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Thomas McNamara

Levy Files Sixth Lawsuit of Senate Coup

ALBANY—Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is suing members of the still-hobbled State Senate, claiming he needs to know who the chamber's president is so he can conduct his business as a county official. "The state legislature has had more than enough time to come to a resolution, but it has not," Levy said in a Read More

Sides Agree to Produce Records, Keep Talking Out of Court

ALBANY—We'll have to wait until Monday, or even longer. Judge Thomas McNamara sent the dueling parties in State Senate leadership struggle back to the negotiating table—a move that has become something of a trademark for him. By my count, this is the sixth time legal action related to the case has been adjourned. After a closed, Read More

Republicans Now Taking Senate Fight Back to Court

ALBANY—The State Senate leadership battle is going back to court. Two Republican state senators are filing a lawsuit against Angelo Aponte, the Democrat-designated secretary of the State Senate, seeking to restrain him from exercising his position. Aponte seems to control the nuts and bolts of the chamber, including sergeants at arms who on Tuesday blocked Read More

‘This Mess Is Worse Than Ever’

ALBANY—Apparently, the court decision that both sides in the State Senate leadership struggle were waiting for has changed nothing. Both sides claimed victory when Justice Thomas McNamara dismissed a suit filed last week by the Democrats, a suit which would have declared Malcolm Smith (still!) the majority leader and president pro tempore in the Senate. Read More

Judge Dismisses Democratic Challenge to Senate Coup

ALBANY—Finally, after delaying for negotiations four times, Justice Thomas McNamara dismissed a lawsuit filed by Democrats to declare Malcolm Smith the leader of the State Senate. I'm not in court because I was covering David Paterson, who spoke with reporters, but got the news from Democratic attorney Michael Kink's Twitter feed. Republicans told me last Read More