A Park Slope state pol threw his support behind a local attorney running for the low-level, unpaid post of district leader to represent the Brooklyn Democratic Party days after the area’s current district leader announced he would not seek reelection.
Democratic Assemblyman Robert Carroll endorsed lawyer Douglas Schneider — along with his female counterpart for the position, Lori Citron Knipel — to replace long-time Slope district leader Jacob Gold, who said he would not try to retain the seat he’s held for 43 years following the publication of a damning report that exposed how he used thousands of dollars from his state-run campaign coffers to fund his lavish lifestyle.
“Doug is a committed community activist and attorney who has worked or volunteered in Democratic politics for twenty years. His knowledge, skills, and vision will be a tremendous asset for the Kings County Democratic Party and the 44th Assembly District,” Carroll said. “Doug and Lori together will make a great team and I look forward to working with them on issues big and small across the neighborhoods of the 44th.”
Schneider threw his hat into the ring back in January to unseat Gold — months before the New York Post reported on May 21 that the long-time district leader allegedly siphoned $132,432 from his war chest over the past decade to buy pricey suits, perfume, and cigars.
And just two days after the release of the article — in which former Public Advocate and current head of good-government group Citizens Union Betsy Gotbaum said Gold’s spending raised eyebrows — the embattled seat-holder sent out a press release defending his tenure but also announcing his political retirement.
“I assure you that I have never done anything illegal, immoral, or even remotely unethical. I assure you my service as your leader has always been to further the best interest of this district,” Gold said in a document titled “I Quit.” “To avoid any further distractions from the genuine issues in the coming campaign, I am choosing not to seek reelection.”
Carroll — who originally hoped to oust Gold from the low-level post himself in 2016, before pivoting to the salaried gig up in Albany when former Park Slope Assemblyman Jim Brennan announced his retirement — thanked the current district leader for his years of service in the Democratic party.
“We have been lucky to have a district leader in Jacob Gold who has been an active and dedicated leader in our neighborhoods and a staunch progressive Democrat,” Carroll said in a statement released along with Gold’s on May 23. “I wish him only the best in retirement.”
