WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT RICHARD ABORN | IN HIS OWN WORDS | PRESS RELEASES
“Aborn is the candidate each of the others is more worried about.”
—NY MAGAZINE web site
“Mr. Aborn has the most club and elected-official support to date. In response to Mr. Aborn’s latest endorsements, Mr. Vance said in a statement that he was “surpris[ed] given my background and experience.”... Ms. Snyder did not respond to requests for comment.”
—NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL (subscription required)
“Maurice Carroll, the head of Quinnipiac University Policy Institute, said the race is up for grabs. He added that he was surprised by Mr. Aborn’s strong fundraising figures…Like Mr. Carroll, [Jerry] Skurnik agreed that Mr. Aborn “has been the surprise” candidate, both in terms of the endorsements he has received and the amount of money he has raised.”
“One of the country’s leading advocates for gun control… Almost daily, Mr. Aborn’s campaign has sent out e-mail messages announcing new endorsements….the endorsements have created the impression that Mr. Aborn has momentum, political insiders said. ‘He’s gone from zero to 60,’ Mr. Stricklin said. ‘It’s interesting to see someone go from a relatively unknown dark-horse candidate to be challenging.’”
”[Aborn] has recently gained some momentum. He has received endorsements from a former police commissioner, William J. Bratton, and from several elected officials, and on Monday, he released his first detailed policy paper, a five-point plan for combating gun violence in Manhattan….”
—NEW YORK TIMES website
“Perkins’ endorsement of Aborn is especially noteworthy, considering the legislator has worked closely with Morgenthau’s office on issues in the past and, instead of kowtowing to Morgenthau’s wishes, chose the other man.”
—NY MAGAZINE web site
“Seven additional Manhattan elected officials declared themselves this morning for Richard Aborn, [whose] campaign to succeed Robert Morgenthau as District Attorney is picking up momentum….Viverito said she hadn’t met with Judge Snyder, but all of the other new Aborn backers said they’d made up their minds after sitting with all three candidates.”
— VILLAGE VOICE web site
“In a wide-ranging interview with The Post, Aborn said that if elected, his priority will be preventing crime….That’s why Aborn—the key strategist behind the Brady gun-control law and the national assault-weapons ban—said he has always been so attracted to gun-control regulation. As a prosecutor under Robert Morgenthau in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Aborn said he was struck by how often illegal guns cause tragedy—and how they could have been stopped.”
“[Aborn] talks about the need to ‘break the cycle of violence’ …He said that he would be ‘tough on nonviolent crime,’ but that a necessary part of doing so would be to ‘rebuild families and rebuild communities.’….In between stints as a prosecutor and police consultant, Aborn worked as the head of a national advocacy group fighting for tougher gun control laws….We stared into the eye of the N.R.A. and said we’re going to beat you. And we did!’ he says.
—NY OBSERVER web site
“Mr. Aborn's description of himself as a "proven crime fighter" and "true progressive" has gained some traction among party activists….Jerry Skurnik, head of political consultancy Prime New York, said that "most people are surprised at the amount of organized political support" that Mr. Aborn has received. He called him a "real contender."
“Joined on the steps of City Hall by a group of about 30 women that included elected officials and community leaders, Mr. Aborn unveiled a coalition dubbed Women for Aborn. Several of them spoke, saying that despite Ms. Snyder’s attempt to break the sex barrier, they felt that Mr. Aborn was simply the best candidate…..Mr. Aborn has been the strongest and most consistent advocate of the three candidates when it comes to reforming the drug laws, Ms. Glick said….Mr. Aborn’s supporters questioned Ms. Snyder’s record as a progressive, focusing mostly on the drug laws and the death penalty. Ms. Brewer applauded Mr. Aborn’s work as a gun-control advocate and Ms. vanden Heuvel said she believed he could pull together diverse coalitions."
-- NEW YORK TIMES web site
“The wrongfully convicted man who Manhattan District Attorney candidate Leslie Crocker Snyder says inspired her to change her mind on the death penalty has endorsed one of her opponents, Richard Aborn. Jeffrey Deskovic, who spent 17 years in prison for a murder that he didn't commit and was freed by DNA evidence, said that he didn't trust Snyder's "campaign-year conversion."….Aborn, a lawyer and head of the Citizens Crime Commission, has offered a slew of proposals to curb wrongful convictions, including increased access to DNA testing. "Sending the wrong man to prison is a prosecutor's nightmare," said Aborn. "There are progressive and effective steps we can take to strengthen a culture of accountability."
-- DAILY NEWS
Protecting Workers Rights
Huffington Post (8/20/2009)
Yu Guan Ke worked more than 10 years as a delivery man on for an Upper West Side restaurant, where he was paid $120 a week for 75 hour weeks. Despite repeated protests, the restaurant owners refused to pay the minimum wage to Mr. Ke and dozens of workers - almost all of them immigrants - until a civil lawsuit forced them to do so.
In investigating the Yu Guan Ke case, a federal court found that multiple restaurants through Manhattan had failed to pay the minimum wage to their employees and engaged in a campaign to intimidate them and prevent them from filing a lawsuit.
We need to do more to protect hardworking New Yorkers like Mr. Ke. New York State has strong and progressive wage protection laws on the books, but too many workers go unprotected because those laws aren't enforced aggressively enough.
Preventing Traffic Fatalities
Huffington Post (8/4/2009)
Almost everyone in New York knows that the homicide rate in New York, thanks to effective policing and prosecution, has declined to around 500 homicides a year from a peak of more than 2200 homicides in 1990. Mayors and police commissioners, rightfully, tout these numbers and New York's status as the safest big city in America.
And yet few people know that, shockingly, the traffic fatality rate in New York is almost as high -almost 300 lost lives a year.
A Narrow Victory
Huffington Post (7/23/09)
Thanks to a vocal grassroots opposition, the Thune Amendment on concealed weapons was narrowly defeated in the senate yesterday, signaling a victory for gun control advocates throughout the country. I'm glad our efforts paid off, but the truth is, we can't rest on our laurels - the fact that Democrats and Republicans alike voted for the measure only underscores that we must remain vigilant in the fight against the NRA.
Out-fox the NRA Again
Huffington Post (7/21/09)
When I was leading Handgun Control, Jim and Sarah Brady's national gun control organization, in the 1990s, we studied everything the NRA did. We wanted to know exactly how they thought, what their tactics were to sneak through legislation, and who their go-to people were when they needed something done.
Yet Another Massive Fraud Shows We Need to Go After White Collar Crime with a Vengeance
Huffington Post (7/13/09)
Another month, another appalling white-collar crime. This time the Manhattan DA announced a massive mortgage fraud indictment that appears to have saddled low-income New Yorkers with mortgages they can't afford, and could ultimately show losses of more than $100 million.
Guns in Church and the Myth of the NRA
Huffington Post (6/26/09)
Did you see the story in today's New York Times about a pastor who is holding a "bring your gun to church day"? Outrageous. But the real thrust of the article was the growing power of the National Rifle Association, which the article noted is "widely considered the country's most powerful lobby."
It’s Time to Stand up to the NRA Again
Huffington Post (5/26/09)
It was utterly predictable; the NRA and its gun lobby allies are on the attack against my campaign for Manhattan District Attorney.
The gun plan I am proposing in my campaign couldn't be more straight-forward: develop a cooperative electronic regional interstate compact linking illegal gun trafficking investigations from the source states of illegal guns to New York with New York investigations. Dubbed the I-95 Compact, because Interstate 95 is the main conduit for illegal weapons coming to NY, such a compact would give us a highly focused look at gun traffickers and augment the scarce resources of ATF.
Embrace The Possible: A New Direction in New York
Huffington Post (5/4/09)
Johnny's quote in the report was stark: "We didn't care. We were so high -- you'd get so high that sometimes we'd need money and we'd choose which one we didn't like in the neighborhood."
You don't need to be a prosecutor to grasp how frequently Johnny's story, reported in a 2002 Vera Institute of Justice study, is repeated every day. As sad as his and endless similar stories are, the real tragedy is that we have the ability to help Johnny change his life, but only if we are willing to reach out and embrace the possible and in doing so, not only help Johnny, his family and his community, but enhance public safety.
Aborn Statement on Confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor
Richard Aborn, candidate for Manhattan DA, today released the following statement in response to the confirmation of his former colleague, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, to the Supreme Court.
Congressman Jerry Nadler Endorses Richard Aborn for Manhattan DA
NEW YORK—US Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) today endorsed Richard Aborn for Manhattan District Attorney, touting Aborn’s progressive vision and record for the office. Nadler also said that Aborn is best equipped to keep what has made the DA office great, while making the needed improvements to modernize and update the office.
Aborn & Bratton Introduce New CompStat-Like Plan for DA Crimefighting
NEW YORK- Richard Aborn, candidate for Manhattan DA, today unveiled PreventStat, a detailed proposal to improve the use of technology in the DA’s office, and increase accountability and oversight analysis. Aborn was joined by former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, the pioneer of CompStat, which has become a standard method for police departments across the world for collecting and analyzing data, and making departments more effective.
Aborn Lands Deskovic Endorsement, Unveils Plan to Limit Wrongful Convictions
NEW YORK-Richard Aborn, candidate for Manhattan DA and a member of the NYS Bar Task Force on Wrongful Convictions, today rolled out an extensive policy platform to reduce wrongful convictions and ensure greater transparency in the criminal justice system. A steadfast opponent of the death penalty, Aborn was endorsed at the event by Jeffrey Deskovic, a nationally recognized advocate for social justice, who was exonerated by DNA evidence after spending 16 years in prison for a rape and murder he did not commit.
Aborn Wins OutPOCPAC Endorsement
NEW YORK-Mahattan DA candidate, Richard Aborn, today announced the support of OutPOC: Out People of Color. Touting his ‘progressive and effective” vision for preventing crime, Pauline Park, co-president of OutPOCPAC said:
Aborn Proposes Significant Reforms to the Juvenile Justice System
NEW YORK-Richard Aborn, candidate for Manhattan District Attorney, today unveiled an extensive proposal to make significant reforms to New York’s broken juvenile justice system. Aborn characterized the current system as problematic given high rates of recidivism and a disproportionately negative impact on communities of color, with 95 % of the city’s incarcerated youths of African American and/or Latino descent. Pledging to prioritize youth crime, Aborn said:
Aborn Warns U.S. Senate Amendment Could Overturn State Limits on Carrying Concealed, Loaded Weapons
NEW YORK —Manhattan DA candidate Richard Aborn today sharply condemned a potential amendment to the Defense authorization bill that would enable residents of states with lax gun laws to carry loaded, concealed weapons in states that ban such possession. Aborn said the federal legislation—sponsored by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and 22 co-sponsors—would effectively allow the weaker concealed carry laws of one state to nullify the restrictions of others, permitting loaded, hidden handguns to be carried nearly anywhere, by anyone, regardless of the law in the state they are currently in.
Progressive Women: Aborn Will Prevent Crime and Protect Justice
NEW YORK- Richard Aborn, candidate for Manhattan DA, rallied with heavy hitters from New York’s progressive core to unveil the broadest and most diverse coalition of women of any candidate. Heavy weights like Katrina vanden Heuvel (editor of the Nation magazine), Catherine Abate (former NYC Corrections Commissioner, Senator, and candidate for DA), Assemblymembers and Councilmembers spoke out publicly for the first time about why they’re supporting Aborn in the city’s most contested race.
Aborn: Manhattan DA’s Office Should Implement Vets Diversion Treatment Program Used in Bklyn & Quns
NEW YORK- The Manhattan DA office should implement a diversion treatment program for veterans with mental health issues pushed into the criminal justice system for non-violent crimes, Manhattan DA candidate Richard Aborn said today. The program, recently initiated in Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County, extends a helping hand to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan by screening those accused of crimes to see if they may be eligible for diversion from the criminal justice system into treatment programs.
Aborn Lands Endorsement of UFCW Local 1500
NEW YORK - Touting his progressive and effective vision for preventing crime, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 1500 today endorsed Richard Aborn for Manhattan DA.
Statement on the 100th Anniversary of the NAACP
“The 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is cause for celebration for all Americans who value social justice. We are a society transformed because of the outstanding and courageous leadership of the NAACP.
Aborn: Investigate East Side Attack as a Hate Crime
NEW YORK- In response to Saturday’s brutal attack on Joe Holladay who was assaulted by a group of men who reportedly shouted anti-gay slurs, Richard Aborn, candidate for district attorney, today condemned the attack and called on the NYPD to investigate the incident as a hate crime.
Aborn Urges Mikulski to Lift Restrictions on Legal Service Providers
NEW YORK—Manhattan DA candidate Richard Aborn today urged US Senate subcommittee chair Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to lift restrictions preventing legal services clients from participating in class action lawsuits and dictating how all monies legal services providers receive may be spent. Aborn’s action comes as the US House of Representatives failed to lift these onerous restrictions put in place by the Republican Congress in 1994 and recently condemned by President Obama.
TWO MORE CLUBS: GLID & 504 DEMOCRATS ENDORSE ABORN FOR DA
NEW YORK- Touting his ‘progressive and effective” vision for preventing crime, two major organizations—Gay & Lesbian Independent Democrats (GLID) and 504 Democrats—today endorsed Richard Aborn for Manhattan DA.
Councilmember Rosie Mendez Endorses Aborn for Manhattan DA
NEW YORK- Councilmember Rosie Mendez today endorsed Richard Aborn for Manhattan District Attorney, praising his bold vision to find ways to prevent crime before it happens, and create strong community partnerships to serve the unique needs of New York’s diverse neighborhoods and ensure justice and equal protection under the law regardless of race, creed, culture, or sexual orientation.
New York’s Preeminent Gun Control Leaders Endorse Aborn for DA
NEW YORK-Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, The Million Mom March and New Yorkers Against Gun Violence today announced their endorsement of Richard Aborn for Manhattan District Attorney, praising his record of aggressive action to curtail illegal gun trafficking and pass the landmark Brady Bill.
Aborn Repudiates District Attorneys on Rockefeller Drug Law Reform
NEW YORK-Manhattan DA candidate Richard Aborn today released the following statement in response to a press conference held by seven New York State district attorneys condemning the passage of historic reform of the Rockefeller drug laws.
Aborn Unveils Five Point Plan to Combat Gun Violence
Richard Aborn, national gun control leader who masterminded Brady Bill & AW Ban, details plan as Manhattan DA to protect borough from guns Aborn: Regionalize gun trafficking interdiction, require NY guns to include micro-stamping technology, impose national gun show background checks
