NYC Dem bigwigs rake in $200K from judge candidates in move critics call 'shakedown'

Key Points:

• Brooklyn Democratic Party leaders, including former chairman Frank Seddio and current chair Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn, have collected nearly $200,000 from judges and judicial candidates since 2012, raising concerns about pay-to-play practices linked to judicial nominations.
• Critics argue that sitting judges and candidates bypass strict state rules designed to limit their partisan political activity by repeatedly declaring candidacies and attending multiple party events, effectively enabling continuous fundraising.
• Records reveal that Bichotte-Hermelyn’s Shirley Chisholm Democratic Club collected over $53,000 from judges and judicial candidates under questionable “petition expenses,” with incomplete transparency on actual costs paid by candidates.
• Government watchdogs and reform advocates criticize lax enforcement by the state Board of Elections and call for investigations, warning that political donations may undermine judicial independence and public trust in the courts.
• Both Seddio and Bichotte-Hermelyn deny that donations influence judicial endorsements, while oversight bodies have yet to respond fully; meanwhile, calls grow for a special prosecutor to examine the alleged systemic corruption.