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Alec Brook-Krasny

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Alec Brook-Krasny
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 46th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2023
Preceded byMathylde Frontus
In office
November 7, 2006 – July 7, 2015
Preceded byAdele Cohen
Succeeded byPamela Harris
Personal details
Born (1958-03-02) March 2, 1958 (age 66)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Political partyRepublican (2022–Present)
Democratic (Before 2022)
Signature
WebsiteOfficial website

Alec Brook-Krasny (born March 2, 1958) is an American politician serving in the New York State Assembly representing the 46th district. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and was elected on November 7, 2006, to represent the 46th district, which covers the neighborhoods of Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Dyker Heights, and Seagate, in Brooklyn. He resigned on July 7, 2015. Brook-Krasny was arrested on charges of felony healthcare fraud in 2017, but the case was dismissed in 2019 after he was acquitted of conspiracy and fraud charges and the jury could not agree on misdemeanor bribery counts.[1]

In 2022, Brook-Krasny announced that he was joining the Republican party and running for the State Assembly once again. He was elected with 52% of the vote and is again a member of the Assembly.[2][3][4]

Early life and career

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Brook-Krasny immigrated to the United States in 1989 from Moscow, where he had graduated from the Moscow Institute of Consumer Technology (currently the Russian State University for Tourism and Services) in 1983. After several years in New York City, he became a manager and started a children's entertainment and community center called Funorama, in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.[5]

Political career

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Brook-Krasny's first political campaign was in 2000 for the New York State Assembly. In 2001, he ran for the New York City Council. Although he won the endorsement of The New York Times,[6] he lost the election to Domenic M. Recchia, Jr.

First tenure

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In 2006, State Assemblywoman Adele Cohen retired and Brook-Krasny declared his candidacy for her position. He won the Democratic primary election, with 3,101 votes to Kagan's 2,958,[7] and then won the general election over the Republican candidate, Patricia B. Laudano, 10,423 to 4,139 votes.[8][9]

Brook-Krasny was reelected to his assembly seat in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014. During his tenure, he served on the Housing, Aging, Cities, Election Law, and Governmental Employees Committees. On June 11, 2015, he announced his resignation from the assembly effective July 7, to work in the private sector.[10] He was succeeded by Pamela Harris, who was selected as the Democratic nominee by a party committee[11] and then won the special general election in November.[12] Harris, like Brook-Krasny, would later face criminal charges and she was succeeded by Mathylde Frontus in 2018.[13]

Second tenure

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In 2022, Brook-Krasny announced that he is joining the Republican Party and ending his membership with the Democratic Party. He ran for the New York State Assembly again as a Republican, successfully defeating Frontus.[2] Brook-Krasny would receive criticism in January, 2023, for hiring Katherine Khatari to his staff. Khatari, the first female elected to the Brooklyn Democratic Committee in 2018, formerly worked as a community associate for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.[14][15] Khatari became a Republican and a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, openly praising the January 6 United States Capitol attack after attending Donald Trump's rally on the same day.[16] Brook-Krasny expressed "serious concerns" about her pro-January 6 post, however, still hired her as his constituent services manager.[17]

Criminal charges

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Arrest

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In 2017, as part of "Operation Avalanche", Brook-Krasny was arrested on charges of healthcare fraud. He was indicted along with eight other individuals and corporate entities with schemes to illegally sell prescriptions for over 3.7 million opioid painkillers, to defraud Medicaid and Medicare of millions of dollars and to commit money laundering through two Brooklyn medical clinics owned by Lazar Feygin.[18]

Acquittal, hung jury and dropped charges

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After a trial that lasted two months, on July 25, 2019 Brook-Krasny was found not guilty of five felony charges of conspiracy, health care fraud, and scheming to defraud the state. A mistrial was declared on the other three misdemeanor commercial bribery charges after the jury could not reach a verdict.[19][20]

References

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  1. ^ Rosenberg, Rebecca (December 3, 2019). "Bribery charges dismissed against ex-state Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny". New York Post. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Republicans celebrate big year at holiday party". Brooklyn Eagle. 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  3. ^ "Alec Brook-Krasny - Assembly District 46 |Assembly Member Directory | New York State Assembly". nyassembly.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  4. ^ "2022 General • Member of Assembly • State Assembly District 46". 2022 Election Results. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  5. ^ Cardwell, Diane (September 6, 2001). "Race for City Hall: Brooklyn - 6 Democrats Seek Council Nomination in an Increasingly Diverse Area". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Council Endorsements: Brooklyn". The New York Times. August 30, 2001. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Statement and Return Report for Certification - Primary Election 2006 - 09/12/2006 Kings County - Democratic Party" (PDF). vote.nyc.ny.us. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  8. ^ Hicks, Jonathan P. (December 13, 2006). "City Sends 2 Foreign-Born First-Timers to the Assembly". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  9. ^ "Assembly - Vote - Nov. 7, 2006" (PDF). elections.ny.gov. New York State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  10. ^ Katinas, Paula (11 June 2015). "Brook-Krasny to Resign From State Assembly on July 7 - Source: Lawmaker Taking Private Sector Job to Boost Family Finances". brooklyneagle.com. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  11. ^ Silberstein, Rachel. "Pamela Harris Wins Democratic Nomination For Brook-Krasny's Assembly Seat". bensonhurstbean.com. Bensonhurst Bean. Archived from the original on 2016-01-22. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Pamela Harris (New York)". ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia - The Encyclopedia of American Politics. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Pamela Harris pleads guilty in federal fraud case". www.ny1.com. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  14. ^ Goldberg, Noah (7 January 2021). "Ex-employee of Brooklyn DA who served on Brooklyn Democratic Committee attended Trump rally, cheered Capitol mob". New York Daily News. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Statement and Return Report for Certification Primary Election 2018 - 09/13/2018 Kings County - Democratic Party" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  16. ^ Sommerfeldt, Chris (12 January 2023). "N.Y. Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny having second thoughts about hiring U.S. Capitol riot enthusiast". New York Daily News. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  17. ^ Sommerfeldt, Chris (14 July 2023). "N.Y. Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny hired Jan. 6 riot enthusiast after voicing 'serious' concern about her". New York Daily News. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  18. ^ Nugent, Thomas (June 14, 2017). "New Indictment Charges Alec Brook-Krasny, a Former New York State Assemblyman, with Commercial Bribing". snpnyc.org. Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  19. ^ Goldberg, Noah (July 26, 2019). "Former Brooklyn pol acquitted on charges of conspiracy, fraud — mistrial on three other counts". brooklyneagle.com. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Alec Brook-Krasny Found Not Guilty". shorefrontnews.com. Shorefront News. July 26, 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly, 46th District
2007–2015 		Succeeded by
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