The New York Observer » Kendall Stewart

Slush Aide Admits Nepotism

A former Council staffer who plead guilty to misusing public funds in the slush fund scandal has agreed to pay a $2,500 fine for improperly employing his daughter.Asquith Reid, who used to work for Councilman Kendall Stewart of Brooklyn, admitted in a deposition made public just now that his daughter was hired by Read More

Over the Mayor’s Objections, a Parking Allowance

The City Council approved a five-minute grace period for motorists before they could be ticketed by parking agents.The bill passed 47 to 2, with Tony Avella of Queens and Dan Garodnick of Manhattan opposing.The mayor has said he is not in favor of the bill, but speaker Christine Quinn and others spoke out in favor.One Read More

In Brooklyn, Williams Simply Overwhelms Stewart

If you wanted to talk to Jumaane Williams yesterday afternoon, you had to risk getting trampled by students and parents near P.S. 269 on Nostrand Avenue.

The school had just let out and Williams stood near the school entrance, offering his palm card to anyone passing by. Many people already had their hands full Read More

C.U. Goes with de Blasio and Liu, Dadey Lowers Anti-Incumbent Expectations

The executive director of Citizens Union strongly opposed extending term limits legislatively, and hopes that those City Council members who went along with the rules change face the wrath of voters at the polls tomorrow.

But it may not work out that way. In fact, only a handful of the more than two dozen Read More

Clarke Says Blame Bloomberg, Not Council, For Term Limits

Here’s Yvette Clarke earlier today, complaining about Michael Bloomberg’s push to extend term limits. Her remarks are followed by my question about the guy who voted for it, Kendall Stewart, standing behind her.

Thompson Gets Support From Stewart, But Not on Term Limits

Bill Thompson, who has made his opposition to Michael Bloomberg’s extension of term limits a major campaign theme, was endorsed today by one of the City Council members who voted for it.

That member, City Councilman Kendall Stewart, said it was a “mistake” for Thompson to campaign on that theme.

Stewart was speaking to reporters Read More

Stewart’s Opponent Calls for His Resignation

One of Kendall Stewart’s opponents, Jumaane Williams, called on him to resign from office, now that two of his staffers are reportedly set to plead guilty to embezzling $145,000 in public money.

Williams also said during a recent debate that Stewart “said his chief of staff wasn’t involved.” Williams said the debate was hosted Read More

Report: Two Former Stewart Staffers Will Plead Guilty to Embezzling

Two former staffers to Kendall Stewart are going to plead guilty to embezzling $145,000 in public money earmarked for a nonprofit group and directing it to relatives in Jamaica, according to British Caribbean News.

One Stewart’s rivals, Jumaane Williams, said he will call for the councilman’s resignation at a press conference later today.

A Read More

WFP Retribution By Spam

Here’s a taste of the Working Families Party's direct email marketing this election season. This one is for Jumaane Williams, who is trying to unseat Kendall Stewart, an incumbent who voted to extend term limits (over the WFP's staunch opposition):

Jumaane is a perfect fit. The son of West Indian immigrants, he was born in Read More

Comptroller Candidates Spend More Than They Raise

Several of the Democratic city comptroller candidates are raising less money than they’re spending, according to the latest campaign finance filings.

Melinda Katz, a council member from Queens, raised $80,743 and spent $92,512.

David Weprin, another council member from Queens, raised $24,660 and spent $97,342.

A third Read More

Stewart’s Choice

Here’s City Councilman Kendall Stewart's nomination of a certain mayoral candidate for Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat.

Sheinkopf Predicts: Squadron Wins Big, Parker Wins Small

Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf—who's seen many, many primaries—indulged me with a few predictions about the outcome of some of today's competitive races:Assemblyman Sheldon Silver by 10 points.State Senate challenger Dan Squadron by 10 points.Representative Ed Towns by 8 to 10 points.State Senator Kevin Parker by only 2 points.

Agree? Disagree?

Felder’s Appeal to Borough Park, Stewart’s List of ‘Supporters’

This sign was spotted by a reader in Borough Park and again in a predominantly Jewish enclave at the edge of Kensington (around 50th Street and 10th Avenue) in Brooklyn.The tag line, in Hebrew and English--If Simcha loses, We All Lose--is a pretty direct appeal for votes along identity lines.

Felder is running for State Senate Read More

Kendall Stewart’s Very Own Newspaper

Also at last night's debate in Brooklyn, Kendall Stewart was handing out campaign literature, a 16-page broadsheet designed to look like a newspaper, complete with a masthead.The front-page has a letter from Stewart, in which he uses the word “change” a lot, and a huge picture of Barack Obama next to a photo Read More

Parker, Stewart and Felder Have a Debate About Identity

A raucous debate infused with racial tension took place last night in Brooklyn between Democratic State Senator Kevin Parker and his two primary opponents, term-limited City Council members Kendall Stewart and Simcha Felder.

Each candidate is representative of one of three major demographic voting blocs in the district--Felder is an Orthodox Jew, Stewart is a Caribbean Read More