

But despite that loss, Kellner had continued to wage a quixotic – and at times bizarrely personal – race against Kallos that finally ended on Tuesday night....

Click here for the entire East Side Our Town article.

It will be interesting to see if some ambitious Democrat sees Mr. Kellner as politically vulnerable and decides to run against him in the 2014 Democratic Primary for the NY State Assembly seat he currently holds.

Roosevelt Island Polling Locations For Today's NYC Elections - Council Member Jessica Lappin Urges Roosevelt Island And Upper East Side Constituents To Vote For Ben Kallos To Succeed Her

Don't forget today is election day for NYC wide offices - Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller and local elections, Borough President and NYC Council, so if you are a registered voter get out and vote.

Image From WNYC via (Katy Warner/flickr)

Roosevelt Island residents who live at:

• 405, 415, 425 and 455 Main Street vote at Goldwater Hospital (1 Main Street),
• 465, 475 Main Street, Rivercross, Island House, Westview, Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood and Manhattan Park vote at PS/IS 217 (645 Main Street) and
• The Octagon at Coler Hospital (900 Main Street)

Current NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin sent out this letter yesterday asking Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side residents to vote for Ben Kallos

 Image From You Tube

 to succeed her in representing our district:

Tomorrow, I’ll be voting for Ben Kallos for City Council. I’d like to tell you why – and ask you to join me.

Ben is the right person for this job. As a member of Community Board 8 and the head of a good government group, Ben has worked hard to make our community better. He has what it takes to be a great City Councilmember.

Ben is the candidate who will keep moving our community forward. We've made a lot of progress in the last eight years, and we need to keep moving ahead. Ben will face down challenges with the courage he's shown his whole career.

• He has smart plans to improve education and create more school seats.
• He supports our seniors in the fight for affordable housing.
• He has great ideas to improve the quality of life along Second Avenue Subway construction.

I’d like to ask you to do two things for me.

First, forward this message to family and friends in the district. Please help us get the word out.

Second, please reach out to Ben’s campaign at 212-960-3440 to volunteer on Election Day.

With your help – and with your vote tomorrow, November 5th – Ben Kallos will keep the East Side and Roosevelt Island moving forward.

Warmly,

Jessica Lappin

The excellent NYC political blog City and State reported yesterday that:

... Another race that has gained a lot of attention of late is that of the 5th Council District on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where Democrat Ben Kallos is taking on Republican David Garland and Micah Kellner on the Working Families Party line. Kellner is the big name in the race, as the Assemblyman representing the neighborhood, and likely would have won the Democratic primary for the seat had a messy sexual harassment scandal not derailed his campaign.

Boosted by The New York Times’ endorsement and defections from Kellner’s camp, Kallos defeated Kellner in the Democratic primary, and has since secured the backing of most of the labor unions and Democratic establishment. However, prior to the allegations against Kellner surfacing, Kellner had received the WFP ballot line. Though the WFP has repudiated Kellner, he has refused to relent the line, and has forged ahead under the party’s banner. In response, the party recently circulated an email urging its members not to vote for Kellner.

Sources following the race say Garland should not be discounted either. A bona fide “Manhattan Republican,” Garland is a pro-choice, pro–marriage equality candidate who worked in the U.S. Department of Commerce under former President George H.W. Bush before moving to the private sector. While it would seem unlikely for a Republican to emerge in what is typically a liberal bastion of the city, Republican political consultant Rob Ryan notes that the area has seen an influx of younger voters from outside the city who tend to be more conservative, and that the race will be decided by voter turnout.

“[Garland] maxed out as far as the [public matching funds] money coming in from the Campaign Finance Board, so he has money to spend, and that’s really the sole area in Manhattan where a Republican would ever have a chance,” Ryan said. “If there’s low turnout because people think the mayor’s race is gonna be a blowout, and low turnout on the Democratic side, and Kellner and Kallos split the pot over there, there’s a chance [Garland] could squeak in if he gets the turnout from the Republicans.”...

Click here for the entire City and State article on today's election.

More information about the candidates available at links below:
Ben Kallos

Out #GOTV with our friends @kallos & @LizKrueger getting the vote out in #Manhattan #nyc #goVote! @ufcw pic.twitter.com/77B7QwzV6x
— UFCW Local 1500 (@UFCW1500) November 5, 2013

David Garland

Garland supporters are morning people! #cd5 pic.twitter.com/2dC0y6sfeH
— David Garland (@electgarland) November 5, 2013

and Micah Kellner

No tweets from Mr. Keller yet.

UPDATE 5 PM:

Please vote for me for City Council on Row D at the bottom of the ballot. Polls open til 9 pm. For polling locations: http://t.co/QAZlTfTkEK
— Micah Kellner (@MicahKellner) November 5, 2013

Latest On NYC Council Election To Represent Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side - Ben Kallos Endorsements Growing, Micah Kellner Loses Support Of Working Families Party And Republican Ed Garland In Race Too

What's the latest on the NYC Council Manhattan District 5 election race to represent Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side? As previously reported, Ben Kallos

 Image of Democratic NYC Council 5th District Candidate Ben Kallos

won the September 10 Democratic Party Primary for the seat defeating current Assembly Member Micah Kellner and Community Board 8 Member Ed Hartzog. Mr. Kallos is now running as the Democratic Party candidate in the November 5, 2013 General Election against Republican Candidate Dave Garland

Image of Republican NYC Council 5th District Candidate Dave Garland

and Mr. Kellner who is running on the Working Families Party election ballot line.

Following his primary win, Mr. Kallos was endorsed by Democratic Party elected officials including Senator Charles Schumer, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Congressman Jerome Nadler, current NYC Council Member for the district Jessica Lappin,



Manhattan Borough President and NYC Comptroller candidate Scott Stringer, primary opponent Ed Hartzog and a host of other Democratic Party elected officials and Unions. (Video of endorsement announcements below).

But not Mr. Kellner.

Despite his loss in the primary to Mr. Kallos, Micah Kellner chose to remain in the race on the Working Families Party ballot line claiming to be "the REAL Democrat"

Image From Kellner Campaign Literature

for election to represent Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side in the NYC Council. According to Crains Insider, Mr. Kellner:

... applied for and received nearly $88,000 in taxpayer matching funds for a quixotic general-election run on the Working Families Party ballot line against Mr. Kallos, raising eyebrows among political observers....

Mr. Kellner no longer has the support of the Working Families Party in the race to represent Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side in the NYC Council. According to this email sent today from the Working Families Party to its supporters:

We didn't think we'd ever say this:

In one City Council race on the East Side of Manhattan, for the first time, we're asking you NOT to vote on the Working Families ballot line.

Very early in the race, we endorsed Micah Kellner for the seat. It turns out that was a mistake. After sexual harassment charges surfaced against Kellner, he lost both his Democratic primary as well as the support of the WFP.

We're proud to support Ben Kallos, an outstanding progressive candidate who will represent the community well.

Despite losing our support, Kellner just won't quit. And unfortunately, we have no mechanism to remove his name from our ballot line. He's waged a nasty attack-filled campaign. And worst of all, he's doing it on the Working Families line.

On Election Day, after you vote for Bill de Blasio, Letitia James and Scott Stringer on the Working Families ballot line, make sure to skip over Micah Kellner and vote for Ben Kallos on the Democratic line.

If we can count on you to vote for Ben Kallos, click here to pledge your vote for the candidate you can be proud to support: Ben Kallos.

Thank you,

Bill Lipton
Working Families Party

This campaign has gotten very nasty. According to Politicker

... Anonymous mailers currently being circulated on the Upper East Side attack City Council candidate Ben Kallos for being endorsed by Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist–or in the words of the mailer, “a child prostitution promoter”–among other charges....

Below is the front and back side of an anonymous campaign flyer found in Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side mailboxes recently.

Images from Politicker

I asked Republican NYC Council Candidate Ed Garland if his campaign was at all responsible for the mailing above. Mr. Garland replied that he was not.

I sent the following October 28 email inquiry to Mr. Kellner:

Many Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side residents of NYC's Manhattan 5 Council District have received an anonymous anti Ben Kallos campaign flyer in the mail over the last several days which alleges among other charges:

"Mr. Kallos is Reckless and Irresponsible. Our Next City Councilman shouldn't be proud of endorsements from an anti-semite, child prostitution promoter and the leader of a group that called the Upper East Side a bastion of "racism and xenophobia.Ben Kallos doesn't share our values. He's too extreme. Ben Kallos is unfit to serve"

I asked Dave Garland, the Republican Candidate for the NYCM 5th Council district seat if he was responsible for the anonymous flyer and he said that he was not.

Do you have any comment to the charge that the Kellner campaign is responsible for this anonymous mailer?...

Earlier today I followed up with an email to Mr. Kellner asking if he would like to comment on the anonymous campaign flyer as well as the statement from the Working Families Party urging their supporters to vote for Mr. Kallos. Mr. Kellner has not responded yet. If he does respond, will include it as an update to this post. For the record, Mr. Kellner has been attentive and a very good Assembly Member for the interests of Roosevelt Island.

Here is a video taken last September 15 on 93rd Street off Third Avenue of Democratic Party elected officials, including Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Liz Kreuger and others endorsing Mr. Kallos for City Council.



More information about the candidates available at links below:

• Ben Kallos
• Dave Garland and 
• Micah Kellner

and from this NY 1 debate between Mr. Kallos and Mr. Garland.

Roosevelt Island Assembly Member Micah Kellner's Bill to Increase Funding For NY State Libraries Signed By Governor Cuomo - Kellner Testifying Today At NYC Council On Sale Of Library Properties

Image Of Assembly Member Kellner Speaking to Citizens Defending Libraries From You Tube

Received the following report yesterday from Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side Assembly Member Micah Kellner:

Legislation streamlining New York’s research libraries’ preservation and conservation efforts authored by Assembly Member Micah Kellner (D/WFP-Manhattan & Roosevelt Island) was signed into law on Friday by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The law (A4664) increases the statutory amount of annual funding for each of New York State’s “Big Eleven” research libraries from $126,000 to $158,000. The new law also eliminates the burdensome, labor-intensive requirements of the competitive grant process for preservation and conservation programs, a change sought by the research libraries and the NYS Education Department for several years.

“I am proud to have written a law that will help New York State’s outstanding research libraries streamline their efforts to preserve and conserve important materials,” said Assembly Member Kellner. “In this difficult economic and budgetary climate, these vital educational and cultural institutions need to operate as efficiently as possible, and this new law will help them do just that,” he said.

The “same-as” companion measure to Assembly Member Kellner’s bill in the New York State Senate, S02856-B, was introduced by Senator Hugh Farley (R/C/I-Schenectady).

Background:

New York State's administrative requirements for competitive grant programs become increasingly stringent in recent years, with multiple and costly layers of review and approvals. These costly layers of review drain limited staffing resources and result in long delays in grant approvals by control agencies. The administrative burden consequently outweighs the benefits of these relatively small, targeted competitive grant programs. SED and the research libraries believe increasing the statutory formulas for the Big Eleven research libraries is a better use of State funding than the conservation/preservation grant program.

New York State’s “Big Eleven” research libraries are:

• Columbia University Libraries
• Cornell University Libraries
• New York State Library
• New York University Libraries
• University of Rochester Libraries
• Syracuse University Libraries
• The Research Libraries of the New York Public Library
• University at Albany Libraries, SUNY
• Binghamton University Libraries, SUNY
• University at Buffalo Libraries, SUNY
• Stony Brook University Libraries, SUNY

Assembly Member Kellner chairs the New York State Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology. He will be offering testimony at the New York City Council hearing on “Capital Construction Needs and the Potential Disposal of Libraries in New York City” that is being convened at 1:00 p.m. today at the Council hearing room on the 16th floor of 250 Broadway in lower Manhattan.

Here's Mr. Kellner advocating for increased Library funding and objecting to the selling of library properties during rally at City Hall organized by Citizens Defending Libraries



 last April.

Roosevelt Island Assembly Member Micah Kellner In Twitter Smackdown With NYC Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson

Roosevelt Island/Upper East Side Assembly Member Micah Kellner, who lost the Democratic Party nomination for NYC Council District 5 earlier this month (covering roughly the same geographic area), got into a Twitter smackdown

Image From Tablet Productive

with NYC Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson today.

From the Twitterverse:

.@DeBlasioNYC said he'd replace @DavidYassky at Taxi & Limousine Commission. cc: @danarubinstein @TransportNation
— Azi Paybarah (@Azi) September 19, 2013

Won't you be looking for a new job soon? “@MicahKellner: Amen! @Azi: .@DeBlasioNYC said he'd replace @DavidYassky at Taxi & Limo Commission
— howard wolfson (@howiewolf) September 19, 2013

@MicahKellner among the differences btwn you and Yassky is that he passed the vet for commissioner. You wouldn't.
— howard wolfson (@howiewolf) September 19, 2013

Sellout for @MikeBloomberg ? @MicahKellner you're in Shelly Silver's house & you're throwing stones? cc @howiewolf
— Charmian Neary (@CharmianNeary) September 19, 2013

Ben Kallos Wins Democratic Party NYC Primary Council Race To Represent Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side Reports NY Times

With 98% of the vote in, the NY Times projects that Ben Kallos won the Democratic Party primary to represent Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side in the NYC Council. According to the NY Times vote tally.

District 5
Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island
Democratic Candidate Votes Pct.
Ben Kallos -              7,111       45.7%
Micah Kellner           6,133      39.4
Ed Hartzog                2,328      14.9

Mr. Kallos tweets:

Thank you! I'm honored and humbled and can't wait to represent you in City Hall.
— Kallos 4 NYC Council (@kallos) September 11, 2013

The NY Times also projects that Roosevelt Island's current NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin lost her bid for Manhattan Borough President to Gale Brewer. According to the NY Times, the Manhattan Borough President Democratic primary vote tally was:

Gale A. Brewer      56,672       39.2%
Jessica S. Lappin    34,515       23.9
Robert Jackson       28,226      19.5
Julie Menin            25,137      17.4

The Main Street WIRE has the Roosevelt Island vote tally for the 2013 Primary Election.

UPDATE 9/11 - A statement from Ben Kallos:

I am honored to win the Democratic City Council primary in the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, the community I grew up in, and can't wait to represent District 5 in City Hall.

On the streets yesterday, voters explained that our campaign's message of openness, participation and big ideas resonated with them, and that's the kind of Council Member I plan to be. I'm humbled by the strong support and look forward to working together to keep our neighborhood a great place to live.

and Micah Kellner:

I want to thank you for all that you have done to support my campaign for City Council. Thanks to you and all those who supported my campaign, I was able to run a campaign that I'll always be proud of.

Unfortunately, I came up short today, and I did not win the Democratic Primary for City Council.

I will always be grateful to you for your friendship and loyalty and for standing by me during a difficult campaign. With your continued support, I intend to redouble my efforts to deliver effective public service to the neighborhoods of Manhattan's Upper East Side, Yorkville and Roosevelt Island.

Thank you once again for your support. I will never forget it!

Today Is NYC Primary Election Day For Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President and NYC Council - Here Are The Roosevelt Island Polling Locations

 Image From WNYC

Don't forget today is NYC Primary election day so if you are a registered member of the Democratic or Republican party get out and vote.

Roosevelt Island residents who live at:

• 405, 415, 425 and 455 Main Street vote at Goldwater Hospital (1 Main Street),
• 465, 475 Main Street, Rivercross, Island House, Westview, Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood and Manhattan Park vote at PS/IS 217 (645 Main Street) and
• The Octagon at Coler Hospital (900 Main Street)

Click Image To Enlarge For Polling Locations

Roosevelt Island residents were out earlier today voting at PS/IS 217.

 

More information on polling locations and a sample ballot here.

Here's more on the Mayoral election from the NY Times



and more on the Roosevelt Island City Council, Manhattan Borough President and Public Advocate elections as well as the Roosevelt Island Candidates Forum.

Micah Kellner, Ben Kallos & Ed Hartzog Debate Issues Seeking To Represent Roosevelt Island And Upper East Side In NYC Council - Kallos Received Endorsement From NY Times and NY Post But Do Newspaper Endorsements Matter To Voters Any Longer?

Image From Video Of NY 1 Kellner, Hartzog, Kallos NYC Council Debate

Reported last Thursday on the NY 1 Roosevelt Island/Upper East Side District 5 NYC Council Debate between Assembly Member Micah Kellner, Ben Kallos and Ed Hartzog.

Here's a brief You Tube video recap of the debate from Mr. Hartzog



Click here for the full NY 1 Roosevelt Island/Upper East Side NYC Council Debate.

The Manhattan Neighborhood Network and League of Women Voters for the City Of New York presented this debate among the candidates seeking to represent Roosevelt Island/Upper East Side in the NYC Council.



Do newspaper endorsements mean anything to voters in this race? If the answer is yes, then Mr. Kallos has an advantage since he has been endorsed by the NY Times and the NY Post. According to the NY Post:

5th District (Upper East Side): Assemblyman Micah Kellner was favored to win this open seat until it came out that Speaker Sheldon Silver had kept sexual harassment complaints against him secret. Since then, he’s lost many key endorsements, and rightly so.

Opponent Ben Kallos, a young community board member and former Assembly staffer, is a conventional liberal but has thumped for genuine legislative transparency. We prefer him to Kellner.

NY Times Endorses Ben Kallos To Represent Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side In NYC Council Over Assemblyman Micah Kellner And Ed Hartzog - Kallos Criticized For Hypocricy Over Anonymous Campaign Flyer

Image From Video Of NY 1 Kellner, Harzog, Kallos NYC Council Debate

The NY Times endorsed Ben Kallos in the race for the Democratic Party nomination to represent Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side in the NY Council. According to the NY Times:

MANHATTAN’S DISTRICT 5 (Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island): A few months ago, this race looked as if it would be an easy win for Assemblyman Micah Kellner. Then came the accusations against him of sexual harassment — charges now being investigated by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics in Albany. Fortunately, there is a better candidate in this race: Ben Kallos, a lawyer and activist. Mr. Kallos has government experience as a legislative aide in Albany, where he worked to begin putting voting records online. He has impressive proposals to help students who attend the City University of New York by forgiving college loans to those who work and stay in the city, and to require developers to build more affordable apartments to get tax abatements. He wants to expand broadband service and revisit congestion pricing. Ben Kallos brings fresh ideas and merits this seat.

Mr. Kallos had this to say about the NY Times endorsement:

I am honored to receive the endorsement of the New York Times, and excited to put the ideas they pointed to into action on behalf of New Yorkers. With just five days left in the City Council race to represent the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, the confidence of the New York Times is crucial.

I asked Assembly Member Micah Kellner if he had any statement:

... on the NY Times Kallos endorsement, your absence from last week's Roosevelt Island Candidate's Forum or any other issue regarding the campaign that you would like to share with the Roosevelt Island community.

Have not received an answer yet from Mr. Kellner, but will update if he responds.

Mr. Kallos has received criticism recently over an anonymous mailer sent to Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side residents. According to the NY Observer's Politicker:

... In a new, biting campaign mailer, rival Ben Kallos blasts Mr. Kellner for admitting to sending inappropriate communications to a female staffer and allegations of even more misconduct. “Those around Kellner tried to bury the charges, keeping them secret for years as the harassment continued–a massive Albany cover-up over which one Assembly lawyer has already been forced to resign,” the mailer rages.

But in a move that raised some eyebrows in the district, the ad does not disclose that it came from Mr. Kallos, who has been explicitly branding himself as one of the most good government-touting, pro-transparency candidates anywhere in the five boroughs....

Roosevelt Island resident Janet Falk, commenting on the Roosevelt Island Candidate's Forum post, adds:

It's great that Ben Kallos said the behavior of Micah Kellner four years ago ". . . made me sick to my stomach and its (sic) harmful to democracy because as I am trying to run a great campaign all people can think about is how rotten politicians are..."

Now that I've received two postcards about Kellner's sexual harrassment past, sent by an unamed person or group, and one phone call, also paid for by an unnamed person or group, it turns out these three efforts were created by Ben Kallos.

http://politicker.com/2013/09/...

I'm sick to my stomach, too-- about these anonymous attacks by someone who claims to support transparency in government.

I asked Mr. Kallos if he had any comment on the Politcker article. A Kallos spokesperson replied:

Micah Kellner has a shameful history of abusing his power to sexually harass his staff in the Assembly, and voters deserve to know. We're proud to get this information out.

During September 3 NY 1 debate  Mr. Kallos responded to questions about the anonymous campaign flyer saying:

I take full responsibility for it. I am not about cover up ... I take full ownership of it I am proud to have done it. The voters deserve to know what you did...

During the NY 1 debate, Mr. Kellner told Mr. Kallos:

... You're running a campaign on the politics of personal destruction. You don't have a record to run on so you're trying to destroy me....

... The fact is people are recognizing you for what you are, a fraud...

Click here for the full video of the NY 1 Debate between candidates Kellner, Kallos and Ed Hartzog.

During the debate Mr. Kallos and Mr. Kellner spent most of their time attacking each other. Mr. Hartzog tried to talk about real estate development issues in the district.

More on the NYC Council District 5 Democratic Primary race from previous posts.

Roosevelt Island NYC Council District 5 Candidates Forum - Presentations By Ben Kallos and Ed Hartzog, But Micah Kellner A No Show

Following last evening's NYC Office of Emergency Management Roosevelt Island Hurricane Evacuation Presentation, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) held a NYC Candidates Forum. Appearing at the forum were Democratic Party candidates:

• John Liu-Mayor 
• Reshma Saujani-Public Advocate  
• Ed Hartzog- City Council  
• Ben Kallos- City Council and 
• Jessica Lappin- Borough President

Here's what NYC Manhattan District 5 (covering Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side) Council Candidates Ben Kallos and Ed Hartzog had to say in response to questions from RIRA President Ellen Polivy about Roosevelt Island affordable housing, the community's relationship with Cornell NYC Tech and improving Roosevelt Island transportation.

First Mr. Kallos responded to these questions



and answered a question from a resident about the long sought dream of building an elevator from Roosevelt Island to the Queenboro Bridge. Mr. Kallos also spoke about the sexual harassment allegations brought against opponent Micah Kellner saying that:

... it made me sick to my stomach and its harmful to democracy because as I am trying to run a great campaign all people can think about is how rotten politicians are...

Mr. Kallos issued this press release:

Assembly Member Micah Kellner failed to show up to the Roosevelt Island candidate forum last night, making this the second forum he has missed. The forums were the only two opportunities for the Council Candidates in Manhattan's CD5 (Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island) to engage in-person with voters. The other candidates for the seat, Ben Kallos and Ed Hartzog, both attended the Roosevelt Island forum, along with citywide candidates Jessica Lappin for Manhattan Borough President, John Liu for Mayor and Reshma Saujani for Public Advocate. Kellner also missed the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Forum on August 21, attended by Kallos, Hartzog and Republican David Garland.

"I was disappointed that Micah Kellner didn't show up to either event to discuss the issues that are important to our community. Whether it was because of the seriousness of the investigations into the harassment of his staff or he didn't feel it was important, it's not what the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island deserves," said Kallos.

At the forums, candidates spoke about solutions to increase the amount of affordable housing, promote better transportation solutions, hold developers accountable to communities and more. Though Kellner missed both community forums, candidates for Manhattan's District 5 will debate on NY1 on September 3, airing at 7PM and 10PM.

Earlier today, I asked Mr. Kellner's campaign why he did not appear at last night's Roosevelt Island Candidate's Forum. Have not received a response yet. Mr. Kellner's campaign had previously reported that he was ill with a fever and lost his voice for the August 21 Lenox Hill Forum.

Here's City Council candidate Ed Hartzog's presentation to the Roosevelt Island Candidate's Forum.



Will also post presentations by Mayoral Candidate John Liu, Public Advocate Reshma Saujani and Borough President Jessica Lappin.

32 BJ Union Rescinds Endorsement Of Micah Kellner For Roosevelt Island, Manhattan East Side NYC Council Seat, Throws Support To Opponent Ben Kallos - Video From Lenox HIll Candidates Forum Yesterday

As reported July 24:

... Roosevelt Island's Assembly Member and NYC Council Candidate Micah Kellner was accused of sexual harassment by a junior staff member....

... There was no suggestion that the inappropriate behavior in either the 2009 or 2011 episodes was anything other than verbal in nature... (via NY Times)

The August 14 Daily News followed up: 

..Our Ken Lovett reported last week that an ethics investigation has been opened into a 2009 harassment complaint against Kellner.

"The probe comes after it was revealed last month that Kellner’s former chief of staff Eliyanna Kaiser brought allegations to [Assembly Speaker Sheldon] Silver counsel Bill Collins in 2009 that the Manhattan Democrat had sexually inappropriate online conversations with a young woman on his staff," Lovett wrote....

More bad news came last week for Roosevelt Island's Assembly Member Micah Kellner
 

 Image From NY State Assembly

in his race to succeed Jessica Lappin (who is running for Manhattan Borough President) as NYC Council Member for Manhattan's 5th District which includes Roosevelt Island, the Upper East Side and Midtown East.

According to this August 14 Press Release from 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU):

The Executive Board of 32BJ SEIU voted unanimously today to rescind the union’s endorsement of Assembly Member Micah Kellner for a City Council seat. It was the first time the union, which has 75,000 members in New York City, has ever rescinded an endorsement.

“Given the allegations against Kellner, we cannot in good conscience continue to support his candidacy, and call on him to withdraw from the race," said Kyle Bragg, secretary-treasurer of 32BJ SEIU. “We are deeply disappointed, and do this with a measure of sadness, but it is the right thing to do.”

After rescinding the endorsement, the union’s Executive Board voted unanimously to support Ben Kallos, a lawyer and noted Democratic activist, for the Council seat from the 5th District, which includes Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island. That seat is held by Jessica Lappin, who 32BJ has endorsed for Manhattan Borough President.

“Ben Kallos is a hard-working progressive who has always fought for the rights of working men and women,” Bragg said. “As a lawyer, he fought to get retirement and health benefits for working families, and has been an advocate on issues that are important to the working men and women of New York City, like education, affordable housing, and tax reform.”

 NYC Council Candidate Ben Kallos

Image From Kallos 4 NYC Council

stated in response to his endorsement by the union:

 I'm honored to receive the crucial support of 32BJ SEIU, representing some of the hardest workers in our city. I look forward to partnering to ensure excellent work conditions, pay and quality of life for all New Yorkers.

I asked Mr. Kellner last week for a comment regarding 32 BJ SEIU supporting Mr. Kallos but have not yet received a reply.

The Lenox Hill Neighborhood House held a City Council District 5 Candidates Forum yesterday.

Join us tomorrow for a City Council District 5 Candidates Forum! http://t.co/dl8ytHtVj7 @Rooseveltisland @NSAYUpperEast
— Lenox Hill (@LenoxHillNH) August 20, 2013

I will have full video of the City Council District 5 Candidate Forum soon but here is the closing statement of Mr. Kallos



and fellow NYC Democratic Party City Council 5th District Candidate Ed Hartzog on economics/living wage. (Both videos via Ben Max, DecideNYC.com)



Mr. Kallos has issued a policy book which his campaign describes as:

...containing goals in the City Council and areas of policy support. The book contains a vision for a more accountable and equitable local government, as well as steps he would take in the City Council to work towards such results in District 5 and citywide...

Assembly Member Kellner did not participate in the Lenox Hill Candidate's Forum yesterday. A spokesperson for Mr. Kellner explained:

... he's very sick, running a fever, and has practically lost his voice, as Lenox Hill Neighborhood House was informed earlier today. A televised debate for Manhattan Neighborhood Network, already taped, is airing on Aug. 28th at 8 pm, I think, and a live NY 1 debate is taking place on Tues., September 3, airing during the 7 pm hour and presumably being rebroadcast that evening during the 10:00 pm hour.

Based upon my anecdotal conversations with Roosevelt Island residents recently, Mr. Kellner remains very popular among his constituents here. Those sentiments are usually followed by "subject to nothing else comes out about the sexual harassment allegations".

Sexual Harassment Allegations Leveled Against Roosevelt Island's Assembly Member And City Council Candidate Micah Kellner By A Former Staffer - UPDATE - City Council Opponent Ben Kallos Responds To Harassment Allegations Against Kellner And Receives NOW NYC Endorsement, Lappin Withdraws Endorsement Of Kellner

Image From NY State Assembly

The NY Times reports today that Roosevelt Island's Assembly Member and NYC Council Candidate Micah Kellner was accused of sexual harassment by a junior staff member. According to the NY Times:

... Four years ago, a junior staff member in Assemblyman Micah Z. Kellner’s office complained to her supervisor that she was being harassed by Mr. Kellner, an Upper East Side Democrat. The supervisor, a top aide to Mr. Kellner, reported the matter to Bill Collins, who, as counsel to the majority party, ran the Assembly’s legal staff. The senior Kellner aide presented Mr. Collins with 15 pages of Internet chat transcripts, in which Mr. Kellner made suggestive remarks to the junior staff member, a woman in her early 20s who was new to the job.

Mr. Kellner encouraged the woman to play Scrabble with him on Facebook while conversing through the Google Talk Internet messaging service. In one exchange that took place well after midnight, Mr. Kellner told the woman that he had hired her because “you were cute during the interview.” He asked if she had a boyfriend and told her, “I guess secretly I didn’t want you to have one,” adding, “I like being the only man in your life” and “Don’t cheat on me.”

“I wouldn’t mind falling asleep with you but not remotely,” he wrote. “Did I offend?” ...

and:

... There was no suggestion that the inappropriate behavior in either the 2009 or 2011 episodes was anything other than verbal in nature...

Click here for the entire NY Times article.

I asked Mr. Kellner for a comment on the sexual harassment charge reported today in The NY Times. Mr. Kellner replied:

Over four years ago, for a few weeks while I was still single, I exchanged instant messages with a female member of my staff that were flirtatious. It was inappropriate. I was wrong and it was stupid. When I was told that my staffer felt the messages were unprofessional, I immediately stopped and regretted placing her in that position. I was sorry then and I am sorry now.

UPDATE 1 PM: Mr. Kellner, According to Politicker:

... declined to comment on a second reported complaint from another staffer two years later, saying, “I’m not going to speak to that.”

But what should voters make of the fact that he had been out front, criticizing Mr. Silver for failing to refer complaints for investigation–when that is precisely what is alleged to have happened to the complaints lodged against him?

“Then this should have been handled,” he replied. “I was never informed four years ago of a complaint. So I only learned of this recently.”

Mr. Kellner also declined to speculate about why the complaints had surfaced now–in the midst of a heated election–and sidestepped questions about how he thought voters were reacting to the barrage of political sex scandal, including the latest revelations about mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner....

UPDATE 8:40 PM - Ben Kallos is one of Mr. Kellner's opponents in the Democratic Party Primary for NYC's 5th Council District which covers Roosevelt Island, the Upper East Side and Midtown East.

This afternoon, Mr. Kallos held a press conference in front of Mr. Kellner's 1st Avenue office where he received the endorsement of the National Organization for Women of New York City (NOW NYC)  from its President, Sonia Ossorio.

I'm humbled to accept the endorsement of @NOW_NYC. Together, we'll combat a culture of sexual harassment in New York. pic.twitter.com/xDGnINZpHJ
— Kallos 4 NYC Council (@kallos) July 24, 2013

Mr. Kallos then spoke about the sexual harassment allegations reported today by the NY Times against Mr. Kellner stating:

... I'm not OK with a culture that permits this to go on and say its no big deal...

... in our government there's a culture of powerful people using that power to prey on others. I 'm disappointed today and I call on others to stand up to this culture of fear and harassment...

When asked during the Press Conference:

... would you put Kellner in same vein as Spitzer and Weiner?

Mr. Kallos responded:

... any harassment is unacceptable  and comparing whose worse in the spectrum is not a game we should be playing. Zero tolerance is what it is by the law and that is what it should be for all of us....

NOW -NYC's Ms Ossorio added:

... across the board there's abuses of power and that is the heart of the matter, not to what degree the harassment took place...

Here's video of today's Ben Kallos press conference.



Capital New York reports:

City Councilwoman Jessica Lappin withdrew her endorsement of Assemblyman Micah Kellner this afternoon, citing a New York Times story about inappropriate messages he exchanged with female staffers in years past.

Kellner is running for the Council seat currently held by Lappin, who is running for Manhattan Borough President.

In a statement from her campaign, Lappin said, "Today’s New York Times story about Assemblyman Kellner was deeply troubling. His behavior was clearly wrong and inappropriate, as he himself acknowledged. Because of the seriousness of the issue, I am withdrawing my endorsement of him for the City Council seat I currently hold.”...

Click here for the entire Capital New York article.