Meeks elected chair
of County Democrats
BY BILL PARRY
Congressman Gregory
Meeks was elected
chairman of the Queens
County Democratic
Party Monday, replacing
former Congressman Joe
Crowley, who stepped down
last month.
“Humbled, honored
and fired up to be
elected,” Meeks said on
Twitter. “Ready to move
our Borough, City, and
State forward.”
The vote was unanimous
among the nearly 70
Democratic district
leaders who convened at
party headquarters in
Forest Hills.
“It’s a very exciting
time for our party,” Queens
County spokesman Michael
Reich said. “It was very calm
and every single member of
the executive committee
voted unanimously for
Gregory Meeks and the
only ones missing were
senators who needed to be
in Albany, but I spoke with
them myself last night and
they assured me they were
in full support.”
Now serving in his
11th term in the House of
Representatives, Meeks was
first elected to represent
southern Queens in 1998.
Crowley had been reelected
as party boss in
September, a post he had
held since 2006, but resigned
last month after taking a job
with Squire Patton Boggs,
one of the largest lobbying
firms in Washington, D.C.
“I supported Greg’s
candidacy to replace me as
County Leader,” Crowley
Congressman
Meeks is a
coalition
builder and
has the
interest of
working
families in his
heart
and mind.
Joe Crowley
said. “I think he will do a
great job of building on all
our accomplishments in
electing competent, ethical
elected officials that are
reflective of the diversity
of our great borough of
Queens. Congressman
Meeks is a coalition builder
and has the interest of
working families in his
heart and mind.”
Crowley represented
western Queens for 20
years in the House of
Representatives until he
was upset by Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez in the
Democratic primary last
June. Meeks was seen as
Crowley’s likely successor.
“It was no big surprise
around here,” Reich said.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
John M. Ryan (l.), shown receiving an award in 2016 from Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown,
is the new acting chief prosecutor for Queens. Courtesy of Queens DA’s offi ce
DA Brown steps away
Queens’ longtime district attorney resigns due to health
BY BILL PARRY
Queens District Attorney
Richard Brown announced
last week that he’s resigning
from the office he has held for
the last 27 years due to recent
complications from his yearslong
battle with Parkinson’s
Disease. His Chief Assistant
John Ryan will take over
as Acting District Attorney
effective immediately.
“It had been my hope that I
would be able to finish out this
term in office. Unfortunately,
that is not to be,” Brown said
in a March 7 statement. “Given
the current state of my health
and my ongoing health issues,
it has become increasingly
difficult to fully perform the
powers and duties of my office
in the manner in which I have
done since 1991. Accordingly,
I intend to resign as District
Attorney effective June 1, 2019,
the twenty-eighth anniversary
of my first assuming
this office.”
Brown announced in
January that he would not
seek an eighth term in the
office he has held since former
Gov. Mario Cuomo appointed
him in June 1991. There are
currently seven candidates
running to replace him
with a Democratic primary
scheduled for June 25. The
next DA will be chosen in the
November general election.
“I will continue to work
closely with my staff until
my retirement to ensure an
orderly transition for this
office and for the residents of
Queens County,” Brown said.
Prior to his appointment
in 1991, Brown had been a
member of the state judiciary.
In November 1977, Brown
was elected a Justice of the
Supreme Court in Queens
County and in 1982 he was
designated by Governor Hugh
Carey as an Associate Justice
of the Appellate Division.
“I thank the people of
Queens for their much
appreciated support over the
years. It is has been my honor
to serve you,” Brown said. “I
particularly want to express my
appreciation to all those who
have worked so professionally
and diligently in this office as
Assistant District Attorneys,
Investigators and members of
our support staff. Together we
have built what I believe to be
one of the finest prosecutor’s
offices in the country.”
Mina Malik, one of the
seven candidates running for
district attorney, served as one
of Brown’s assistant district
attorneys from 1999 to 2014.
“Judge Brown has had a
long and distinguished career
in public service as Counsel to
the New York State Assembly, a
learned jurist and the Queens
District Attorney,” Malik said.
“Those of us who worked for
Judge Brown know him to be
a consummate professional
who carries with him a deep
knowledge of and passion for
criminal justice. I wish him and
his family well at this time.”
Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz, who is also
running for DA, touched on
Brown’s retirement.
“I want to thank Richard
Brown for his years of service
as Queens District Attorney,
and my thoughts are with
his family at this difficult
time,” Katz said. “His 28 years
as District Attorney are a
testament to his dedication to
public service and the people
of Queens.”
Congressman Gregory Meeks is the new chair of the Queens
County Democratic Party. Photo by Nat Valentine
4 TIMESLEDGER, MARCH 15-21, 2019 QNS.COM
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