Candidacy Leads To Disbarment

A conviction has resulted in disbarment ordered by the New York appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department

In determining the appropriate measure of discipline, we have considered the character evidence submitted by the respondent, his extensive community service, and his lack of disciplinary history. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we find that the respondent conceived and executed a plan using members of the community as straw donors to make contributions to his campaign, without respect for the ethical requirements of the legal profession or the office he was seeking. Moreover, once his contributions were being investigated, the respondent attempted to conceal the underlying scheme by deliberately and repeatedly intimidating the straw donors to answer questions from law enforcement as he instructed, or not to cooperate with law enforcement at all. The intimidation used included, inter alia, threats of deportation, threatening a straw donor’s employment, and having complaints of child abuse filed against a straw donor who expressed reservations about carrying out the respondent’s plan. The respondent also relied upon his stature as an attorney to persuade the straw donors not to cooperate with FBI agents, thereby abusing his position as an attorney

Respondent was a candidate for the New York City Council. (Mike Frisch)