Latest news with #publicadvocate
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC public advocate: Jumaane Williams wins Democratic primary
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Public Advocate incumbent Jumaane Williams won the Democratic primary for New York City's next public advocate on Tuesday. Williams, who has served as the city's public advocate since winning a special election in 2019, beat Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar for the nomination. Click here for election results Williams released the following statement after defeating Rajkumar Tuesday night: 'Thank you to every New Yorker who came out to vote today, who recognized the truth, who have again placed their trust in me to connect people to their government and hold the powerful to account. 'As we await the final results in many other races, I'm focused on what's next. 'Tomorrow, I'm going to continue to do what I've been honored to do throughout my time in public service — raising the voices and fighting for the needs of New Yorkers. Whether we have a nominee, or a mayor, who stands with us in fighting for progressive policies that make New York safer and more affordable, or one who stands in the way, I'll keep showing up for New Yorkers, and standing up in the face of injustice, not standing by.' During his campaign, Williams won the endorsement of many labor unions and organizations, including Planned Parenthood of Greater New York and the New York State Nurses Association. A number of public officials also backed Williams, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. The incumbent's win comes despite allegations that arose during his campaign that an ex-staffer was drugged and assaulted by two members of his security detail. Williams will now go up against the Republican candidate Gonzalo Duran in the November general election. For more New York City primary election results, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Jumaane Williams Wins Democratic Primary for Public Advocate
Jumaane Williams, the progressive organizer who as New York City's public advocate emerged as one of the most prominent critics of Mayor Eric Adams, handily won the Democratic primary for the office on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Williams, 48, faced a challenge from Jenifer Rajkumar, 42, a state assemblywoman from Queens and an ally of the mayor, and Marty Dolan, 67, a former insurance executive. Both argued that Mr. Williams was too left-leaning to effectively hold the office. And as the Democratic mayoral primary narrowed to a two-man race between the moderate former governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the progressive state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, Mr. Williams's opponents sought to portray him as a would-be adversary of Mr. Cuomo's who could impede the city's progress. The public advocate race grew contentious in its final weeks, with Ms. Rajkumar distributing political cartoons and campaign mailers painting the incumbent as lazy and hostile to women. Mr. Williams rejected her claims. But Mr. Williams, who trailed Ms. Rajkumar in fund-raising by about $100,000, easily bested his opponents through heavy advertising and name recognition. In one of his advertisements on Instagram, he underlined his ability to stand up to both Mr. Adams and President Trump, saying the city needed a 'strong, independent public advocate to stand up — not just stand by.' Mr. Williams has emerged as one of the highest-ranking progressive Democrats in city leadership since taking office after a special election in 2019. He previously served on the City Council, and in 2022, he challenged Kathy Hochul in the governor's race. A self-proclaimed 'activist elected official,' Mr. Williams has been arrested more than a dozen times at protests, including while demonstrating in favor of tenants' rights and against deportations. He is one of Mr. Adams's loudest critics. As the mayor stared down a federal corruption indictment last fall, Mr. Williams said the city was rudderless under his leadership. And as Governor Hochul weighed removing the mayor over his perceived quid pro quo with the Trump administration to drop the charges, Mr. Williams, who as public advocate is first in the line of succession to the mayor, made plans to take the helm in City Hall. The public advocate serves as a city watchdog, helping New Yorkers navigate issues with government and services. The position offers a bully pulpit and has often been considered a springboard to higher office; former Mayor Bill de Blasio and the state attorney general, Letitia James, have both held the post. Mr. Williams also weighed in on the mayoral primary as he campaigned for re-election. In late May, he endorsed a slate of progressive candidates that included Mr. Mamdani; Brad Lander, the city comptroller; and Adrienne Adams, the City Council speaker. He expressed concerns about Mr. Cuomo's candidacy and said that he would not be ranking the former governor on his ballot. Mr. Williams will face a slate of independent candidates in the general election. Mr. Dolan is expected to also run as an independent.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Feds must probe NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for possible mortgage fraud in light of ‘serious' red flags surrounding Brooklyn home: pol
The feds and the city must probe whether NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams committed mortgage fraud and broke other laws in light of 'serious' red flags surrounding his troubled ownership of a Brooklyn property that ended in foreclosure, a fellow Democrat demanded this week. Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens) fired off letters Monday to Federal Housing Finance Director William Pulte and NYC Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber in the wake of The Post's exclusive last week revealing how the socialist pol lost a two-family home in Canarsie to Bank of America after he stopped paying the mortgage and racked up nearly $1 million in debt over 15 years. Holden in both letters said public records suggest Williams misrepresented his financial situation for years by collecting rent from multiple tenants living on the property while simultaneously being delinquent on a federally backed mortgage. 'If Mr. Williams misrepresented his financial position, rental income, or occupancy status in mortgage applications or ongoing certifications, he may have violated federal statutes governing mortgage fraud and bank fraud,' Holden wrote Pulte. 'This matter is particularly troubling given Mr. Williams' prominent role in publicly criticizing landlords through the City's 'Worst Landlords Watchlist' while allegedly engaging in similar misconduct himself. The apparent hypocrisy, combined with the scale of financial mismanagement and possible deception, undermines public confidence in elected leadership.' Williams – who earns $184,000 annually and collected thousands of dollars a year renting the home to multiple tenants – stopped making his $1,344 monthly mortgage payments in 2010, according to records. Holden in his letter to Strauber questioned whether Williams broke New York law by 'knowingly making false statements' in his annual financial disclosure filings. Williams, who served as a Brooklyn councilman from 2010 to March 2019 before being elected public advocate, didn't list earning rental income in many of his past yearly filings dating back over a decade — despite court records showing tenants living on his property. But he did list earning anywhere from $5,000 to $55,000 in rent in both 2022 and 2023, according to his most recent disclosure statements. Williams was slapped with a foreclosure action in 2014 by Bank of America over a $389,600 mortgage he took out on the house in 2006 to finance a vegan sandwich shop in Park Slope that went belly up two years later. Williams has long blamed his financial woes on the terms of his loan and tenants who didn't pay rent. The house was listed for sale through a foreclosure auction last month, but it reverted back to Bank of America ownership after not a single bidder offered a price exceeding the debt owed, which is now up to $944,582, according to The DOI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency declined comment. Williams' spokesman Kevin Fagan shot down the claims, saying Holden 'has every right to request wasting time and money investigating a decade-old non-story on a false premise — though it would have been more efficient if he'd simply looked at the public records and seen that the public advocate has accurately reported any rent collected and filed required disclosures.'
