In
a surprise move, over a dozen of the most influential leaders of the
Chasidic sects of Satmar, Bobov, Munkatch, Klauzenberg, Boyan, Belz,
Krasna and Ger have dumped their preferred primary candidate Democratic
State Senator Eric Schneiderman to endorse Republican District Attorney
Dan Donovan for Attorney General in the hotly contested General Election
next week Tuesday, November 2nd.
Insiders say that these leaders considered supporting famed
prosecutor Dan Donovan immediately after Schneiderman pledged his
allegiance and office space to controversial activist Al Sharpton.
Others were disturbed by the revelation that Schneiderman's biggest
financial supporter is the radical left-wing anti-Israel billionaire
George Soros who has raised well over $100,000 for Schneiderman.
Still, for others, the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back
was the report last week that Senator Schneiderman's close colleagues in
the Senate may have engaged in corruption regarding the distribution of
a multi-billion dollar gambling contract at the Aqueduct Race Track in
Queens. Schneiderman accepted over $75,000 from his Senate colleagues
who have been cited in the Inspector General's report detailing what may
be illegal activities.
''Dan Donovan's long, proven record of fighting crime and corruption
make him the best choice to fight for and protect not only the members
of our community but all of New York's citizens,'' said renowned Rabbi
Aron Welz – the most prominent leader of the largest Chasidic sect in
Boro Park.
Dan Donovan travelled to Boro Park yesterday to personally pick up
the endorsements of: Rabbis Weltz, Goldberg, Dembitzer, Fischman,
Lebowitz, Reicher, Barber, Langsam, Pinchas, Glauber, Tauber and
Garfinkel to name a few. Donovan toured the famed institutions of
Satmar, Bobov and Krasna before meeting with a larger Chasidic group for
their formal endorsement.
These new endorsements put the Chasidic community on a direct collision course with local Democratic representative Assemblyman Dov Hikind and the lay leadership of Agudath Israel of America who have endorsed Schneiderman for Attorney General (in the primary election).
One political strategist explained, ''These Donovan supporters and
chasidic leaders seem like they are declaring their independence from
the so-called 'establishment' once and for all.''
UPDATE: Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, a spokesman for Agudath Israel of America, insists in an email to YWN that ''ALL the Agudah LAYleaders who have previously endorsed Schneiderman did NOT endorse him in the GENERAL election''.
