John L. Sampson
| John Sampson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New York Senate from the 19th district | |
|
In office January 1997 – July 24, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Howard E. Babbush |
| Succeeded by | Roxanne J. Persaud |
| Minority Leader of the New York State Senate | |
|
In office January 3, 2011 – 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Dean Skelos |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Stewart-Cousins |
| Democratic Conference Chairman New York State Senate | |
|
In office June 16, 2009 – December 31, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 17, 1965 Brooklyn, New York |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Alma mater |
Brooklyn College (B.A.) Albany Law School (J.D.) |
John L. Sampson (born June 17, 1965) represented District 19 in the New York State Senate, which comprises Crown Heights, East Flatbush, as well as portions of Brownsville, Canarsie and Spring Creek Towers. Sampson was found guilty of federal charges on July 24, 2015.
Education and early legal career
Sampson earned his B.A. in Political Science from Brooklyn College and a J.D. from Albany Law School (class of 1991). He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Albany Law School.[1]
Sampson worked as law clerk with the Department of Environmental Conservation and as a Staff Attorney to the Legal Aid Society of New York.[2]
Since 1994, he has worked as an attorney for the law firm of Alter and Barbaro, Esqs.[3]
Political career
Elected in 1996 to the New York State Senate, Sampson was the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Deputy Majority Leader for State/Federal Relations. He is a former Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Health Committee. Following his indictment, he was removed from committee assignments, ranking positions, and banned from conferencing with senate Democrats.[4]
Sampson has the distinction of being the first African American to serve as the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has also served as Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee and the Senate Administrative Regulations Review Commission.[2]
In 2005, John Sampson made an unsuccessful bid to become District Attorney of Kings County, New York, opposing the incumbent DA, Charles "Joe" Hynes.
On June 15, 2009, Sampson was elevated to the leadership of the Democratic Conference of the State Senate. As Conference Chairman, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and the legislative agenda of the Democratic Caucus. He served in leadership alongside former Majority Leader and Temporary Senate President Malcolm Smith.[5]
On May 6, 2013 Sampson was indicted by a federal grand jury for embezzlement, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation stemming from alleged theft of $400,000 from the sale of foreclosed homes,[6][7] to which he pleaded not guilty.[8]
On July 24, 2015, Sampson was convicted of obstructing justice and making false statements, which are felonies, and thus vacated his Senate seat.[9]
On March 10, 2016, the Appellate Division First Department suspended Sampson from the practice of law.[10]
References
- ↑ "Hon. John L. Sampson '91". Archived from the original on June 27, 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 Biography: John L. Sampson, New York State Senate, found at http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/john-l-sampson/bio. Accessed May 21, 2012.
- ↑ King, David Howard (6 May 2013). "Who Is NY State Sen. John Sampson?". GothamGazette. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ↑ Vielkind, Jimmy. "Feds: Sen. John Sampson embezzled". Albany Times Union. Retrieved 5/6/2013. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ Danny Hakim and Jeremy W. Peters, "Judge Refuses to Reverse G.O.P. Takeover of State Senate," New York Times, June 16, 2009, found at New York Times website. Accessed June 16, 2009.
- ↑ "Senator in Corruption Case Spoke of Silencing Witnesses, Prosecutors Say". New York Times. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ↑ "For New York Legislators, Indictments Are No Obstacle to Seeking Re-election". New York Times. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ↑ http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/new_york_state_sen_john_sampso_1.html
- ↑ John Sampson, New York State Senator, Is Guilty on Some Federal Charges by Stephanie Clifford, in the New York Times on July 24, 2015
- ↑ http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/motions/2016/2016_66541.htm
| New York State Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Howard E. Babbush |
New York State Senate 19th District 1997–2015 |
Vacant |
| Preceded by John A. DeFrancisco |
New York State Senate Chairman of the Judiciary Committee 2009–2010 |
Succeeded by John Bonacic |
| Preceded by Andrew Lanza |
New York State Senate Chairman of the Committee on Ethics 2009–2010 |
Succeeded by Andrew Lanza |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by new office |
Democratic Conference Leader in the New York State Senate 2009–2010 |
Succeeded by José M. Serrano |
| Preceded by Dean Skelos |
Minority Leader in the New York State Senate 2011–2013 |
Succeeded by Andrea Stewart-Cousins |