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NY Post
Subpoenas Nine Judges in By Mark Fass As part of its defense
against a libel action brought by a state court judge, the New York
Post has subpoenaed nine current and former Brooklyn judges,
including four former administrative judges. • Ann Pfau, the state's
chief administrative judge;
NY Jurist
Who Reportedly Testified By Daniel Wise Brooklyn Justice Howard A. Ruditzky left the bench on medical leave on June 8, Office of Court Administration spokesman David Bookstaver confirmed yesterday. Justice Ruditzky, 62, left on leave at his request, said Mr. Bookstaver, who declined to provide further details. The judge had been widely reported to have received immunity when he testified before a Brooklyn grand jury examining whether Democratic nominations for Supreme Court judgeships were for sale. According to several published reports, Justice Ruditzky confirmed for the grand jury that a supporter had paid more than $40,000 in cash and postage stamps to help him get a nomination in 2001. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office has not brought any criminal charges. Justice Ruditzky's lawyer, Sheldon Eisenberger, did not respond to a request for comment. Justice Ruditzky, who was elected to the Civil Court in 1990, won the 2001 election for Supreme Court. Clarence Says Jail & Farewell By Alex Ginsberg
"Great day. Eventually
it'll be behind me." Having been convicted twice on larceny charges - once for accepting an illegal campaign contribution and again for stealing from his campaign funds - the former Crown Heights power broker received the same sentence back in 2005. But his lawyers obtained a stay from an appeals court, allowing Norman to remain free on bail while the higher court reviewed his case. In the meantime, two other cases against the former political boss went forward. In 2006, Norman was acquitted on charges he padded his Albany travel expense account. But earlier this year, he was convicted once again, this time for strong-arming cash out of judicial candidates. Last week, Norman lost the appeals on the first two cases and was ordered to appear before the original trial judge, Martin Marcus, for execution of sentence. He did that yesterday, nattily attired in a dark blue, double-breasted suit. As he waited more than an hour for his lawyer to appear, Norman, surrounded by supporters, including his minister father, appeared unperturbed at the prospect of hard time. The actual court proceeding, when it finally got rolling, was anticlimactic. "Mr. Norman is here to voluntarily surrender for execution of sentence," his lawyer, Richard Mischel, told the judge. "Sentence is executed," Marcus replied, and the cuffs went on. Norman finally began serving his term on the same day that another disgraced public servant, state Supreme Court Justice Gerald Garson, was himself sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison. It's Garson who indirectly led to Norman's undoing. In 2003, the then-sitting judge was confronted with damning surveillance videos of him accepting cash and cigars, and he offered to help investigators blow the lid off judgeships for sale by the county party boss. Garson wasn't able to deliver the goods, but Hynes' team put Norman under the microscope, uncovering an illegal $10,000 contribution from a lobbyist and the improper deposit into his savings account of a $5,000 check made out to his campaign. It's those sentences that Norman began serving yesterday. An appeal is still pending on Norman's most recent conviction, the one that came closest to Hynes' long-sought goal of nailing his former ally for selling judgeships. In that case, a jury found that Norman used his position as the county Democratic leader to force aspiring candidates for civil court to fork over thousands of dollars to two preferred campaign vendors. If the appeal fails, he'll do another one to three years on that case. Hynes yesterday linked the two high-profile prosecutions. "Our investigation has proven that two powerful men, Gerald Garson and Clarence Norman Jr., used the political and judicial systems to line their own pockets and the pockets of their cronies," the DA said. "Today, the political and judicial landscape of Brooklyn has changed." He cited a federal judge's decision last year declaring the state's judicial selection process unconstitutional and ordering the legislature to design a better system. Norman Gets a Jail Break By Patrick Gallahue Appellate Division Judge Robert Schmidt upheld a stay yesterday allowing ex-Assemblyman Clarence Norman to remain free on $50,000 bail while he appealed his conviction. Sources speculated it could be several years before Norman begins serving his 1-to-3-year sentence imposed Monday. He was also ordered to pay back $10,000 he coerced from former civil-court judge Karen Yellen during a 2002 primary. 'King' of the Clink - Norman Is Jail-Bound By David K. Li A judge yesterday sentenced disgraced Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman to one to three years behind bars for shaking down a judicial candidate. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus also ordered "King of Brooklyn" Norman to pay back $10,000 he coerced from former civil-court judge Karen Yellen, $1,000 of which went to a fellow politician and $9,000 to pay a favored get-out-the-vote operative. It was the third criminal conviction in two years for Norman, who remains free on bail and has vowed to appeal. Norman was found guilty in February of grand larceny in what prosecutors called a scheme to extort judicial candidate Yellen. Norman was also found guilty of one count each of attempted grand larceny and coercion, but was acquitted on five other counts. At two trials in 2005, Norman was found guilty of stealing $5,000 donated to his re-election committee in 2001, and of trying to conceal $10,000 in contributions. He was acquitted last year of unlawfully billing the Assembly for mileage on a Lincoln Town Car leased by the Democratic Party. Oral arguments are set for tomorrow to determine whether Norman should be allowed to remain free on bail pending his appeals. "For now, this is a good result," said lawyer Richard Mischel, as he strolled out of court with Norman. Yellen sat quietly by herself in a corner of the Brooklyn courtroom as Marcus imposed sentence. Her upper lip quivered before she forced a slight grin as she appeared to fight back her emotions. "It's somewhat closure for me . . . it was justice," Yellen whispered outside court. Yellen said it's "unlikely" she'll ever seek election to the bench. A sitting judge when she lost during a 2002 primary, Yellen testified against Norman and recounted how he yelled in the face of her campaign manager to demand the strong-armed loot. Prosecutor Kevin Richardson painted Norman as a tyrannical monarch, who didn't hesitate to wield authority against powerless subjects. "Clarence Norman himself demanded they do it [pay], or they were out!" Richardson said, slamming his fist on the lawyers' table. "At that time, Clarence Norman wore the crown. He was the king of Brooklyn." With Post Wire Services
Disgraced
Clarence Norman Guilty of Grand Larceny The Associated Press In a mixed verdict, the jury also found Clarence Norman Jr. guilty of one count of attempted grand larceny and coercion, but acquitted him of five other counts. In the last of four criminal cases against Norman, the Brooklyn state Supreme Court jury deliberated about three days before reaching its verdict. Norman had been named in four indictments stemming from District Attorney Charles Hynes ’ probe into whether Norman and other party leaders sold judgeships.At two trials in 2005, Norman was found guilty of stealing $5,000 that was donated to his re-election committee in 2001, and of trying to conceal $10,000 in contributions. He was sentenced last year to two to six years in prison but remained free on bail while fighting the remaining charges. At his third trial last year, Norman was acquitted of charges he unlawfully billed the Assembly for mileage on a Lincoln Town Car leased by the Democratic Party. The longtime assemblyman was forced to resign following his first conviction. Norman Put on '$queeze' By Alex Ginsberg A key adviser to a Brooklyn judicial candidate allegedly shaken down by Clarence Norman told jurors yesterday how he begged the former party boss' right-hand man to back off his demand for $10,000 - but was shown no mercy. The adviser, Peter Weiss, said his 2002 plea to Norman's then-Democratic Party lieutenant, Jeffrey Feldman, was rebuffed."I told him we had no money, that it wasn't fair," Weiss recalled, referring to the re-election campaign of Civil Court Judge Karen Yellen. "I told him we had done everything that [the county organization] had asked. He said his principal was adamant and the money had to be paid." Norman faces jail time for allegedly threatening Yellen and another candidate with the withdrawal of party backing if they didn't run their campaigns according to his word. The former assemblyman's defense team says he was only trying to get the two white candidates to spend their money in minority communities. Black Judge Dissed By Alex Ginsberg
CLARENCE NORMAN Was proved wrong. Thomas, now a sitting Supreme Court justice, testified that she first approached Norman five years ago to ask for the county organization's support in the upcoming Civil Court contest. She said Norman's first response was to tell her how much work it would be and how much money it would cost and, most important, to remind her that no black candidate had ever won a countywide race in Brooklyn. "Ultimately, he told me he couldn't support me because he didn't think I could win," Thomas said. "I believe he told me something like I didn't have the right last name." Norman, 55, faces seven years in prison for allegedly shaking down the candidates he did endorse and threatening to withdraw his support unless they funneled thousands to two of his preferred vendors. His defense team has consistently cast the embattled former county boss, who is black, as a defender of equality who urged white candidates to spend their money in minority communities. Yesterday's testimony seemed tailor made to dispel that image. But defense lawyer Anthony Ricco said the comments merely reflected his client's understanding of the difficulties minority candidates face and was not an approval of those difficulties. "It is one of many comments that have been made in the case that show that African-Americans have been disenfranchised from the political system in Kings County," said Ricco. "We're glad that they called her [as a witness]." Pressed further, he added, "This is not a halo trial. This is a trial about politics." B'klyn Boss Greed's Elex 'Shakedown' By Alex Ginsberg Karen Yellen, then a
sitting judge who went on to lose the 2002 primary, described the
fiery exchange inside the party headquarters on Court Street in
Brooklyn between Norman and her campaign manager, Scott Levenson.
"I know I was shocked because the way it was done was not the way one expects it to happen - unprofessional and astonishing." Prosecutors allege that Norman demanded Yellen take part in a $12,000 joint mailing with two other candidates, which she considered a waste of money since she couldn't trumpet her exclusive endorsements and risk upstaging the other two. "I was lumped in with these other two people," Yellen said of co-candidates Robin Garson and Marcia Sikowitz. "We weren't the same." The mailing, prepared by Norman's go-to vendor, Branford Communications, went out with a typo - "aduls" rather than "adults" - in all 91,000 copies. Norman is also on trial for allegedly squeezing from Yellen another $9,000 for nonexistent get-out-the-vote efforts in central Brooklyn. Yellen broke into tears on the witness stand when asked about the final results of the 2002 primary. "I lost," she said. "And I was out of a job." Norman's defense team made much of Yellen's refusal to pony up the $9,000 to Norman's consultant, William Boone, for distribution of literature in central Brooklyn. According to their theory, the ex-judge thought pouring funds into those minority neighborhoods would end up helping the minority candidates, Margarita Lopez Torres and Delores Thomas. "Much of central Brooklyn was a minority area," she conceded. "There were two other candidates who were minority candidates. It was not that we were ignoring the area." But she bristled when defense lawyer Anthony Ricco accused her of snubbing black voters. "You said you only wanted to spend money in white neighborhoods?" he asked. "No," she shot back. Norman, 55, has already been sentenced to two to six years on two campaign-finance convictions, but remains free on $110,000 bail while the verdicts are appealed. Last year, the former assemblyman emerged victorious from a third trial, beating charges he double-dipped from his Albany travel expense account. The current charges come closest to - while still falling short of - Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes' goal of exposing the corrupt system of judgeships for sale. Yellen offered a tantalizing taste of that sort of chicanery late in her testimony when she testified that she forked over the $9,000 the day after the primary - when she knew she had already lost. "I thought that possibly I could go up to the Supreme Court," she said, noting that nominating conventions for that office followed soon after the primary. "That I could get the nomination from the party if I paid the monies that were demanded of me, that I could save my career." Norman in Threat: Aide By Alex Ginsberg A one-time lieutenant of disgraced former Brooklyn Democratic Party head Clarence Norman yesterday said his boss threatened to dump a Civil Court candidate who didn't want to run a joint campaign with local cronies. Jeffrey Feldman, 53, testifying in exchange for a dismissal of larceny charges he had faced with Norman, claimed that Scott Levenson, a campaign manager for Karen Yellen, angered Norman by questioning orders to cooperate with two candidates in a joint campaign. Norman "turned to Mr. Levenson and said, to the effect, '. . . If you don't agree to this, you're not going to have any support in this county,' " Feldman said. Prosecutors allege Norman extracted $12,600 from the Yellen camp for the joint campaign, then $9,000 for literature distribution.
It Was Pay or Be 'Dumped,' Norman Jury Hears
Brooklyn Housing Court Judge Marcia Sikowitz told a Brooklyn jury that when she ran for civil court in 2002, Norman and a top aide repeatedly pressed her and fellow candidate Karen Yellen to pony up thousands of dollars for a well-connected printer and another pal of Norman's or lose the Democratic machine's vital endorsement. Norman and his aide warned the women in early 2002 that it might cost as much as $150,000 to run for office - but in July they started to threaten the would-be candidates, Sikowitz testified. "One of the people working for Karen Yellen was upset. He said, 'What if we don't participate, what if we don't do this?'" Sikowitz said. "Mr. Norman said, 'We'll dump her!' He was upset. He was angry." Both women ended up paying the printer but did not hand over as much cash as Norman allegedly demanded. They got the endorsement but lost the election. But under cross-examination, Sikowitz said she didn't think it "unusual" for arguments over a political campaign to get heated. Norman, already sentenced to two to six years in prison on other campaign corruption convictions, is charged with strong-arming the women. Jury Hears of Threat by Norman By Alex Ginsberg When a city judge balked at funneling thousands of dollars to a consultant preferred by Brooklyn Democratic kingpin Clarence Norman, the boss had three choice words for her campaign crew. "We'll dump her," Norman bellowed inside the county party's war room on Court Street, a witness testified yesterday.The witness, Housing Court Judge Marcia Sikowitz, had hoped to win election to Civil Court in 2002, and believed she was on her way when she got the endorsement from Norman's powerful organization. But in a series of meetings at the party headquarters, Norman and his right-hand man, Jeffrey Feldman, allegedly laid out demands, including a $16,000 payment to consultant William Boone. Another candidate, Karen Yellen, openly rebelled, Sikowitz recalled, prompting the rebuke from the county boss. "I didn't want to be dumped, either," Sikowitz told jurors. Sikowitz finished last in the primary. Judge with a Grudge By Alex Ginsberg January 31, 2007 -- The Brooklyn judge credited with bringing down the borough's corrupt system of filling judgeships took the stand yesterday against the man who ran it - telling jurors that crossing disgraced Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman Jr. nearly torpedoed her 2002 campaign. Margarita Lopez Torres, now a sitting surrogate, sued state election officials two years ago, winning a stunning victory when a federal judge ruled unconstitutional the entrenched system of Brooklyn party bosses picking candidates for the primary.Yesterday, she described how Norman, the alleged master of that very system, yanked his support for her in a closed-door meeting at his Democratic club. Prosecutors trod delicately on the reasons Norman booted her from the party slate in 2002, to avoid prejudicing jurors. But outside the presence of the panel, they indicated that the surrogate told them she'd refused to hire the daughter of Assemblyman Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn), a freshly minted law-school graduate, as her law secretary. Lopez, who is not related to Lopez Torres, has since replaced Norman as Brooklyn's Democratic honcho. Lopez Torres told jurors she was demoralized when she realized she wouldn't have party backing. "You're on your own without an organization. You have to start from scratch to build up an organization that can get you elected," she said. But Lopez Torres pulled off a victory in 2002 anyhow, photocopying campaign literature at Kinko's and relying volunteers culled from her family, friends and neighbors. Lopez Torres' testimony barely touched on the issues of the trial, Norman's alleged strong-arming of her competitors Marcia Sikowitz and Karen Yellen in return for party backing. But she did offer her opinion that Norman was managing the two women straight to defeat by forcing them to mount a joint campaign with a third white woman, Robin Garson. "I found it remarkable that there was a slate of three white women and we didn't think it would necessarily play well in certain parts of Brooklyn," she said. Defense lawyer Anthony Ricco dove into that opening, striving to cast Lopez Torres as a narrow-minded campaigner who apportioned her resources with a map and a red pen. "Do you ever take these kinds of facts into consideration?" he asked. "This is a minority community? This is a Latino community?" "Yes," Lopez Torres said. How
to Buy a Gavel- By Alex Ginsberg
It was a $12,000 check to a
Norman crony for an POWERBROKER:
Clarence Norman,
all-but-useless mailing and a
$9,000 payment "Because I am the King of Brooklyn, they're going to do it my way or the highway," said prosecutor Kevin Richardson as he gave jurors his best impression of the bullying party boss. "If they didn't do what he wanted, he was willing to cut off his nose to spite his face." Norman, 55, has already been sentenced to two to six years for campaign-finance crimes, and was acquitted last year of charges he double-dipped from his Albany travel expense account. He is free on $110,000 bail while the guilty verdicts are appealed. But the current trial on grand larceny and coercion charges in Brooklyn Supreme Court promises to deliver on Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes' long-awaited vow to expose a system in which judgeships were routinely for sale in the largest Democratic county in the country. Because Democrats far outnumber Republicans in Brooklyn, winning the Democratic primary is tantamount to winning election. And winning the primary was an uphill battle without Norman's loyal army of volunteers to collect signatures, pass out flyers and litigate, prosecutors said. Norman's lawyer, Anthony Ricco, meanwhile, compared Norman to Martin Luther King Jr., likening him to a politician fighting for the rights of his constituents. "Just like that man who wrote that letter sitting in that cell 50 years ago, he's fighting that same fight," Ricco said, alluding to King's 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail. According to prosecutors, Norman met in May 2002 with the three anointed Civil Court candidates - Margaret Cammer, Marcia Sikowitz and Yellen - and demanded that they form a joint campaign. Yellen balked, reluctant to pay for a proposed joint mailing that Norman wanted handled by Branford Communications, a favored firm. "Do it my way or you're out!" Norman allegedly bellowed, slamming his fists down on a table. "And the room fell silent," said Richardson. "The threat was as loud as a bomb." Even as late as primary eve, Norman allegedly threatened to keep the boots off the ground unless Yellen ponied up $9,000 to consultant William Boone for election work in central Brooklyn. It's that last demand that could prove divisive. Ricco said Yellen and Sikowitz, both white candidates, were wary of "wasting" the $9,000 on voters in predominantly black central Brooklyn. "These individuals were not extorted by Clarence Norman," said Ricco. "He tried to inspire them beyond their own ignorance. Ignorance of themselves and ignorance of . . . the Brooklyn community." Ricco promised reams of election data that would show the futility of what he termed a racist approach to campaigns. He said Yellen spent thousands in white districts - only to fare better in the black neighborhoods she'd written off. 7 Judges Face Quiz at 'Boss' Trial By Alex Ginsberg When disgraced Brooklyn Democratic ex-boss Clarence Norman's trial begins next week, the witness box will look more like the bench. Seven Brooklyn judges - and the county's current political boss - were included on a list of possible prosecution witnesses submitted yesterday.Next week's trial, the ex-assemblyman's fourth, will focus on whether he threatened to withdraw county-machine support for civil-court candidates Karen Yellen and Marcia Sikowitz unless they funneled thousands to preferred election consultants. He's already been sentenced to prison for campaign-finance crimes. The list of possible witnesses includes surrogate judge Margarita López Torres, who was elected in 2005 without machine support. She is likely to detail her shabby treatment at the hands of the Kings County Democratic County Committee. Current Brooklyn Democratic boss Vito López is on the list as well, though it's anybody's guess what he'll say about how the machine operates now. The list includes Brooklyn Civil Court Judges Delores Thomas, Johnny Baynes and Robin Garson and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Michael Garson, as well as former Brooklyn Civil Court Judge, Margaret Cammer.
Norman Pal Deal By Zach Haberman and Alex
Ginsberg
The surprise move fueled speculation that Feldman, who had a front-row seat to the backroom deals of the Brooklyn Democratic machine for more than a decade, was offering up plum details of judgeships bought and sold. CLARENCE NORMAN
Feldman, 52, the
executive director of Norman's He'd faced up to seven years in prison on the 22-count indictment. "We have concluded that Jeff Feldman was nothing more than a messenger who delivered demands to judicial candidates," said chief prosecutor Michael Vecchione. "These demands, which are the subject of this indictment, were at the behest of and on behalf of his boss." Vecchione told the presiding judge, Bronx Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus, that the DA's office had inked an agreement with Feldman to cooperate on this and future investigations. "Relieved," was all Feldman would say following the barely five-minute court appearance. "I am grateful that this personal ordeal has terminated with the dismissal of all criminal charges," he added in a written statement. "I look forward to continuing my efforts to advance the causes and principles of the Democratic Party and to enable the election of its candidates in all branches of government." The move was highly unusual in that prosecutors generally do not reward cooperators until after they've testified. Nevertheless, Feldman's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, promised that his client would appear when called. "Mr. Feldman has agreed to fully cooperate with the Kings County District Attorney's Office and if called as a witness will testify truthfully," he said. Feldman's sweet deal, paired with prosecutors' mention of future investi- gations, all but confirmed suspicions that Feldman was ready to assist in the DA's ongoing probe into judgeships for sale. "Jeff was in the middle of everything," said one Brooklyn courts insider, adding, in reference to judges suspected of buying their way onto the bench, "I'm sure when they read about this, they won't be too happy." Another source familiar with the DA's probe said one of the main targets of the investigation was Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Howard Ruditzky, who The Post reported last year ponied up between $50,000 and $100,000 for his spot on the bench. Ruditzky did not immediately return a message left at his chambers and courts spokesman David Bookstaver declined to comment. Disgraced Norman in Blame Game By Alex Ginsberg Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman is blaming his most recent criminal conviction on the failure of another embattled pol - Assemblywoman Diane Gordon - to step up for him. In a 100-page brief filed before the Supreme Court's Appellate Division yesterday, Norman's lawyer says prosecutors and the judge should have granted Gordon the immunity she said she needed to take the stand. "Unquestionably, the defendant was seriously handicapped by the sudden turn of events regarding Assemblywoman Gordon," argues lawyer Richard Mischel in the papers. Gordon had been expected as a witness at Norman's last trial in December to explain that the $5,000 the Brooklyn boss was accused of pocketing was actually payback for cash he'd advanced to her earlier. But the East New York assemblywoman unexpectedly declined to testify without a grant of immunity, a development the papers call a "debacle." Gordon is now under
indictment for soliciting a $500,000 bribe from a Brooklyn developer
in the form of a free house. Clarence Bid to Stay out of Jail By Alex Ginsberg Disgraced former Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman, free on $110,000 bail while he appeals a pair of criminal convictions, asked yesterday for a second get-out-of-jail pass that would keep him out of the pokey until mid-September. In papers filed with the Appellate Division, Norman's lawyer, Richard Mischel, says that the extra 120 days is necessary so that he can draw up the appeals for the embattled pol's convictions. Norman is seeking to overturn guilty verdicts for accepting illegal campaign contributions and pocketing $5,000 earmarked for his re-election coffers. Shelly May Rat on Norman By Nancie L. Katz Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver may testify against Clarence Norman at his trial on charges he illegally sought reimbursement for travel to and from Albany. As jury selection began for Norman's third felony trial in less than a year yesterday, Brooklyn prosecutors identified Silver as one of the witnesses they plan to call. If he takes the stand, Silver likely would be asked if Norman - his former deputy speaker - was allowed to be reimbursed for travel between Brooklyn and Albany even though the borough Democratic Party he chaired was already paying for it. Norman, already sentenced to two years in prison for the other convictions, could face up to an additional seven years if convicted of larceny and 76 counts of filing a false instrument for travel vouchers he submitted in 1999-2002 totaling just over $5,000. Once a Brooklyn kingpin, Norman was knocked from the Crown Heights Assembly seat he held for 23 years and his 15-year chairmanship of the Brooklyn Democratic Party when a jury convicted him of campaign corruption in September. He was also disbarred. In December, a second jury found him guilty of stealing a $5,000 check made out to his campaign committee. He has managed to stay out
of jail pending appeals of the two convictions. Norman Due Third Trial By Zach Haberman The state's highest court says ousted Assemblyman Clarence Norman will have to face trial — again. The Court of Appeals said yesterday they would not listen to arguments by Norman's legal team, who had hoped to get it to toss out charges that he cheated on his Assembly-paid travel expenses. The dethroned Brooklyn Democratic Party boss, convicted twice last year of skirting campaign-finance rules, will now face his third criminal trial in less than seven months. Norman is accused of filing vouchers for travel expenses with the Assembly even though the Kings County Democratic Party had already footed the bill. He allegedly pulled off the penny-pinching scheme at least 76 times for a total of $5,585. "We are prepared to go to trial on March 6," said Jerry Schmetterer, a spokesman for the Brooklyn DA's Office. A lawyer for Norman did not return a call for comment. Norman was sentenced last month to two to six years in prison for not reporting thousands of dollars in in-kind political contributions and pocketing a $5,000 check intended for his re-election committee. He also faces a fourth indictment for strong-arming judicial candidates into using specific people to print their campaign literature. He is currently free on $110,000 bail. 2 to 6 Years for Norman By Zach Haberman Clarence Norman, at Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday, said "I accept full responsibility for the situation that I have unquestionably put myself in." Clarence Norman once served the people now he'll serve time. Blasting the one-time Brooklyn Democratic Party boss as "devious and manipulative," Judge Martin Marcus yesterday sentenced the beleaguered former assemblyman to two to six years behind bars for violating campaign laws. "As I stand before you today, I want to make it clear that I accept full responsibility for the situation that I have unquestionably put myself in," Norman said in a statement before the pronouncement of his sentence, which his lawyer had requested be only community service. "I certainly acknowledge that I'm here today in this situation because I have exercised poor judgment," he said. "Never, never, ever did I deliberately or consciously seek to break the law or circumvent the law." After apologizing to his family, Norman, 54, said, "I'm sorry that I have really let down my constituents, the people who for 23 years placed their trust and confidence in me, and I certainly hope they will indeed forgive me." Norman, convicted of not reporting thousands of dollars in political contributions and pocketing a $5,000 check intended for his re-election committee, admitted: "Unfortunately, I took a shortcut." Upon hearing the news that he will be going up the river, the disgraced political leader — as he had done throughout much of his two criminal trials — folded his hands together and sat with a cold, blank stare on his face. "The mechanisms by which he [skirted the election laws] were so devious and manipulative, and the excuses he offered that he was preoccupied with other important matters, that he was guilty of sloppiness, not guile were not credible to either of the juries or to me," the judge said. Norman, 54, got his first taste of prison life immediately afterward, when the judge ordered him to a holding cell behind the courtroom while Norman's lawyer ran over to the nearby Appellate Division. There, the lawyer argued that the ousted party boss be let loose until a judge in that court decides if the convictions should be overturned. An Appellate judge freed him if only temporarily on $110,000 bail pending a decision on whether he should remain out of prison while awaiting a ruling on his appeal. Former Brooklyn Democratic Boss Sentenced to Prison The Associated Press A former assemblyman and head of the Brooklyn Democratic Party was sentenced on Wednesday to two to six years in prison for separate convictions on campaign corruption charges. At two trials in state Supreme Court last year, juries found Clarence Norman Jr., 54, guilty of stealing $5,000 that was donated to his re-election committee in 2001, and of trying to conceal $10,000 in contributions. Prosecutors had asked Justice Alan Marcus to give Norman of five to 15 years in prison. The defendant still faces two more possible trials on related charges. "We respect Judge Marcus' decision and look forward to the next two trials," said Jerry Schmetterer, spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes. A call to Norman's attorney was not immediately returned. Norman was named in four indictments stemming from Hynes' probe into whether he and other party leaders sold judgeships. The charges allege a pattern of criminal mishandling of political finances, grand larceny and conspiracy. The longtime assemblyman
was forced to resign early last year following his first conviction.
Norman Will Stay Silent to the End By Zach Haberman and C.j.
Sullivan Prosecutors hoping to get Clarence Norman to sing about the sale of judgeships will hear only the sound of silence. The dethroned Brooklyn Democratic Party boss will not look to make any 11th-hour deal this week to avoid serving prison time for two felony convictions and gain leniency on the two remaining indictments he faces, sources told The Post. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office has long suspected Norman of being the ringleader of a circle of dirty jurists who paid hefty sums to get on the bench. Sources say if Norman keeps mum, the DA's investigation will effectively be "stonewalled." "You would think he would want to get out from under all this jail time," said a source with knowledge of Norman's legal maneuvering. A Brooklyn jury first found Norman guilty of campaign-finance fraud in September, while another convicted him last month for a $5,000 contribution check to his re-election committee in 2001. If he sticks to his guns and refuses to come clean about the purported justice-for-sale scandal, Norman could face as much as 15 years behind bars when Judge Martin Marcus decides his fate Wednesday. "I'm not worried, this too shall pass," the disgraced politician defiantly told The Post yesterday as he returned home from church. "We rest our faith in God." Norman's lawyer, Edward Rappaport, insisted, "It's not that my client doesn't want to cooperate. "It's that he has no knowledge of the things they say he does." A spokesman for the Brooklyn DA would not comment on any possible deal discussions, saying only, "[Norman] will be sentenced on Wednesday." Rappaport has filed a memo with the judge asking for a light sentence of probation, sources said, noting prosecutor Michael Vecchione recently filed a similar letter asking Marcus to throw the book at Norman and give him the full 15 years. Despite Rappaport's best attempts, courthouse insiders say there is very little chance Norman won't be put behind bars. "That's pretty definite," the source said. "The only question is how much [prison time]. He's probably not going to get a matter of months." "I think Marcus is going to hit him harder than that." If Norman does get sentenced to hard time, Rappaport will immediately request Marcus allow his client to stay in the courtroom for a short time instead of being put in a holding cell. During the interlude, Rappaport would head to the nearby appellate court to file paperwork requesting Norman be freed on bail while the lawyer appeals his two convictions, sources said. When asked about the real possibility of his client being sent up the river, Rappaport said, "Nobody's happy about going to jail, but he doesn't seem depressed." "Whatever is going to be, is going to be," he said. Squeeze Play on Norman By Jim Hinch
"The window is closing, and there is a very small opportu nity" for Norman to avoid serious jail time by telling prosecutors what he knows about Brooklyn's alleged judge bribery scandal, said the source, who is close to Norman's case. But "no one thinks [Norman] understands the seriousness of the position he's in." Norman faces up to 15 years in the slammer — eight for his first political-corruption conviction in September, and seven more after a jury on Thursday found him guilty of stealing a $5,000 check made out to his re-election committee. He will be sentenced Jan. 10. He also faces two more felony trials — one for allegedly double-dipping on state travel reimbursements, another for allegedly coercing Clarence Norman judicial candidates into paying Democratic Party hacks for "campaign" work. Another source close to the case said prosecutors' investigation into judges suspected of bribing their way onto the bench has stalled out. So they're eager to cut a leniency-for-information deal with Norman, who is suspected of taking or coordinating the bribes. Norman's lawyer, Edward Rappaport, did not return a call for comment. A DA spokesman declined to comment on the prospect of a deal.
'Houdini' Norman 'Just Stupid' By Jim Hinch "Every great magician learns the art of misdirection," said prosecutor Michael Vecchione of Norman's alleged theft of a $5,000 campaign contribution to his own re-election committee. But Norman's lawyer said the only thing his client is guilty of is "stupidity" for cashing the contribution check. "We wouldn't be here" if Norman had simply ripped up the $5,000 contribution and asked for a reimbursement check made out to his personal account," said lawyer Edward Rappaport. Norman Case May Go to Jury Today By Nancie L. Katz The larceny case against Clarence Norman is expected to go to a jury today - after the deposed Democratic Party boss insisted for three hours yesterday he's not a thief. The former assemblyman underwent grueling questioning by Assistant Brooklyn District Attorney Michael Vecchione over a $5,000 check Norman cashed that was made out to his reelection committee. Norman has said the October 2001 check was to reimburse him for cash he gave to Assemblywoman Diane Gordon to pay Primary Day workers for Democrat Alan Hevesi's failed 2001 mayoral campaign. "It was for money I laid out. Unfortunately, the check was written incorrectly," Norman said. "You never went back at any time to correct the so-called [mistake]?" Vecchione asked sarcastically. "No, I did not," Norman said. Both the prosecution and defense rested yesterday and are expected to sum up this morning. Norman faces
up to seven years in prison if convicted. By Jim Hinch Dethroned Brooklyn political boss Clarence Norman stepped off the witness stand yesterday sticking by his innocence, but was forced to concede that his defense didn't always add up. Norman told jurors repeatedly that he didn't steal a $5,000 campaign-contribution check because, even though he cashed it into his personal bank account, he thought it was reimbursement for a loan. But prosecutor Michael Vecchione just as often made Norman admit that everything about his handling of the check was unusual. Vecchione displayed documents showing that virtually every other time Norman sought reimbursement for political expenses, he got them from his campaign treasurer. And Vecchione got Norman to agree that the night he pocketed the check, he knew members of his political club had recently written it as part of a series of contributions to various Brooklyn political organizations. The check reads "contribution" on its memo line, not "reimbursement." But Norman said the word "contribution" was mistakenly written in by political operatives who had made so many donations that night, they forgot Norman's check was a reimbursement. "I was happy" to get the check, Norman said. "I was worried about getting my money." Former Brooklyn Party Leader in Rematch With Prosecutor By Michael Brick Clarence Norman Jr., the former Brooklyn Democratic leader and assemblyman, took the stand in his corruption trial yesterday as its focus narrowed to this question: What was Mr. Norman thinking when he deposited a check written to his re-election campaign committee into his personal bank account? In a full day of testimony in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, Mr. Norman spent the morning explaining himself and the afternoon parrying questions about his intelligence, literacy and actions from a prosecutor who sought to undermine his account. This is the second trial for Mr. Norman, who was convicted in September of soliciting illegal campaign contributions, and his long volley with the prosecutor, Michael F. Vecchione, first deputy district attorney, was something of a rematch. Mr. Vecchione cross-examined a faltering Mr. Norman in the earlier case, eliciting statements including, "I have no independent recollection." In contrast to that performance, Mr. Norman appeared calm and self-assured on the stand yesterday, measuring his replies in soft, explanatory tones even as Mr. Vecchione yelled at him, sighed loudly and spun on his heel. Mr. Norman is charged with larceny for depositing the $5,000 check, written by a political club he controlled and made out to his campaign committee, into his personal bank account. He contends that the money was a reimbursement for funds he had personally advanced to Assemblywoman Diane Gordon. Mr. Norman's lawyer, Edward M. Rappaport, had promised jurors that Ms. Gordon would testify, but when she took the stand last month, she invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating herself for failing to report a contribution. That left Mr. Norman to explain things himself yesterday, and his first obstacle was a copy of the check itself, displayed on a screen before the jury. In the memo line, it said, "Contribution." Dressed in a dark suit with a pocket handkerchief, Mr. Norman clasped his hands and faced the jurors as Mr. Rappaport led him through his version of events: Ms. Gordon, a Democratic Assembly colleague, told him days before the primary election scheduled for Sept. 11, 2001, that she needed money to support Alan G. Hevesi's mayoral campaign in her East New York district. Mr. Norman gave her $5,000 of his own money and later requested reimbursement. He found a check for $5,000 in an envelope on his desk. He felt confident that it was intended as a reimbursement, and convinced a bank teller to deposit the funds into his personal account."I was just trying to get my money back," Mr. Norman said. When Mr. Vecchione began his cross-examination, Mr. Norman stopped looking at the jury. He raised his eyebrows, and his gaze followed the prosecutor back and forth across the courtroom. Mr. Rappaport often objected and there were frequent sidebars with the judge, Martin Marcus. Mr. Vecchione asked about Mr. Norman's education and career, seeking to establish his familiarity with election law. The questioning spanned loan procedures, the workings of several political organizations and the competence of certain party officials. Mr. Rappaport's objections slowed the pace, and Mr. Norman derailed some lines of questioning with concessions leading to tangents, but the focus returned repeatedly to two issues. The first issue, addressed directly, was that Mr. Norman had deposited the check in his personal account. "Is there an exception in the law for Clarence Norman Jr.?" Mr. Vecchione asked. After an objection was overruled, Mr. Norman responded, "Definitely not." The second, broached less directly, was the question of what Mr. Norman had been thinking. "You know, do you not, that larceny is when someone takes something that does not belong to them, would you agree with me?" Mr. Vecchione asked. Mr. Norman, who passed the bar on the first try and once worked as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, conceded that definition, adding a word. "Intentionally," he said. The trial is to continue today. $Tate of Denial By Jim Hinch Dethroned Brooklyn political boss Clarence Norman took the stand yesterday and told a jury he "absolutely" did not steal a $5,000 campaign contribution to his re-election committee. But a prosecutor then proceeded to poke hole after hole in Norman's explanation — that the check was actually a reimbursement for money Norman had loaned another politician for campaign work. "Is there an exception in the law for Clarence Norman Jr.?" prosecutor Michael Vecchione asked incredulously after Norman claimed he somehow "knew" the check, made out to his re-election committee in 2001, was really meant for him personally. "No," Norman conceded. Norman described how he found the check one evening in an envelope on his desk in his Brooklyn Assembly district office. He said he put the check "in my bag," and took it to his local Chase Bank branch, where "the people at the bank know me" and let him cash the check, even though it wasn't made out to him. Norman said he couldn't recall who the "friend" was who let him cash the check. "Just a teller," he said. Norman said the $5,000 was reimbursement for money he had loaned Assemblywoman Diane Gordon so she could mount a get-out-the-vote effort for mayoral candidate Alan Hevesi. Norman said he loaned Gordon the money personally because she needed it right away and couldn't wait for cash from one of Norman's political accounts. But Vecchione produced signed checks showing that Norman's campaign committee was already paying Hevesi expenses the very day Norman made the "emergency" personal loan to Gordon. And Vecchione displayed bank documents showing that Gordon never used the $5,000 for campaign work. She deposited it, then wrote two checks to herself — one made out on Sept. 11, 2001 — and paid off some old campaign debts. "I trusted her," Norman said, shrugging. That Norman even took the stand showed his difficulty defending this case. Every witness who could corroborate his story either refused to testify or was barred by the judge. At his last political corruption trial in September, which ended in a conviction, jurors appeared unimpressed by the former pol's evasive answers. The 5g Was My Money, Norman Claims By Nancie L. Katz Decposed former Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman yesterday denied stealing the $5,000 check at the center of his trial for grand larceny. Taking the witness stand in his own defense, Norman admitted he cashed an Oct. 30, 2001, check made out to his reelection committee for the Assembly. But he said it was a payback for cash he gave a colleague to get out the vote for state Controller Alan Hevesi's failed mayoral campaign. "I took the check to the Chase bank because I knew this was the reimbursement check I had requested," Norman told a Brooklyn jury. "The people at the bank knew me. I represented the check as my funds, which it was." "Did you intend to steal money from the committee?" asked defense lawyer Ed Rappaport. "Absolutely not," Norman replied. Norman faces up to seven years behind bars if convicted. In September, he was convicted of campaign corruption and stripped of his post as party leader and the Assembly seat he held for 23 years. He also testified at that trial. Under blistering cross-examination by prosecutor Michael Vecchione, Norman conceded that election law barred him from cashing a check made out to his committee. "Is there an exception to the law for Clarence Norman Jr.?" Vecchione asked. "No," Norman said. Norman said Assemblywoman Diane Gordon, who refused to testify, threatened to stop working for Hevesi in September 2001 if she didn't get "immediate" cash for workers. But Vecchione challenged Norman's story, pointing out that Norman's committee or his political club could have forwarded the money. He also asked Norman if he knew Gordon didn't spend his check on Hevesi's campaign. "I just followed her instructions," Norman said. "I took her at her word." Norman Will Take the Stand By Jim Hinch Ending weeks of speculation, dethroned Brooklyn Democratic boss Clarence Norman revealed yesterday he'll take the stand in a last-ditch effort to salvage his case at his latest political-corruption trial. Norman will face jurors Monday to flesh out his defense: That he never stole a $5,000 campaign contribution check because the money was payback for a loan he made to another politician, said his lawyer, Edward Rappaport. But a Fordham law professor who has been watching the case said the move shows Norman's "defense has completely fallen apart." Disgraced Pol's Trial Chaos By Jim Hinch Former Brooklyn Assemblyman Clarence Norman's criminal defense descended even further into bizarre disarray yesterday when more key witnesses were bounced off the stand and prosecutors refuted Norman's main explanation of his alleged crime. At times, a circus-like atmosphere reigned, with seven lawyers arguing in the courtroom and the judge, his head in his hands, asking who represented whom. Norman is on trial for allegedly stealing a $5,000 campaign contribution check made out to his re-election committee. His defense was going to be that he thought the check was reimbursement for $5,000 he loaned Assemblywoman Diane Gordon for political work she was doing. But last week, in a sudden about-face, Gordon refused to testify on grounds that she could incriminate herself for failing to report the $5,000 "loan" to her re-election committee. And yesterday, prosecutors said bank records show that Gordon never used the $5,000 for political work, but instead apparently used it to write two checks to herself and pay off some old campaign debts. After hearing that, Norman's lawyer, Edward Rappaport, tried a new tactic by seeking to put Gordon's lawyer, Richard Medina, on the stand to testify about the loan. But Medina said he never promised that Gordon would testify about the loan in the first place. Then Medina said he was getting his own lawyer. Finally, Rappaport offered a third defense strategy, promising to call a political consultant named Jacqueline Ward to testify that Norman had told her something about being owed money in 2001. But the judge said Ward couldn't testify because all she had to offer was hearsay. Norman May Testify in Check Fraud Nancie L. Katz Dethroned Brooklyn Democratic party boss Clarence Norman may take the witness stand tomorrow after a key witness backed out of testifying in his defense, the Daily News has learned. Last week, Norman's lawyer, Ed Rappaport, argued for a mistrial after Assemblywoman Diane Gordon refused to testify about a check Norman wrote to her campaign in 2001. If Supreme Court Justice Marty Marcus does not declare a mistrial, a source familiar with the defense said, the former assemblyman may tell jurors he personally cashed a $5,000 check written to his reelection committee as reimbursement for money he gave Gordon. Norman, already facing four years for a September campaign corruption conviction, could get up to seven years if found guilty of pocketing the $5,000 check written by his political club. Last week, Gordon took the Fifth Amendment after prosecutors refused to grant her immunity. She allegedly cashed the check Norman addressed to her campaign committee - the same crime for which the deposed party chairman is being tried. Norman's Successor Facing Own Scandal By Jim Hinch
Three activists have filed a complaint with the Brooklyn DA, alleging Lopez used a fake address on his voter-registration form and doesn't live in his Brooklyn district. Instead, say the activists,
Lopez for years has shacked up in a Queens condo owned by his
Former Brooklyn Democratic party
bossgirlfriend,
Planning Commissioner Angela A spokesman confirmed that the district attorney had received the complaint, dated Oct. 24, but declined to say if an investigation has begun. Falsifying a voter-registration address is a felony. When told of the complaint, Lopez's chief of staff, Allison Hirsh, said, "I have no comment," and hung up the phone. Battaglia did not return a phone call to her commission office. "Vito Lopez is not above the law," said Joseph Garber, one of three signatories on the complaint. Garber, an activist in Lopez's district who has worked against Lopez-backed judicial candidates, said the pol's alleged fake address has been an open secret among insiders for years. Garber said he and other disgusted activists decided to air the dirty laundry when Lopez ascended to Norman's throne atop the Kings County Democratic Party in October with vows to clean the organization up. "Now Lopez is going to be the choirmaster. He'll do just like Clarence Norman, if not worse," said Arthur Steier, another signatory. Since becoming party leader, Lopez has been throwing his weight around, recently vowing to be a kingmaker in the race for City Council speaker. Property records show that the address where Lopez is registered to vote, 64 Conselyea St. in Williamsburg, is owned by a woman named Tillie Tarantino. Tarantino is executive director of the Swinging 60s Senior Center in Greenpoint, which is funded by a Lopez-backed nonprofit. Reached by The Post at the senior center, Tarantino was asked if Lopez lives at the Conselyea Street house. "No comment," she said, and hung up. Shock
Silence from By Jim Hinch Brooklyn Assemblywoman Diane Gordon who was going to testify that the $5,000 Norman is accused of stealing was actually a loan to her stunned the audience, and even Norman's own lawyer, when she unexpectedly took the Fifth Amendment. Gordon was put on the stand
with the jury out of
CLARENCE NORMAN
Fifth room.
She kept silent because, in order After she stepped off the stand, Norman's lawyer, Edward Rappaport, said a prosecutor could indict her "in less than . . . an hour" and asked Judge Martin Marcus for a mistrial. Marcus said he'd think about it, and told everyone to come back next week. Rappaport was so caught off guard by Gordon's bombshell that he turned on the star witness's lawyer, Richard Medina, accusing him of "misleading" him about Gordon's willingness to testify. Fifth Amendment." Medina said Gordon fears that if she testifies, she'll be charged with an election-law violation. That's because the $5,000 "loan" from Norman was a contribution check to Gordon's re-election committee, which she cashed into her own personal bank account and never disclosed in campaign-finance reports. Norman Seeks Mistrial as Pol Takes 5th By Derek Rose Disgraced former Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman's lawyer wants a mistrial after his star witness - a state lawmaker - yesterday took the Fifth Amendment. Assemblywoman Diane Gordon refused to testify about a $5,000 check made out to her election committee that she allegedly deposited into a personal account. "I wish to assert my privilege according to the provisions of the Constitution of the United States and the state of New York and decline to answer that question," Gordon said in response to a question from Norman's lawyer, Ed Rappaport. The jury was not present. Already convicted of soliciting bribes from a lobbyist, Norman is on trial for allegedly stealing a $5,000 check made out to his political campaign. Norman contends he's only guilty of sloppy bookkeeping. The check was simply a reimbursement for cash he had loaned Gordon in connection with state Controller Alan Hevesi's failed 2001 mayoral bid, Rappaport contends. Without Gordon's testimony, which he had promised the jury in opening remarks, there's no way for Norman to receive a fair trial, Rappaport said. "The defendant is in an impossible situation," Rappaport said. "I would have tried this case completely differently" had he known Gordon would refuse to testify. Judge Martin Marcus appeared reluctant to grant a mistrial, but gave Rappaport until tomorrow to detail what he would have done differently. Earlier in the day, prosecutors refused to grant Gordon immunity from prosecution in connection with her testimony. "I don't think she's committed any criminal violation but the prosecutors see it differently," said her lawyer, Richard Medina. "The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution is there for the innocent as well as the guilty." Norman Treasurer Buries Him By Jim Hinch Convicted former Assemblyman Clarence Norman's political committees played fast and loose with their campaign accounting, Norman's campaign treasurer told a jury yesterday. If an illegally large $5,000 donation came in, treasurer Carmen Martinez said she would count some of the cash as rent reimbursement and deposit a legal amount as a contribution. Norman's re-election committee also funneled thousands to ally Alan Hevesi's mayoral campaign by paying for campaign supplies on Hevesi's behalf, Martinez said. Norman told Martinez that it was a short-term loan, but Hevesi never paid Norman's re-election committee back, she said. That would have made Norman's spending an in-kind donation in excess of the $4,500 contribution limit in 2001. Hevesi did pay $20,000 to another Norman political committee. But Martinez said that money never returned to Norman's re-election committee. Norman is on trial for allegedly swiping another batch of Hevesi-related money: a $5,000 check to his political committee. Norman claims he knew it was payback for cash loaned to a Hevesi get-out-the-vote effort, and his lawyer says it may have been " Treasurer: Norman Never Told Me By Nancie L. Katz
Showing Bad Judge-ment By Jim Hinch
The campaign money was
raised even though they faced virtually no opposition at the polls.
Much of the money came from lawyers arguing cases in front of the
judges, according to a Post review of six years' worth of financial
disclosures. A regulator said judges are
Judge Patricia DiMango
forbidden from
spending campaign funds on themselves. The commission admonished Justice Martin Schneier two years ago for throwing himself a $19,949 induction party with campaign funds, and giving $10,923 more to a favorite charity. But other judges, too, have used donations for more than posters and fliers. One judge, James Starkey, paid himself $26,875 in unitemized "reimbursements" more than half of the $41,410 he raised for his 2002 race. Justice Robert Gigante used donations from lawyers and friends to take a $310 limo ride to a fund-raiser three months after his "campaign" ended. And Justice Ira Harkavy used the $20,823 he raised to buy himself a $108 judicial robe, throw a $12,551 induction party, and buy a $100 ticket to an "annual birthday bash" for then-county political boss Clarence Norman. Harkavy did not return calls. Gigante recently had surgery and could not be reached. Starkey referred calls to a campaign treasurer who could not be reached. Judges who did talk to The Post said they followed the rules. Justice Patricia DiMango said a $7,654 shopping spree she took at Bloomingdale's and a Hamptons boutique called Chez Morgan was for a leather sofa, two leather chairs, a lamp and other furnishings for her judicial chambers. DiMango said she bought the furniture "on sale" and that it would remain at the courthouse when she left. Norman
Urged to Sing By Nancie L. Katz The Brooklyn district attorney's corruption-buster is calling on the powerful political boss he brought down to do the right thing - and come clean about a crooked system. Former Brooklyn Democratic leader Clarence Norman is the one man who could help authorities cleanse the borough of judicial and political corruption, Michael Vecchione told the Daily News. "He has the ability to really change - for the better - the entire way that people view the political system," said Vecchione, the man District Attorney Charles Hynes calls his "go-to" guy on corruption. "Norman can expose the judges, he can expose the people we believe paid for their judgeships," he added. "He can rid the system of that corruption and be, in a lot of respects, a hero - at least use what he has for good." Norman, 54, the ex-Brooklyn Democratic Party chairman and assemblyman, was found guilty of grand larceny in September. He was immediately stripped of his office and party chairmanship and is facing a prison term of 1-1/3 to 4 years. Today, with colleagues Kevin Richardson and Monique Farrell, Vecchione will be in court as jury selection for Norman's second corruption trial starts. In the latest case, Norman is accused of depositing a $5,000 check for his reelection campaign into a personal account. Prosecutors say the borough's Democratic Party charged prospective judges $50,000 or more for the backing, which generally guaranteed them a place on the bench. Norman has denied judgeships were sold and has resisted cooperating with prosecutors. Vecchione's first judicial corruption case resulted in state Supreme Court Justice Victor Barron pleading guilty to soliciting a $250,000 bribe from a lawyer. He is also prosecuting Justice Gerald Garson on bribery charges as well as Garson's cousin, Justice Michael Garson, on a grand larceny rap. Both judges deny the charges. Now, Hynes said, Vecchione is "architect and quarterback" of an ever-burgeoning judicial probe that will probably last two more years. At the end, the DA predicted, "It will become crystal clear what the game plan was and where we were going." During four years at the helm of Hynes' Rackets Bureau, Vecchione, 56, has handled some high-profile cases. In addition to the judges' probes, he's led investigations that resulted in the arrests of two ex-NYPD detectives who allegedly killed for the mob and solved the coverup that shrouded those involved in the murder of college student Mark Fisher. He heads the DA's inquiry into the illegal sale of body parts by funeral homes. "By putting the bad guys behind bars, it shows you can still have faith in the system," Vecchione said. Bid to Bar Norman Pal By Jim Hinch A civil-rights group yesterday sued to stop Brooklyn Democrats from installing a reputed crony of disgraced political boss Clarence Norman into the borough's patronage-riddled Surrogate Court. The Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund said in the federal suit that the last-minute backroom deal that created the judgeship for Assemblyman Frank Seddio deprived voters of the chance to pick a judge for themselves. The creation of the seat, approved by legislators this summer, was timed to avoid a primary election. Instead, party leaders got to handpick Seddio, who has no judicial experience. Seddio's nod for the job was widely considered payback for his political club's support of Norman-backed candidates. Seddio could not be reached for comment. Defense-fund head Cesar Perales said he wants a judge to stop Seddio's anticipated Jan. 1 installation and schedule a proper primary election. He said he also hopes the suit sheds light on the deal-making that got Seddio the plum spot. But "I've been in this business long enough to know if there were [a paper trail, it] went down the toilet a while ago," he said. Disgraced Judge Wore Wire in Plot By Nancie L. Katz The revelation comes as disgraced ex-Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman faces a deadline for helping prosecutors probing the alleged sale of judgeships in Kings County. Garson, 60, was charged last year with looting nearly $1 million from an elderly aunt. But Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes kept the indictment under wraps for six months after Garson - facing a 15-year jail term - said he could help prosecutors prove Norman was offering judicial nominations for a price, said sources familiar with case. Garson offered to go undercover in an attempt to squeeze fellow judge Howard Ruditzky, 61. "He claimed Ruditzky told [a friend] he paid $100,000 for his judgeship," one source said. "They wired up Michael Garson, [who] tried to get Ruditzky to admit it on tape. But people already knew Michael Garson was under investigation." A Hynes spokesman declined to comment on the matter. Garson's attorney, Ron Aiello, himself a former state judge, said he didn't want to discuss it either. "I am not going to comment about it even if it did happen, which it didn't," he said. "Judge Garson has been indicted. Judge Garson is preparing a motion to dismiss that indictment." But a source close to Ruditzky confirmed Garson's ploy. "Michael Garson was desperate," the source said. "He was trying to do anything and try to give them any lie that exists. Obviously, nothing came of it." Ruditzky's lawyer, Sheldon Eisenberger, said the judge vehemently denies ever paying a cent to get his judgeship. "There's no $100,000," Eisenberger said. Last week, prosecutors told Norman he had until tomorrow to decide whether to cooperate in their probe or face trial on three outstanding indictments. Norman, 54, resigned from his post as Kings County Democratic Party leader and from his Assembly seat after he was convicted in a political corruption case last month. Eisenberger said Ruditzky isn't worried "Ruditzky is not going to be named by Clarence Norman because there's nothing there," the lawyer said. 2 New Judges Eyed in Chamber Plot$ By Jim Hinch and Zach
Haberman EXCLUSIVE
Sources say prosecutors want to hear what disgraced former Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman has to say about Supreme Court Justices Howard Ruditzky and Allen Hurkin-Torres, suspected of paying tens of thousands of dollars to get on the bench. Ruditzky allegedly
complained to associates that he had to spend $100,000 for his seat
in 2002, which WHAT
THEY WANT TO KNOW:
Norman
helped him get just weeks after Ruditzky Meanwhile, another judge exposed by The Post yesterday as being under suspicion by prosecutors fervently denied the allegation. "I was so outraged by your story that I must say that this story is an outrageous lie. It is completely and utterly false with no basis in fact whatsoever. I am restrained as a judge from issuing any further comment," said Supreme Court Justice Leon Ruchelsman in a phone message to The Post. But a source familiar with the investigation said yesterday that Ruchelsman's name remained on the list of suspect judges. And the source reiterated that some of Ruchelsman's associates have been questioned about how he got on the bench. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office has declined to speak publicly about details of its investigation. The second judge exposed by The Post yesterday was Francois Rivera, who received partial immunity on bribery allegations. Norman, convicted last month on political-corruption charges, has until midday Monday to tell prosecutors whether he wants to tell all in the judges scandal in exchange for a lighter sentence and leniency on three other corruption indictments he faces. Some associates of Norman said yesterday that they have encouraged him to roll over. But others said the disgraced pol has all but decided to clam up. Turns out, though, the DA isn't the end of Norman's troubles. Sources tell The Post that the feds also have probed Norman's role in the bench-for-sale scandal. Brooklyn's Judge-ment Day? Editorial Brooklyn may be about to lose its ignominious nickname, "Judgeships R Us," as prosecutors try to corral a key figure into singing about the borough's reputation as stop-n-shop for seats on the bench. If they get the dirt they're looking for, the judge store may be out of business. Make no mistake: This is huge news. As The Post reported exclusively yesterday, as many as 10 judges (10 judges!) may be the target of inquiries by prosecutors into alleged payments — of possibly tens of thousands of dollars — made to secure their judicial posts. The DA gave Clarence Norman (who, as Brooklyn's Democratic Party boss, allegedly was Judgeships R Us' chief proprietor) until Monday to spill his guts. Or expect no leniency in his sentencing for his conviction on illegal campaign-donation charges. He faces up to eight years for that — with three more indictments pending. If Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes cracks Norman, it could break open a borough-wide network of judicial corruption. "What I'm hearing on the street is that a lot of judges [in the Brooklyn courthouse] are scared," said state Sen. Martin Connor, a Democrat. And that, in turn, would have enormous political consequences, given that it is the Democratic Party leadership — Norman and his cronies — that allegedly sold the judgeships in the first place. Here's how it supposedly worked: You want to be a judge, so you "donate" to the Democratic Party, or some entity that it backs, or that backs it. Or you "hire" its cronies — to do work for your "campaign," for example. The party then backs you for the bench — and, given the abundance of Brooklyn Dems, you cruise to electoral victory. Thus, if Hynes prevails, not only may judges soon be trading in their black robes for prison greens, some party operatives may be cranking out license plates, too. If he fails, expect the sleaze to continue: Though Norman had to give up his leadership position, along with his seat in the Assembly, after being convicted last month, the party leadership is still backing his cronies — such as Assemblyman Vito Lopez as Norman's replacement as party boss. And the Rev. Karim Camara, a pastor at Norman's dad's church, for Norman's Assembly seat. And the Rev. Moses Moore for district leader. (Moore, by the way, raked in some $200,000 this year from judges for "political consulting services," Nice work, no?) Yes, the stakes are high. Stay tuned. B'klyn Dems 'Broke' By Patrick Gallahue The scandal-plagued Brooklyn Dem- ocrats have a whole new headache to worry about — they're almost broke. The once-powerful county Democratic Party is on the verge of bankruptcy, its incoming leader announced shortly after his election this week. "What I've been told unofficially is the fact that the county is almost bankrupt," said Assemblyman Vito Lopez, the new Brooklyn boss. The party, which only a few years ago had tens of thousands of dollars in the bank, will now perform an accounting to sort out the organization's flagging funds. Norman Is Given Until Monday to Aid in Case Against Judges By Andy Newman The Brooklyn district attorney's office has given Clarence Norman Jr., the former Democratic Party boss convicted last month of campaign finance violations, until Monday to decide whether to cooperate with an investigation into judicial corruption, a law enforcement official said yesterday. The district attorney, Charles J. Hynes, has Mr. Norman in a tight spot. Mr. Norman, a longtime assemblyman until his conviction, has three more indictments alleging political corruption hanging over his head; the first case is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 7. And he already faces up to four years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for Nov. 28. On Wednesday, prosecutors met with Mr. Norman's lawyer, Edward M. Rappaport, and laid out their terms, according to the law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing. The meeting was also confirmed by a person briefed on the case who asked not to be identified because he feared reprisals. They said that if Mr. Norman provided information useful to Mr. Hynes's ongoing investigation of judicial corruption, Mr. Hynes will recommend a light sentence and accept a generous plea deal on the other charges. Otherwise, he can take his chances in court. "The conviction puts his back to the wall," the law enforcement official said. "They ask us what we've got, and what we've got is we can send him to jail for four years. The three remaining indictments are not going to go away. He has to plead guilty to them even if he talks." The official added, "We're playing hardball because we're in the driver's seat." Mr. Rappaport declined yesterday to answer questions about Mr. Norman's dealings with prosecutors, and would not confirm that a deal was offered. Mr. Hynes's investigation into judicial corruption began in 2003, after a judge facing arrest on charges of accepting illegal gifts from a lawyer told prosecutors that four sitting judges in Brooklyn had bought their way onto the ballot by paying off local Democratic officials. Mr. Norman, the head of Brooklyn's Democratic Party since 1990, became a natural target for inquiry, and prosecutors said they turned up evidence of wrongdoing in his roles both as assemblyman and as county party chairman. Last month, Mr. Norman, 54, was convicted of violating campaign laws by soliciting and then trying to conceal a total of $12,800 in contributions - more than double the legal amount - from a lobbyist for gas stations and repair shops in 2000 and 2002. The money was used to pay for electioneering expenses for his primary campaign, prosecutors said. The other indictments, all felonies, charge that he misappropriated campaign funds, double-dipped for $5,000 in travel expenses and strong-armed judicial candidates to hire his favorite political consultants. Dems Fill Top Norman Post with His 'Bagman' By Patrick Gallahue and Jim
Hinch Embattled Brooklyn Democrats are filling one of the three jobs vacated by disgraced Clarence Norman Jr., with his "bagman," one angry party worker complained yesterday. The county organization appointed as district leader Moses "Musa" Moore, who collected more than $200,000 in consulting fees from party-backed judicial candidates, records show. The choice came only days after the Rev. Karim Camara — a political newcomer from Norman's father's influential Crown Heights church — was named to run for Norman's Assembly seat. Vito Lopez, a party stalwart, was named county leader. But party members were most alarmed by Moore, who got money from judicial candidates. Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes is investigating numerous judges accused of paying to get on the bench. Norman is suspected of either taking or coordinating the payments. "We hate to use the word 'bagman,' but that's what it looks like here," complained one Democrat of Moore. "There are a lot of suspicious payments." Moore was paid $20,000 in "consulting" fees by Surrogate Court candidate Diana Johnson; $46,000 by Civil Court candidate Nor- ma Jennings; $81,000 by Civil Court candidate Cynthia Boyce, and $1,000 by DA candidate John Sampson — all backed by Norman. "If [money]
came to me, it went to overhead on Election Day," Moore said last
night. "We hired over 100 people." Hugh Son The scandal-rocked Brooklyn Democratic organization picked Bushwick Assemblyman Vito Lopez last night to take over for former boss Clarence Norman, who last month was convicted of felony campaign abuses. "I'm hoping today is a new beginning," Lopez said, emerging from the back room of a Brooklyn Heights diner, the party's traditional meeting spot. "I hope we can work collectively together and bring political respectability to the borough." Lopez won over 28 of his 41 fellow district leaders to gain the nonsalaried post. He'll head a county machine with nearly 900,000 registered voters. One district leader, Devin Cohen, criticized Lopez for endorsing Republicans Gov. Pataki and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the past - and praising Mayor Bloomberg's affordable-housing plan this week. Lopez countered that he has endorsed Democrat Fernando Ferrer for mayor. In response to several scandals involving corrupt Brooklyn judges, Lopez announced plans to create a judicial-reform panel. Assemblyman Joe Lentol, who sought the post before bowing out, said Lopez was "the right man for the job. It bodes well for the county." B'klyn Ju$tice Testifies By Zach Haberman and Jim
Hinch The explosive revelation
came as Brooklyn's justice-for-sale scandal widened yesterday with
yet another CHAMBER-MADE
MEN: Francois
judge exposed as a target of
investigators. The judge who was given an immunity deal in exchange for grand-jury testimony has been identified by sources as Francois Rivera, who allegedly paid $50,000 for his seat. But he's not immune to other scrutiny. Sources say the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct is looking into accusations that Rivera lied about his residence while running for office, then voted from a fake address two years later all to convince voters he's from Brooklyn even though he lives in Queens. The commission's investigation could get Rivera bounced from the bench, even though he's not up for re-election until 2010. "The judge is saddened by the publication of false rumors which impugn his integrity, and is satisfied that, by the mere passage of time, he will be vindicated and the rumors will be put to rest." Rivera's lawyer, James Koenig, said in a statement released yesterday. "Due to the profound ethical restraints placed upon the judge, he is unfortunately precluded from saying anything further. The judge will continue to maintain a full schedule and continue to perform the duties attendant to his office." Norman convicted last month on political corruption charges has until Monday to tell all he knows about dirty judges in exchange for a lighter sentence and leniency on other corruption indictments he faces. Even though Rivera got partial immunity on the bribery allegation, he's not immune from any fresh evidence Norman might provide, sources said. And prosecutors have been questioning "people close to Ruchelsman" to ask "how he became a judge," a source familiar with the matter said. When Ruchelsman ran in 2002 to become a full-fledged Supreme Court justice, sources said legal insiders were surprised because Ruchelsman hadn't been considered a high-profile or even likely candidate. "All of a sudden the door opens, the smoke comes out, and here's this Ruchelsman for judge," a source said. 'Pay 50g' - and Be a Judge By Jim Hinch and Zach
Haberman Brooklyn prosecutors are targeting up to 10 judges they suspect paid to get on the bench and told former Democratic boss Clarence Norman he'd better dish on alleged dirty jurists if he wants a plea deal, The Post has learned. The explosive ultimatum came during a hush-hush huddle yesterday between the Brooklyn DA's Office and a lawyer for Norman, the disgraced political honcho who faces up to eight years for taking illegal campaign contributions and then lying about them, sources said. Norman is also staring at three more indictments on various corruption charges. The DA might ease up on the indictments and the possible prison term if he sings. Prosecutors gave Norman a deadline sometime next week to say whether he'd buy into a deal, the sources said. The targeted jurists are suspected of paying tens of thousands of dollars for their seats either directly to Norman or to a network of party hacks, sources said. Sources with knowledge of the situation told The Post that among prosecutors' targets is sitting Supreme Court Justice Francois Rivera, who allegedly bought his seat for $50,000. "I look at it like I bought a graduate degree," a source said Rivera told a friend shortly after his 1996 win. Rivera did not return phone calls to his chambers. An assistant there told The Post, "If he wants to talk to you, he'll call you." But his lawyer, James Koenig, indicated that the allegations have surfaced in at least one grand- jury proceeding even though The Post never asked Koenig about a grand jury. In response to a question about the allegations against Rivera, Koenig said, "Anyone who's telling you what's going on in the grand jury . . . Someone shouldn't say what's going on in front of a grand jury." He then hung up the phone. A source noted that Rivera doesn't even live in Brooklyn. At the time of his election, he was an administrative judge living in Queens who had tried and failed to get on the Civil Court there. So, the source said, Rivera approached a Brooklyn politician seeking help getting on the bench in the borough. The politician introduced Rivera to Norman and allegedly told the Dem boss "he had a guy willing to cough up $50,000" to get on the bench, a source familiar with the situation said. Norman allegedly agreed to give Rivera what all judges need to get elected in Democrat-rich Brooklyn: the blessing of the party establishment. After winning the election, sources say, Rivera held a fund-raiser at Junior's restaurant in the borough. A puzzled female friend approached him at the party and asked, since he had already won, "What are you raising money for?" Rivera allegedly replied, "I have to pay back the $50,000 it cost me to get the judgeship." Sources say Rivera's campaign-finance filings report he spent less than $3,000 on his race. The unreported $50,000, they say, could have been some form of bribe. After a tipster told prosecutors about the alleged $50,000 payment last year, authorities hauled Rivera in for questioning. But he said that "there was nothing to tell" and that he couldn't recall anything, said a source familiar with the meeting. Now that Norman looks as if he might talk, sources said there could be a growing constituency at the courthouse: quaking judges. "What I'm hearing on the street is that a lot of judges [in the Brooklyn courthouse] are scared," said state Sen. Martin Connor, a Democrat. Democratic Leader's Demise Followed His Organization's Slide By Sam Roberts and Last week, a racially mixed
Brooklyn jury convicted Mr. Norman, the county's first black
Democratic chairman, of violating campaign finance laws -
concluding, in effect, that politics, at least practices in this
case, indeed constituted a crime. The developments, then, invited verdicts on the nature and impact of Mr. Norman's more than two decades in state and local politics. Interviews with an array of current and former elected officials produced the following judgments: As an assemblyman, Mr. Norman was a presence in his Crown Heights district, but was never considered very influential in Albany. As one of several fledgling black politicians who rebelled in the 1980's against the iron-fisted leadership of Brooklyn's last real boss, Meade H. Esposito, he opted to be no firebrand, but rather an organization man himself. And as the county chairman, he presided over a largely vestigial structure that, starved of political appointments from City Hall, has grown weaker and become increasingly dependent on, and desperate for, judicial patronage. In 1990, when his organizational skills finally paid off with the county Democratic chairmanship, Mr. Norman inherited a dysfunctional, fragmented party apparatus that no one would dignify by describing as a machine. And no formal trial was needed to conclude that - despite his charm, the fierce loyalty he commanded and returned, and the multiple titles he held - Mr. Norman in 15 years as county chairman and apparently armed with power enough to abuse never delivered on Brooklyn's unique political potential as home to 929,459 enrolled Democrats, more than in any other urban county in the country. The party organization's decline was not unique to Brooklyn, of course. But it was compounded there by infighting and scandal and by wistful comparisons to its storied past and to the promise of enlightened leadership. Whether his successor as county chairman does any better may depend, in part, on what Mr. Norman does next. Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney, hopes that Mr. Norman, facing a prison term and trials on other pending charges, will agree to cooperate with prosecutors investigating the sale of judgeships, which might prompt a wholesale political housecleaning. "What has to be crystal clear to those people in the Democratic organization," Mr. Hynes said, "is that business as usual has come to an end." Influence Far and Wide The chairmanship that Mr. Norman won in 1990 was a mere shadow even of the smoke-and- mirrors mirage of political power perpetrated by his recent predecessors. Brooklyn was rarely politically monolithic, but for much of the 20th century it produced party leaders worthy of the sobriquet, or epithet, Boss. When one of those legendary leaders, John H. McCooey, died in 1934, 30,000 mourners thronged his funeral. In 1974, Meade Esposito was considered so powerful that his sudden disappearance from the hall during a state political convention roll call derailed the nomination of a candidate for lieutenant governor. (Mr. Esposito, as it happened, was merely returning from the men's room at the time.) The Brooklyn machine's power was also reflected in Albany, and often in the city. With rare interruptions, the Democratic leadership of the State Assembly belonged to Brooklyn - to Irwin Steingut, Anthony J. Travia, Stanley Steingut, Stanley Fink and Mel Miller. In the City Council, Brooklyn's Thomas J. Cuite dominated as majority leader for nearly two decades until 1985. In the last half-century, the only mayor who hailed from outside Manhattan was a Brooklynite, Abraham D. Beame. But even in the mid 1970's, when Mr. Beame served, the Democratic organizations - they were still organized in those days, if not always democratic - were already beginning to crumble. They fractured between regulars and reformers and along ethnic and then racial lines. Their power was diluted by the abolition of the Board of Estimate, on which borough presidents voted, and by the imposition of term limits, public campaign financing and conflict-of-interest rules prompted by corruption scandals. One of those rules, which prohibited a borough president from also serving as the county's political chairman, created the opening for Mr. Norman in 1990, when he was only 39 years old but was already well known as the son of Clarence Norman Sr., a prominent Baptist minister in Brooklyn. "I was raised in the church," Mr. Norman said then, "and were it not for the religious environment in which I was raised, I would not be sitting behind this desk; I could be sitting behind bars." Two other developments hobbled New York City's political leaders. Jobs are the lifeblood of political organizations, and these have been 12 relatively lean years, at least for Democrats. The ascendancy of a black as county chairman at the same time a black candidate, David N. Dinkins, became mayor, raised hopes among the party faithful in Brooklyn, but Mr. Norman complained of being shortchanged. (In Albany, as an assemblyman, Mr. Norman won millions of dollars for projects in his district, including grants for Medgar Evers College and the Jewish Children's Museum, but as the deputy speaker, he had little real power.) One fight that spoke to Mr. Norman's hold, or lack of it, on the politics of Brooklyn was the one he had to wage for his own job. In 2000, he was afraid of losing his Assembly seat to a candidate who had come within 200 votes in the primary two years earlier. According to the criminal case against him, that fear prompted Mr. Norman to bend the rules. He was convicted last week of soliciting $7,400 in 2000 and $5,400 in 2002 from a lobbyist, knowing that the money exceeded state limits, and then trying to hide the contributions. In a way, he became a victim of his own reputation. Henry Stern, a former city official, wrote in his blog, New York Civic, after the verdict: "Even though his alleged sins were relatively trivial for a politician, his plea of ignorance of the law was not credible. He was considered too smart not to have known what he was doing, the jury felt that his testimony was not credible. Essentially, he was convicted for personally lying to them, which made the case a contest between his intelligence and theirs." The verdict dispelled any presumption that blacks, who constituted a majority of the jurors, would be unwilling to convict a black political leader. "It blows that myth apart," said Mr. Hynes. The conviction also challenged the apparent paradox that a county chairman was being charged with abusing power he does not have. "That premise is wrong," Mr. Hynes said. "Clarence Norman Jr., while under indictment, picked a group of people for the State Supreme Court last year, picked the surrogate who will run without any serious opposition. He has enormous power, and the misuse was in the manipulation. He manipulated the system." Neither Reformer Nor Boss Meade Esposito used to grouse that when he dispensed a judgeship (a politician who ascended to the bench was said to have gone to his final reward), he made five jealous enemies and one ingrate. Mr. Esposito's strong hold on Brooklyn politics was eventually challenged by several black assemblymen, Mr. Norman among them. But in his role of party chairman, Mr. Norman was neither a reformer nor much of a boss. "When you're on the outside, you're a reformer;" he once said. "When you're on the inside, you're a regular. Let's be for real." In 1996, then, he engineered the defeat of a protéégéé of his archrival and installed Michael H. Feinberg on the Surrogate's Court. Judge Feinberg was removed from the bench earlier this year for awarding $8.6 million in legal fees to a longtime friend for handling the affairs of people who died with no wills. Acts like that hardly pleased those eager to open, and perhaps cleanse, the political system. But Mr. Norman did not like the word boss, preferring "coordinator/mediator." "My approach has been to be, not a dictator, but a facilitator, bringing people together and building consensus," he said in an interview. "In the old days, they made a decision and they whipped everybody into line. That style doesn't work any more." Mr. Norman knew that firsthand. In 2001, another candidate, Marty Markowitz, defeated his candidate for borough president. Last month, an insurgent appeared to have squeaked past the organization's candidate to succeed Judge Feinberg. Mr. Norman's choice for mayor, Gifford Miller, ran fourth in Brooklyn with a mere 10 percent of the vote. Mr. Norman's nemesis, Mr. Hynes, was re-elected - if narrowly. Still, before his conviction, Mr. Norman was actually sanguine about the party's future, predicting that the City Council speakership might go to a Brooklynite - not necessarily an organization man, though - and looking ahead to other successes next year, including electing a successor to Representative Major Owens, who is retiring "The truth is," Mr. Norman said philosophically then, "life goes on." Others, though, are convinced the life of even the creaky Brooklyn machine is about fully ended. According to Grassroots Initiative, a civic group, nearly half the 10,000 Democratic County Committee seats in Brooklyn are unfilled. "Party politics have been in a long and steady decline for years, but the current disarray in Brooklyn merely makes it more visible," said Kenneth Fisher, a former city councilman. "I don't know that the county organization, as it's been known historically, will ever really exist again," said Councilwoman Yvette D. Clarke. "In terms of what has been demonstrated politically this year and in past years, I'm not sure what it is accomplishing." Lewis A. Fidler, another Brooklyn councilman, agreed. "Brooklyn organization is an oxymoron." And in Mr. Norman, it had something of an enigma to breathe its last breaths. Norman Is Latest Pol in Scandal By Frank Lombardi The ghost of the departed and not-so-saintly Meade Esposito was probably making the rounds this week in Brooklyn with the conviction of Assemblyman Clarence Norman. The gruff-voiced Esposito - aka the Boss of Brooklyn - died in 1993 at age 86. He had served as the undisputed Brooklyn Democratic leader for 16 years - the same post that Norman held - before retiring in 1984. Three years later, the man who once boasted during a wiretapped telephone call that he had "made" 42 judges in his time was indicted and convicted for having made an illegal gift to Rep. Mario Biaggi. The gift consisted of picking up the tab for a Florida vacation for the married Biaggi and his gal pal as part of a back-scratching deal to help one of Esposito's insurance clients get government contracts. Yet Esposito escaped prison, getting a suspended two-year sentence because of age and ill health. Fast forward to Norman, whose 15 troubled years as Brooklyn Democratic leader ended when he resigned in the wake of his conviction Tuesday on state felony and misdemeanor charges of soliciting illegal campaign contributions and falsifying records. He could be sent to prison for eight years when he is sentenced Nov. 29. But Brooklyn political scandals didn't begin or end with Esposito, nor are they likely to end with Norman. Here are just a few corruption scandals in Brooklyn's recent past: Alex Liberman was a city bureaucrat who was active in Esposito's Thomas Jefferson Club in the 1970s and early 1980s. As head of city leasing for the Department of General Services, Liberman pulled off what federal prosecutors said in 1983 was "the largest extortion case ever brought against a public official." He pleaded guilty to extorting $2.6 million in kickbacks from landlords and served some jail time. Jay Turoff, an Esposito protégé, headed the Taxi and Limousine Commission under Mayors Abe Beame and Ed Koch. He was nailed in 1987 and 1989 on taxi-related scams that got him fines and four months of house arrest. Anthony Ameruso, another Brooklyn Democratic loyalist, was the city transportation commissioner for eight years, until 1986. The following year he was convicted of perjury during a city investigation into the awarding of contracts and got 16 weekends in Rikers. Frederick Richmond was a four-term Brooklyn Democratic congressman until he resigned in 1982, the same day he pleaded guilty to tax evasion, marijuana possession and making an improper payment to a federal employee. He served nine months of a one-year sentence. Vander Beatty was a Brooklyn state legislator for 10 years before serving prison terms in the 1980s for election fraud, tax evasion and stealing funds from a community program. On Aug. 30, 1990, Beatty was shot to death in his campaign office. His accused killer was acquitted. Brooklyn pol Mel Miller was the Assembly speaker when he was convicted in 1991 of fraud and conspiracy charges arising out of an investment deal. He resigned and served community service, but in 1993 his conviction was invalidated by a federal appeals court. More recently, Brooklyn Surrogate Michael Feinberg, elected through Norman's efforts in 1996, was booted by the state Court of Appeals. An investigation found that Feinberg improperly awarded $8.6 million in fees to a longtime friend and law school classmate. But despite this litany of political scandals, there are those who argue that Brooklyn has had less corruption problems than other boroughs. "To say it's worse in Brooklyn - it's not fair," said Councilman Lewis Fidler, a Hynes supporter and a Brooklyn district leader. "We've had both eyes blackened, and I think there's no question we have problems," Fidler asserted. "But because we have focused on the corruption and are cleaning up our act it makes us look bad in the short run, but in the long run we'll be better for it." Dems Jostle for Vacant Leader's Job By Hugh Son
Norman May Get Itch to Snitch By Jim Hinch Rogue Brooklyn judges, beware Clarence Norman is considering an offer to rat you out in exchange for a lesser corruption sentence and leniency on three other indictments, his lawyer said yesterday. "The DA sort of laid down a gauntlet," said Edward Rappaport, the attorney for the former Brooklyn Democratic boss who also lost his Assembly seat after being convicted of corruption. "I'm looking at all of the options." Rappaport was referring to a recent offer by Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes to go easy on Norman in return for the goods on corrupt local judges. The DA's office declined to comment. But jury selection in Norman's next case on three more corruption counts begins November 7, That would be a de facto deadline for any deal to avert that trial. Rappaport said that for now, he is preparing for a possible appeal of Tuesday's verdict, which could land Norman in jail for up to eight years. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 29. Boro Dems Look Ahead Hopeful Eyes on Top Spot By Hugh Son After the shock of Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman being convicted for felony campaign abuses and stripped of his party post, the question remains: Who will replace him? Several party leaders are jockeying for the powerful title, including Assemblyman Vito Lopez (Willamsburg-Bushwick) and Bay Ridge district leader Joseph Bova. Acting party leader Freddie Hamilton and Assemblywoman Annette Robinson also are considering the post, sources said, but neither would comment. The next party chief needs a majority of votes from the 41 remaining district leaders in a vote that could happen next month. Norman, a former district leader and deputy assembly speaker, was expelled from the Democratic organization on Tuesday after his conviction for soliciting about $10,000 in illegal campaign contributions. Lopez told the Daily News he already has backing from about 17 district leaders, but will reach out to other leaders before making a final decision. "My goal is to bring unity and some integrity to the county," Lopez said. Bova, a 15-year district leader, said the job would be a tough task after Norman's disgraced exit - but defended the convicted party boss. "Clarence Norman is a very decent person. He's not a monster," said Bova. "He's done more to diversify candidates in Brooklyn than any of his predecessors." The county Democratic boss has no official salary, but the job bestows leadership of one of the largest Democratic organizations in the country. There are 858,815 registered Brooklyn Democrats. Several Norman-backed candidates were defeated in the last primary, but the party boss is still known as kingmaker. "You become a major player in the Democratic Party in the city, state and country," said Park Slope district leader Alan Fleishman. "You instantly become a possible governor-maker, a possible mayor-maker." While candidates spoke of reform - Norman was investigated amid rumors of judgeships for sale and rampant campaign abuse - a new boss is unlikely to create lasting reform, judicial activist Anthony DeRosa said. "I think the Democratic machine is entrenched with back room deal-making and only through law enforcement will we have significant change," DeRosa said. Assemblyman Norman Convicted of Financial Wrongdoing Associated Press The longtime leader of the influential but weakening Brooklyn Democratic Party was convicted Tuesday of mishandling campaign contributions in the first of four cases stemming from a wide-ranging probe of judicial corruption. After a nearly two-week trial, jurors convicted Assemblyman Clarence Norman Jr. of two felony counts of violating election law by taking excessive campaign donations, and two counts of falsifying business records. The felony convictions will force Norman out of his assembly seat and party position. Norman leaned forward in his chair but remained calm as the verdict was read. He could face up to four years in prison at a November sentencing. "I will forfeit my assembly seat. I thought I'd be acquitted," Norman said outside the courthouse. "Unfortunately the jury felt differently. I'm certainly not happy about it but life transitions. You can't rewrite history." Prosecutors said Norman, 54, tried to conceal about $10,000 in contributions in the 2000 and 2002 Assembly primary elections. The charges were contained in the first of four indictments stemming from Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes' courthouse corruption probe into whether Norman and other party leaders sold judgeships in the borough. The indictments allege a pattern of criminal mishandling of political finances, grand larceny and conspiracy. Hynes said Tuesday that the prospect of prison time could force Norman to cooperate with 12 simultaneous investigations into the buying of judgeships in Brooklyn. In a county where the Democratic nomination virtually guarantees victory, Hynes said, it is highly suspicious that primary winners go on to spend an average of $100,000 per campaign. "Where is that money going?" Hynes said. "Clearly the question has been on everyone's mind for eons; 'Are judgeships for sale in this state?' I certainly think we can get the question answered were he to cooperate." Norman's defense attorney, former judge Edward Rappaport, acknowledged that the 18-year Crown Heights assemblyman failed to report the contributions from the New York State Association of Service Station and Repair Shops, a gas-station lobbying group. Rappaport called that failure an innocent mistake that an overaggressive prosecutor was trying to transform into a crime. The power of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, a once-mighty machine with influence over the most heavily Democratic county in the nation, has diminished in recent years. The party maintains a heavy influence over local judicial races, however, and a Bronx judge, State Supreme Court Judge Martin Marcus, was assigned to the case to avoid any appearance of conflict. The other three indictments accuse Norman of using the judicial nominating system to steer contracts to favored consultants, accepting more than $5,000 in reimbursements from the Assembly for travel that had already been paid for by the county party and depositing a $5,000 check made out to his re-election committee into his personal bank account. When the indictments were
announced, Hynes said Norman used the state Legislature, the county
party and his re-election committee as a "personal piggy bank."
Norman to Testify at Graft Trial By Jim Hinch Indicted Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman will testify at his political-corruption trial next week that he broke no laws because he thought allegedly illegal campaign donations were actually under the legal limit. Norman's lawyer, Edward Rappaport, said yesterday that when Norman solicited more than $7,000 in campaign printing payments from an auto lobbyist in 2000, the lobbyist told him he could make the payments from four separate bank accounts. Each of the payments would then fall under the state's $3,100 contribution limit. Rappaport denied that he is putting Norman on the stand because the rest of his case is going badly. "I don't think there's a problem because he didn't do anything wrong," Rappaport said. Dem Boss in Trouble & Control By Nancy Katz - in New York Brooklyn Dem boss Clarence Norman is virtually handpicking one judge even as he appears before another on felony charges, the Daily News has learned. Veteran Brooklyn Assemblyman Frank Seddio was expected to get the nod of Norman's Kings County machine for a new powerful judgeship created for the borough, sources said. "He's a shoo-in," a county party insider said of Seddio. "Clarence is pushing for it." Earlier this year, Gov. Pataki signed legislation creating 21 new judgeships, including a second surrogate for Brooklyn. But since the new seat was created after primary season began, the political parties decide who gets on the November ballot. In Brooklyn, the Democratic candidate is virtually assured victory. Sources said Seddio emerged as the front-runner after fellow Democrat Joe Lentol, also a Brooklyn assemblyman, opted out. Surrogate judges probate wills - and can award potentially lucrative fees to lawyers handling estates. The borough's existing surrogate post was previously held by Michael Feinberg, who was removed by the state Court of Appeals for awarding excessive fees to a crony. Three candidates vied for the Democratic nomination in Tuesday's primary, with Democratic Party-backed Diana Johnson and reformer Margarita Lopez Torres finishing in a virtual dead heat. A recount is underway in that race. Ironically, Albany lawmakers allowed Norman to essentially pick the new judge at the very time he is on trial for allegedly failing to report $10,000 in contributions from a lobbyist. Norman also has been
indicted in double-billing for travel expenses, strong-arming
prospective judges and misusing campaign funds. Yesterday, Brooklyn
prosecutors rested their case in the corruption trial.
Norman's Voice Mail Out: Judge By Nancie L. Katz A judge ruled yesterday that a voice mail from Clarence Norman to a key prosecution witness could not be used in the Brooklyn Democratic boss' corruption trial. Prosecutor Michael Vecchione charged Wednesday that Norman, an Assemblyman, was trying to intimidate businessman Ernest Lendler when he left a message saying, "Out of sight is not out of mind" - the same day the vendor testified in front of a grand jury against him in August 2002. But Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus yesterday admonished prosecutors for not bringing up the intimidation allegation before trial. Marcus branded the voice mail "at best, only slight evidence of guilt ... given the ambiguity of the message." The ruling came as Lendler took the stand against Norman, who is accused of asking a trade association to pay campaign costs exceeding the $3,100 per entity permitted by law and failing to report the contributions. Yesterday, Lendler, whose company prints campaign literature, testified he "never" in his 25 years had any other billing request like Norman's. The assemblyman asked him to send two blank invoices and get a trade association to pay the bill for his reelection campaign literature in 2000 and 2002, Lendler said. Checks showed a state service station lobbying group - at Norman's request - paid about $7,400 of Lendler's bills. But Lendler testified he felt no obligation to report the payments to Norman's campaign treasurer. "I've never notified anyone I've received a check. I run a small business and part of running a business is trying to get paid," he testified. Da Raps Norman's Call to Witness By Nancie L. Katz Brooklyn Democratic boss Clarence Norman left an intimidating phone message for a key prosecution witness the same day the witness testified before a grand jury, prosecutors said yesterday. "Out of sight doesn't mean out of mind. ... You don't need to call me back," Norman allegedly said in a voice mail left for Ernest Lendler, a businessman who is scheduled to testify today at Norman's corruption trial. Prosecutor Michael Vecchione read a transcript of the Aug. 12, 2003, voice mail in Brooklyn Supreme Court. Justice Martin Marcus said he would rule today on whether jurors could hear the tape. Norman is accused of asking trade associations to pay campaign costs in amounts exceeding the $3,100 per association permitted by state law. He also is accused of failing to include the contributions in his campaign disclosure reports to the Board of Elections. The payments allegedly went to Lendler's company, which printed campaign literature. Vecchione argued the voice mail was a subtle way to intimidate Lendler, who knew the powerful politician could steer away business. But defense
lawyer Edward Rappaport said Norman meant nothing by the call,
arguing the tape would unfairly prejudice jurors. Norman has denied
any wrongdoing. By Zach Haberman Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman threatened a campaign vendor who testified before the grand jury that indicted him, prosecutors charged yesterday as the embattled assemblyman's trial began. "Out of sight is not out of mind," Norman said into Ernie Lendler's answering machine in December 2003 on the day the vendor testified before the panel deciding whether to indict the party heavyweight, said Assistant District Attorney Michael Vecchione. Vecchione said the jury which will decide whether Norman skirted election laws and filed false financial reports should be allowed to hear the message because it shows a "consciousness of guilt," and was a "veiled threat." But Norman's lawyer, Edward Rappaport, said allowing a jury to hear it would be prejudicial to his client. Justice Martin Marcus said he would decide today. Earlier in the day, ADA Kevin Richardson detailed to the jury of nine women and three men how Norman asked a lobbyist from the New York State Association of Service Stations to foot the bill for some of his campaign literature. The lobbyist, Ralph Bombardier, paid nearly $7,400 of Norman's bills to curry favor with the powerful politician, the prosecutor charged. The literature was printed by Lendler, and Norman asked him to send him different invoices some made out to the campaign, others to Bombardier, the DA said. Lendler agreed and the bills were allegedly faxed by Norman himself to Bombardier. The problem, Richardson said, was that Norman "did not tell his treasurer any of it, so when campaign records were submitted, these things were not there." Norman is accused of taking but not reporting over $10,000 in total from Bombardier. In his opening argument, Rappaport claimed the assemblyman had no need to fudge any campaign finance records. Norman had over $165,000 in his re-election committee accounts, said Rappaport, citing figures from the committee's financial disclosures prior to the 2000 primary. "Why would anyone in their right mind maneuver to hide $7,300?" he said. On Election Eve, Brooklyn Party Leader Is on Trial By Anemona Hartocolllis Less than a week before the Democratic primary, the state assemblyman who heads the party organization in Brooklyn was on trial yesterday on political-corruption charges brought by District Attorney Charles J. Hynes, a longtime political opponent. As opening arguments in the case began, an assistant district attorney, Kevin Richardson, said the party chief, Assemblyman Clarence Norman Jr., had solicited campaign contributions from a gasoline-station lobbying group in Albany knowing that the amounts exceeded state limits and then tried to hide the donations by not reporting them. His lawyer, Edward Rappaport, challenged the charges, saying the donations did not exceed the legal limits because they were shared by Mr. Norman and two candidates for the Democratic State Committee, and because they were made by separate entities controlled by the lobbying group. He said the failure to report the contributions had been a mistake made by the campaign treasurer, not a crime. The trial has placed both Mr. Norman and Mr. Hynes in an awkward spotlight days before the primary on Tuesday. Mr. Hynes, a Democrat who is running for re-election in a crowded Democratic field, has made the Norman case the centerpiece of his continuing inquiry into political corruption in Brooklyn, which began as an investigation into claims that judgeships were for sale. Mr. Norman, who has been party chairman since 1990, is one of the state's most powerful black politicians, and publicity about the case could turn black voters against the district attorney, who is white. Meanwhile, Mr. Norman has been hamstrung as a party leader, spending his days since jury selection began last week cooped up in State Supreme Court in Downtown Brooklyn, listening to potential jurors being questioned about their political activities and whether they were willing to serve on a case that Justice Martin Marcus has warned could last for several weeks. Brooklyn has one of the last vestiges of a boroughwide political organization in New York City, in which the endorsement of the party machine can be crucial for victory, especially in judicial races. Mr. Norman, 54, is also the latest in a line of party chiefs throughout the city to face trial on corruption charges. One of his predecessors, the legendary power broker Meade H. Esposito, was convicted of influence peddling; the former Bronx Democratic chairman, Stanley M. Friedman, was at the center of the Parking Violations Bureau scandal in the 1980's; and a Bronx Republican leader, former State Senator Guy J. Velella, was sentenced to a year in jail last year for bribery conspiracy. Mr. Norman has contended that the charges against him are a way of settling political scores, and has received support on that claim from other public figures, like Edward I. Koch, who has accused Mr. Hynes of criminalizing ethics issues and of humiliating Mr. Norman for the sake of publicity. At Mr. Hynes's request, Mr. Norman has been indicted four times in Brooklyn since 2003 on charges that he misused campaign funds, billed state taxpayers for $5,000 in travel expenses and strong-armed judicial candidates into hiring consultants for the party. The current case is the first to proceed to trial. Mr. Richardson, the prosecutor, told the jury that Mr. Norman had solicited two contributions from Ralph Bombardier, a lobbyist for the New York State Association of Service Stations and Repair Shops, of $7,493 in 2000 and $5,400 in 2002, to pay for campaign materials. Mr. Norman then tried to cover up the donations, Mr. Richardson said, because the legal limit for a contribution from a single political action committee is $3,100. "He did not tell his treasurer any of it," Mr. Richardson said. The prosecutor acknowledged that faxes regarding the expenditures had gone in and out of Mr. Norman's district office in Crown Heights. But he said the campaign treasurer, Carmen Martinez, worked mostly from home. Mr. Rappaport said Ms. Martinez made a mistake, and an honest one. "Was she just human and made an error by not including it" in campaign filings? he said. Had she been more vigilant, he said, she might have detected at least one payment. In 1998, facing a serious challenge for his Assembly seat from James E. Davis, a police officer, Mr. Norman hired a political consultant, Ernie Lendler of Branford Communications. Mr. Lendler provided mailings, posters and strategy. Mr. Norman, the prosecutor said, spent less money than Mr. Lendler had advised, and was distraught when he won by only a few hundred votes. In 2000, the prosecutor said, Mr. Norman was again opposed by Mr. Davis. Determined to mount a more aggressive campaign, he hired Mr. Lendler again. When a bill came in from Mr. Lendler, the prosecutor said, Mr. Norman asked a staff member to fax it to Mr. Bombardier, the lobbyist, who paid it. The money went for campaign materials, like thousands of plastic bags with Mr. Norman's name on them. Another payment followed. Mr. Rappaport said, however, that the campaign materials were shared by three candidates, including Mr. Norman, which would raise the maximum allowable limit. Furthermore, Mr. Rappaport said, the lobbyist was entitled to make contributions, legally, through more than one entity - an individual, a corporation and a political action committee - an act that would also raise the limit. The defense also argued that Mr. Norman was not desperate for money, because he had more than $180,000 in his campaign fund before the 2000 primary, and more than $165,000 before the 2002 primary. With the jury outside the room yesterday, Mr. Norman's lawyer asked the judge to bar the district attorney from playing for them a message left on Mr. Lendler's answering machine on the day he testified before the grand jury that indicted Mr. Norman. The message was from Mr. Norman, saying, in effect, that he had not seen Mr. Lendler for a long time, but that out of sight was not out of mind. Prosecutors contend this was intimidation, while Mr. Rappaport said it was meaningless. The judge reserved decision. Mr. Rappaport portrayed Mr. Norman as a striving Brooklynite, a minister's son who had gone to Erasmus Hall High School, Howard University and St. John's law school. If Mr. Norman is convicted on the most serious felony charge, filing a false financial report, he faces up to four years in prison. The prosecution all but conceded during jury selection that a good part of the case against Mr. Norman is circumstantial and hinges on the question of whether he intended to commit fraud. "Do you believe that you must hear someone tell you or others what they intend to do?" the lead prosecutor, Michael F. Vecchione, asked potential jurors. "Or can you determine it from listening or watching?" The prosecutor was also clearly worried that jurors might not perceive a white-collar crime, in which there was no victim, as a real crime. One potential juror said that she felt sorry for Mr. Norman, because no one had been hurt by what he was accused of doing; she was dismissed. War of Words Yet to Start in Norman Trial By Nancie L. Katz It's been a week since jury selection started, and lawyers for two Brooklyn political goliaths have yet to make an opening statement. After five days and 200 potential jurors, not one panelist has been picked or even fully interviewed in Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes' corruption case against borough Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman. But today, prosecutors and Norman's attorneys will begin questioning Brooklyn residents to see if they can fairly judge a case that is a faceoff between two of Brooklyn's best-known politicos. "We're hoping we'll be able to start before next weekend," said one attorney as court adjourned Friday after 200 potential jurors had been whittled down to 75. Hynes began investigating Norman in 2002 after Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Gerald Garson - under arrest for bribery - allegedly said Norman gave out lucrative judicial party endorsements for a price. Norman, an assemblyman whose county political machine backed Hynes in previous elections, has branded the probe a "political witch hunt." Hynes has yet to file an indictment involving judgeships for sale, but a grand jury has voted down four indictments against Norman on other charges. The current trial is about the first of those - that Norman allegedly tried to hide about $10,000 of campaign contributions so as not to exceed state limits. It took all last week to form a large enough jury pool to actually begin selecting jurors. Both sides say it's hard to find untainted jurors in a case with a well-known defendant and wide media coverage. Both sides say that the length of the trial - four weeks - has eliminated students and freelance workers who can't afford to miss a month's pay. Many potential jurors knew Norman, saying they had seen him in church and liked him. Many also read tabloid articles sardonically depicting the courtroom characters, mainly defense attorney Edward Rappaport - a talkative former judge whose bid tostay on the bench after age 70 was turned down after he allegedly failed toreport he was told a fellow jurist solicited a bribe. Norman, dressed in a suit and tie each day, has generally declined to talk about the case. "It's not my battle," he said Friday. "It's the Lord's." Campaign Loot - I'll Be the Judge By Tom Robbins As Brooklyn Democratic Party leader Clarence Norman was starting trial last week on corruption charges, his peculiar approach to judicial politics continued to loom over local elections. In a case that has even veteran pols shaking their heads, a Civil Court judicial candidate has spent more than any other contender even though she faces no primary. Genine Edwards, a personal-injury lawyer whose mother belonged to Norman's father's church, had spent $103,000 as of last week, $93,000 of it for the services of William "Tahaka" Robinson, a personable and energetic young campaigner whose own mom, Assembly Member Annette Robinson, is a close Norman ally and who learned his political chops in Norman's club. Guided by the younger Robinson, Edwards pulled off a minor miracle this spring: While five other candidates sought a Civil Court judgeship, none of them filed for the same seat as Edwards, allowing her to escape a costly and risky primary, and guaranteeing her election. Norman said he had nothing to do with it. "That's one lucky candidate," he chuckled. "I asked them not to run against us," explained Robinson, 36, who insisted he is "totally independent" of Norman. Robinson said he earned his pay through savvy maneuvering and hard work delivering literature and putting up posters. "I market candidates like rap stars," he said. Clearly his talents are in demand. Robinson has also hauled in thousands more from other Norman-backed candidates, including $16,000 from mayoral wannabe Gifford Miller, $10,000 from Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, $34,000 from district attorney candidate John Sampson, and $7,000 from Surrogate's Court candidate Diana Johnson. "That doesn't all go in my pocket. I have expenses," said Robinson, who is no longer working for Miller or Sampson because of unspecified "differences" with the campaigns. Da Probe of Dem's past Ok'd By John Marzulli District Attorney Charles Hynes won a significant pretrial victory yesterday in the corruption case against Democratic boss Clarence Norman. Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus ruled that if Norman testifies at his upcoming trial, prosecutors can grill him about a false report he presented to the Board of Elections, allegedly to evade contribution limits. Prosecutors also would be permitted to cross-examine Norman about whether he "stole" two checks totaling $3,400 into his personal account in 1999, which were made out to the Brooklyn Democratic Party and the Clarence Norman Democratic Party, Marcus ruled. Norman is not charged with crimes relating to those actions, but prosecutors want to be able show a pattern of prior bad acts if the defendant takes the stand and testifies that he made a mistake or didn't understand the law. In the trial scheduled for Aug. 29, Norman is charged with accepting about $10,000 in unreported campaign contributions. "We're very pleased by Judge Marcus' ruling," said Jerry Schmetterer, a spokesman for the district attorney. The judge did bar prosecutors from offering evidence that Norman stole two checks totaling $6,000 payable to his Democratic club in 2000 because he had the authority to redirect contributions to "political entities and candidates." Norman's lawyer could not be reached for comment. 'Crooklyn' Pol Loses Legal Round By Jim Hinch Norman, facing four political corruption indictments, goes to trial Aug. 29 on the first set of charges that he hid more than $10,000 in in-kind contributions from auto lobbyists. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus ruled yesterday that prosecutors tell jurors of Norman's "prior bad acts" including an alleged penchant for soliciting illegal contributions and stealing from his own campaign accounts. Now, prosecutors believe, Norman will have to think twice before taking the stand because if he does, he'll be grilled on his history of alleged wrongdoing. "He can't say [his alleged crimes] were a mistake, because he's done it before," said a source. NY Prosecutor's Illness May Stall Politico's Trial By Tom Perrotta The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office is seeking to delay the first of four criminal prosecutions against Democratic leader Clarence Norman, scheduled for next week. The lead trial attorney, Assistant District Attorney Kevin Richardson, has a serious illness affecting his lungs, the office said. Mr. Richardson, who was hospitalized briefly and is on medication, is afflicted with something more serious than bronchitis and cannot speak without coughing, said a spokesman for the office, Jerry Schmetterer. The judge handling the case, Acting Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus, is on vacation in China. Both sides will appear before him to discuss a delay next Tuesday, the day after jury selection had been scheduled to begin. Mr. Schmetterer said the timing of the possible delay had nothing to do with the upcoming Democratic primary, in which District Attorney Charles J. Hynes is seeking reelection. Mr. Richardson has been the lead attorney on the case for two years, Mr. Schmetterer said, and had been ready for trial until he became ill in the last two weeks. Mr. Norman faces charges that he solicited campaign contributions from a trade association that exceeded legal limits. Norman's Office Out of Bounds By Deborah Kolben Embattled Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman is on the way out - of his district, that is. Complaining about rising rent, the Crown Heights Assemblyman ditched his old office two weeks ago and moved into new digs at 231 Empire Blvd. The only problem: The new offices are about 5 blocks outside his 43rd District lines. "We looked around my old location, and we could not find any space," Norman insisted. "There was nothing comparable in my district." "The DA is trying to move him out of the office," said political consultant Hank Sheinkopf, referring to Charles Hynes. "And now he's out of the district, so half of the job is done." Norman is facing four indictments brought by Hynes - including charges he stole county money to pay his travel to Albany and strong-armed judicial candidates into paying favored vendors to get party backing. The state Assembly has no rule mandating that offices actually be inside the district lines. "Our bottom line is what serves the best interests of the constituents - and what is available," said Assembly spokesman Skip Carrier. Norman's new offices are now within Prospect Heights Assemblyman Roger Green's district. "It's fine," said Green, who welcomed Norman to the neighborhood. "He needed space, and apparently this was the best space for him." But not all of Norman's constituents agree. "I don't understand," said Eunice Givens, 71, who was passing by Norman's old empty office. "These people are the ones that made him, and he's going to go associate with other people? It doesn't make any sense." With Jimmy Vielk DA: B'klyn's Dem Chief in 17G Scam Prosecutors say they have uncovered evidence of more crimes by Brooklyn Democratic boss Clarence Norman - including allegations that he deposited nearly $17,000 in campaign donations into his personal bank account. Although Norman is not getting hit with new charges, prosecutors want to present evidence of the alleged bad acts to jurors if the political powerbroker decides to testify at his upcoming corruption trial. Norman allegedly pocketed six checks totaling $16,900 between 1999 and 2001 that were supposed to be deposited with various Democratic clubs or reelection committees, according to a court document filed by Brooklyn Deputy District Attorney Michael Vecchione. Norman also allegedly put the arm on a lobby group, the New York State Association of Service Station and Repair Shops, to pay expenses his reelection campaign owed to a printing company. Norman's lawyer Edward Rappaport said Norman denies the allegations and vowed to fight to keep them out of court. Jury selection is scheduled to get underway on Aug. 29 for Norman's trial on charges of accepting about $10,000 in unreported campaign contributions to avoid state donation limits. John Marzull Court Oks Theft Charge Against Norman By Nancie L. Katz Embattled Democratic party boss Clarence Norman lost another legal battle yesterday when an appeals court refused to throw out charges he double-billed for travel. In a 10-page decision, the state Supreme Court's Appellate Division dismissed Norman's contention that Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes overstepped his jurisdiction by indicting him on 76 counts of filing a false instrument and one count of grand larceny. The indictment charges that Norman asked to be reimbursed by the Legislature for travel from Brooklyn but did not reveal that his auto expenses already had been paid by the Brooklyn Democratic Committee. The appeal had delayed the grand larceny trial for Norman, who faces up to seven years behind bars if convicted of the charges. He also so facing three other indictments by Hynes. Norman's attorney, Roger Adler, could not be reached for comment. "This is an absolutely correct decision," said Assistant District Attorney Monique Farrell. "It will now allow us to bring this matter to trial." Norman is scheduled to go on trial Aug. 1 on charges he deliberately did not report a $2,700 in-kind contribution from a trade association. Hynes also has indicted Norman for allegedly depositing a check for his campaign into his personal account and allegedly coercing judicial candidates into patronizing vendors favored by the Democratic organization. In his challenge to the indictment on the travel-expense charges, Norman claimed the Legislature, not Hynes, had jurisdiction in such a case. He also argued that since the alleged crimes took place in Albany, Hynes had no jurisdiction to indict him. The court rejected both arguments. B'klyn Pol must Face Trial: Court By Zach Haberman An appellate court ruled that Assemblyman Clarence Norman will have to face trial in Brooklyn for allegedly filing bogus travel voucher claims even though he submitted the paperwork in Albany. The Appellate Division Second Department decided that since the beleaguered head of the Brooklyn Democratic Party started and ended his trips in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn District Attorney's office is within its jurisdiction to put him in front of a jury. Norman was indicted for submitting 76 travel vouchers valued at more than $5,000 for reimbursement, even though the Kings County Democratic Committee was already paying for the car and its upkeep. In the ruling, the appellate court stated: "Nobody is above the law," adding that the speaker gave clear "instructions to Assembly members for filing vouchers." Dem Boss Ready for Day in Court By Zach Haberman The new lawyer for Assemblyman Clarence Norman said the beleaguered Brooklyn Democratic leader is ready to go to trial. Retired Judge Edward Rappaport, who presided over Lemrick Nelson's murder trial for stabbing Yankel Rosenbaum in the 1991 Crown Heights riots, formally took over the reins yesterday, introducing himself at a Brooklyn Supreme Court hearing as lead council for Norman. Norman will first face a jury on a count of failing to report campaign expenses paid for by a political-action committee. Jury selection will begin Aug. 1.
Former NY Judge to Represent Politician in Corruption Trial Assemblyman Clarence Norman, the leader of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, has retained former Supreme Court Justice Edward M. Rapport to represent him on an indictment for failing to report a $2,700 in-kind contribution from a trade association, which is expected to go to trial Aug. 1. Mr. Norman faces four separate indictments, and originally the first case scheduled to be tried involved charges that he double-dipped on travel expenses to and from Albany. But that case was postponed from April 18 to await a ruling by the Appellate Division, Second Department, on the validity of the indictment. Gary F. Naftalis of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel is the lead lawyer on the double dipping case. Meanwhile, Mr. Norman has yet to select a lead lawyer for the other two cases. One charges him with depositing a $5,000 check made out to his campaign into a personal account; the other accuses him and Jeffrey Feldman, the Brooklyn party's executive director, with pressuring Civil Court candidates to use favored vendors. Mr. Naftalis said that when he agreed to take on the double dipping case, he told Mr. Norman that he had too many commitments to handle the other three indictments. Roger B. Adler, who has been representing Mr. Norman since he was first indicted in 2003, will be the second member of Mr. Norman's trial team in any case that goes to trial. Indicted Brooklyn Politician Takes Aim at His Accuser By Jonathan P. Hicks
With his trial on charges of misusing campaign funds delayed, Assemblyman Clarence Norman Jr., the Brooklyn Democratic Party chairman, spent yesterday in Albany instead of a courtroom - hurling accusations of hypocrisy and malfeasance at the Brooklyn district attorney who indicted him. And in an interview yesterday, Mr. Norman made clear that he had no intention either of seeking a plea deal or of resigning as the Brooklyn Democratic leader. "This nonsense about trying to cut a deal with the district attorney's office is just that: nonsense," Mr. Norman said, responding to some newspaper accounts that he was considering negotiating with District Attorney Charles J. Hynes's office and resigning as party leader. "There is no way. No way," he said. "We have not even contemplated any kind of a plea deal. These matters will go to trial - if they are not dismissed by the court." Mr. Norman has been indicted four times in Brooklyn since 2003 on a series of criminal charges. These include allegations that he misused campaign funds, billed state taxpayers for $5,000 in travel expenses and strong-armed judicial candidates into hiring consultants for the party. The first of the four trials was scheduled to begin yesterday, but a few weeks ago the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court delayed that trial while it rules on a motion by Mr. Norman's lawyers asserting that Mr. Hynes did not have jurisdiction in the case. The second trial is scheduled to begin in August. In addition to denying the charges against him, Mr. Norman accused Mr. Hynes of soliciting campaign contributions from his own senior staff. "If you are an executive in the office of the district attorney, you are expected to contribute $600 to Joe Hynes's campaign," Mr. Norman said. "He basically shakes them down." Mr. Norman added, as he has said repeatedly, that the charges against him were politically motivated. And yesterday, he said that Mr. Hynes's office employed a double standard in its prosecution of a onetime political candidate, John Kennedy O'Hara. Mr. O'Hara, a former lawyer who ran for City Council, was convicted in 1999 of lying about his voting address. He was sentenced to community service and disbarred. Specifically, Mr. Norman said that Mr. Hynes's office should have applied a similar standard to his first assistant district attorney, Dino Amoroso, who lives in Nassau County and lists his voting address as being in Queens. In an interview, Mr. Amoroso said that he had a home in Nassau County, but also had a longstanding relationship with the home in Queens where his parents live, which is the residence from which he votes. "This office has known for years that my address is in Nassau County and that I have voted from Queens," Mr. Amoroso said. "They are trying to draw an analogy to John O'Hara, who was convicted for what the judge said was a sham address. And he did it for the purpose of running for political office." Also, Mr. Amoroso said, the charge that employees in the district attorney's office were forced to contribute to the Hynes campaign was "preposterous and unconscionable." He added that some workers might have contributed to the Hynes campaign years ago. But he added that several years ago, Mr. Hynes took pains to request that "anyone employed in this office who contributed to his campaign stop doing so."
Norman Trial Put off Again By Zach Haberman Embattled Brooklyn Democratic boss Clarence Norman will have his day in court eventually. The state assemblyman, accused of improperly submitting travel vouchers, had his trial date pushed back for the third time in Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday after he officially reshuffled his defense team. Defense attorney Gary Naftalis will take over for Roger Adler as lead counsel in the first case against Norman, which was originally set to begin last November and had since been moved back twice. The trial will now start on April 18. Prosecutors charge that Norman, charged with one count of grand larceny and 76 counts of filing a false instrument, should not have been reimbursed for expenses incurred while using a car issued to him by the Brooklyn Democratic Committee. Dem's Accusers 'Sore Losers' Denise Buffa Extortion and other criminal charges against Brooklyn Democratic boss Clarence Norman should be dropped because the complaints came from two judges who wanted to dine with the Democrats but dodge the tab, his lawyer said yesterday. Former Judges Karen Yellen and Marcia Sikowitz wanted the Democratic endorsement but didn't want to pay for campaign literature, poll workers and other services to help them win re-election, attorney Roger Adler said at a hearing at Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday. But prosecutors defended the extortion and grand-larceny charges they've lodged against Norman and his top lieutenant, Jeffrey Feldman, for allegedly threatening to drop the endorsements of the two judicial candidates in the 2002 election if they didn't pay at least $100,000 for campaigning. Both judges lost their re-election bids. "That's what it's about: a bunch of sore losers who wanted to blame someone," Adler said. Lawyers Seek Dismissal of Charges Against Democratic Leaders By Elizabeth Stull Defense attorneys argued yesterday for dismissal of charges against Brooklyn Democratic Party leaders Clarence Norman and Jeffrey Feldman. Charges in Brooklyn Supreme Court include grand larceny by extortion, coercion, conspiracy, attempted grand larceny and attempted coercion of candidates for the bench. The defense lawyers argued that prosecutors are trying to criminalize legitimate political behavior —— specifically, threatening to withdraw the party's endorsement of two candidates if they refused to use certain vendors to print and distribute their campaign literature. Acting Justice Martin Marcus asked prosecutor Monique Ferrell what made the defendants' actions a crime if they were done in the interests of the party, as the defense lawyers claimed. Ms. Ferrell said the defendants' demands might have been lawful if they were conditions of receiving an endorsement, but that the threat of revoking one invoked fear which negated any consent the candidates' gave to use the specified vendors. The judge made no ruling on any of the counts against Mr. Norman or Mr. Feldman, the Brooklyn Democrats' executive director. He set a return date of Feb. 23. Mr. Norman, a state Assemblyman, is under indictment in three other cases. Both the judicial candidates lost their elections in the 2002 primary. Top Count Against NY Politician Is Sustained By Daniel Wise Acting Justice Martin Marcus yesterday sustained the top count in one of four indictments against Assemblyman Clarence Norman, the leader of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. Mr. Norman could face a maximum of 1-1/3 to 4 years in jail if convicted of failing to report $10,123 in in-kind contributions for his 2000 and 2002 re-election campaigns. Though he sustained the top count in the 10 count indictment, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, and five others, Justice Marcus dismissed four lesser counts. Previously, the judge sustained two separate indictments accusing Mr. Norman of double dipping on reimbursements for his travel expenses and depositing a $5,000 campaign check into a personal bank account. On Monday, Justice Marcus will hear arguments on Mr. Norman's motion to dismiss the fourth indictment, accusing him and the Brooklyn Democrats' executive director, Jeffrey Feldman, with pressuring Civil Court candidates to use favored vendor.
|
February
3, 2007 -- A failed Brooklyn Civil Court candidate told jurors
yesterday how then-county Democratic boss Clarence Norman went face
to face with her campaign manager, demanding she cave in to his
demands in return for the machine endorsement. 
A
day after his second straight felony conviction, disgraced Brooklyn
political boss Clarence Norman (left) was "in denial" as he faced a
stark choice: 'fess up or head to the pen, a source told The Post
yesterday. 
Just
one month after replacing scandal-plagued pol Clarence Norman as
Brooklyn Democratic Party boss, Assemblyman Vito Lopez appears
headed for his own tub of legal hot water. 
Indicted
former Assemblyman Clarence Norman's criminal defense blew up in his
face yesterday when his star witness abruptly refused to testify and
the judge weighed whether to scrap the entire trial. 
A
handful of Brooklyn Supreme Court justices have raised a whopping
$373,000 to get on the bench and spent most of the cash on
"donations" to political allies, on shopping trips, limo rides and
lavish induction parties, The Post has learned. 
Two
more judges' names have surfaced as targets of a probe into
Brooklyn's justice-for-sale scandal. 
A
state Supreme Court justice targeted by the
Brooklyn DA for allegedly buying his way onto the bench has
landed an immunity deal, and testified in front of a grand
jury about other reputed dirty jurists, The Post has learned.
"Let
me just make a confession," Clarence Norman Jr. declared two years
ago, as he, while under investigation, celebrated his birthday with
campaign contributors at a catering hall in Brooklyn. "Clarence
Norman and the Democratic Party, we are involved in politics. And if
there is a crime in being involved in politics, then we are indeed
guilty!" 
Brooklyn Democratic boss Clarence Norman and his
top lieutenant pleaded not guilty yesterday to
charges of extortion and grand larceny stemming
from an alleged shakedown of judicial candidates
seeking the party's endorsement. 
Embattled
Brooklyn Democratic boss Clarence Norman has been indicted
on charges of stealing public and party funds for personal
use, sources told The Post. 
A
Brooklyn grand jury will be asked to indict Democratic Party
leader Clarence Norman Jr. today after a six-month probe
into claims that judgeships in the borough are for sale, The
Post has learned. 
Six
months ago, Brooklyn prosecutors, spurred by a judge's
arrest in a bribery investigation, began examining whether
the Brooklyn Democratic leader, Assemblyman Clarence Norman
Jr., had played a role in the possible sale of judgeships,
and whether he or his associates profited along the way.
Investigators
for the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office have swooped
down on popular city eateries, demanding records of
embattled Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman, The Post
has learned. 
by
Tom Topousis