Eric Schneiderman, 'Sheriff Of Wall Street,' Elected As NY Attorney General

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Democratic state senator who vowed to protect the interests of everyday New Yorkers beat a Republican prosecutor Tuesday in the race to be New York's next attorney general.

With almost 90 percent of precincts reporting, 55-year-old Sen. Eric Schneiderman led Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan by more than 400,000 votes, or 12 percentage points.

"I believe in being part of a collective that works for the common good," Schneiderman said early Wednesday.

He thanked several advocacy groups and the labor movement, saying he was ready to stand up against "powerful forces" that denigrate others. "Equal justice under law ... This is the essence of what America's about."

Schneiderman, a senator from Manhattan's Upper West Side for 12 years, said he's led reform efforts in Albany, where the Senate leadership eight years ago tried to redistrict him out of the Legislature. This year he led the Senate investigation that resulted in the expulsion of a fellow lawmaker.

He was endorsed by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who was elected governor on Tuesday. Schneiderman, who has cast himself as a 'Sheriff of Wall Street,' had strong support in most of New York City. Donovan took a majority of votes in many upstate counties.

Schneiderman, who has broad union backing, had won a five-way primary for the Democratic nomination.

The attorney general, with a staff of about 625 lawyers, defends New York in lawsuits and files suits, monitors charities and sometimes conducts investigations and prosecutions.

Donovan, 53, had vowed to crack down on corruption in Albany. "Tonight we fell a little bit short, but that does not change the fact we need a new direction in New York state," he said.

Schneiderman said his experience as a sheriff's deputy, public interest and corporate attorney and lawmaker made him better prepared for the job as the state's top lawyer.

Donovan is a native of Staten Island, where he has been elected twice. A career prosecutor who was deputy borough president, he said he reorganized the DA's office to increase prosecutions and said Staten Island is the safest borough in what FBI data show to be the safest big city in America.

Comments

[Dangerous Dan]

02:26 PM on 11/03/2010

Isn't that what they called "Client #9?"
What's your number, Eric?

[Scent]

12:25 PM on 11/03/2010

"Equal justice under law ... This is the essence of what America's about."

Bulls**t.

It is what America SHOULD be about. What we ARE about is making people suffer for the crimes of rich and politicians.

[Brokenduck]

11:13 AM on 11/03/2010

....and the Sheriff of Nottingham elected Attorney General in California.

[Brokenduck]

11:15 AM on 11/03/2010

I take that back.....it looks like Kamala Harris won. It's not that I was a huge fan, but her opponent was a.....unsavory character as LA DA.

[ltague]

11:01 AM on 11/03/2010

Good luck, Mr. Schneiderman. Help keep the foxes out of the hen house, please!

[hearken]

10:51 AM on 11/03/2010

When you realize that Hedge Fund CEO's make 38,000 times what the average worker makes it is beyond all rational thinking. Yes, that is the figure 38 with 3 zeros after it...doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy knowing these are the people who just bought The House of Representatives...with your sweat and blood...way to go.!

[Doif Pekar]

11:25 AM on 11/03/2010

What's even scarier to think about is what bankers and traders give in return for the money they "make".

Have you ever worn clothes sewn by a banker? Eaten vegetables grown by a banker? Driven a car built by a banker? Read a great book written by a banker? Seen a comedy created by a banker? Used a math formula invented by a banker? Run a computer program written by a banker?

Fact: Bankers loan you _your own money_ (through fractional reserve banking), then steal most of it back through fees and scams. It is the lowliest profession on the planet.

[Leslib]

10:46 AM on 11/03/2010

PLEASE stay away from the hookers. Thanks!

[vippy]

12:24 PM on 11/03/2010

Why should he, after all they elected Vitter again!

[hearken]

10:46 AM on 11/03/2010

Thank the Lord for states like NY and CA who are not so easily fooled by snake oil salesmen as the southern states who exploit christianity instead of endorsing Christianity.

[purplet]

12:03 PM on 11/03/2010

CA stayed sane- Newsom- Brown Boxer, Chiang , Bowen ,Lockyer,Jones, Kamala Harris which is huge - they went after her- called her the next Obama- big guns came in to defeat her- congrats Ms Harris- Prop 23- great night for CA

[jeffp26]

10:43 AM on 11/03/2010

With all due respect to Schneiderman, many of us who know him know he's just another lowlife politician. Watch him stick his foot in his mouth, the way Elliot did.

[Leslib]

10:46 AM on 11/03/2010

I don't think it was his sticking his FOOT in his mouth that was the problem...it was the placement of other body parts that got him in hot water.

[hearken]

10:47 AM on 11/03/2010

Hey Elliot did what Vitter did and Vitter is the ideal family values guy of the GOP!

[woody7]

12:16 PM on 11/03/2010

and reelected, go figure

[mozartian]

10:20 AM on 11/03/2010

We'll need more people like him. What with...

US MARKETS-Stock futures edge up as Republicans sweep House
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0226235020101103

It's like they don't care to hide anymore who they've got in their pockets. Not that there no Dems in their pockets.

[Chucktheman]

10:20 AM on 11/03/2010

Half the Republicans think Cuomos first name is Mario. Andrew is not his father. The people have voted him in by a good margine. We now have a team that has heard the issues, and can work together. Paladino would have caused state wide gridlock. Schneiderman will prove himself to be good not only for NY but the country. Wallstreet needs watchdogs to keep them in line.

[hearken]

10:49 AM on 11/03/2010

Wall Street needs handcuffs and short leashes because they are nothing but wild beasts feeding on innocent people.

[Chucktheman]

10:13 AM on 11/03/2010

His job will be a lot easier with Cuomo than it would have been with Paladino. Paladino would have generated the most lawsuits against the state in history. They would have had to hire more lawyers. 625 would have been kept busy on Paladino cases alone.

[themodernleader]

09:51 AM on 11/03/2010

If this guy can clean up Wall Street and get at the fraud in the big banks, he can run for Obama's position in the 2012 primary and win and then clean up the nation and put people to work in public works, emplace tariffs enforce monopoly busting and a renaissance in American industrial ingenuity and rebirth.

[Epimenides]

09:26 AM on 11/03/2010

Hopefully, the NY Attorney General will try to protect the rest of the nation from the Wall Street plutocrats who seem to own Obama and the U.S. Department of "Justice."

[wtf2009]

09:43 AM on 11/03/2010

You mean the Tea Party won't protect America? I thought they were Mad as Hell at the Wall Street bailout...I guess they were just mad....

[Doif Pekar]

09:48 AM on 11/03/2010

Only about 10% of the tea party groups are aware (in any detail) of the financial crimes being committed; and yes I'm working with those groups.

This may not seem like much, but compare it with 0% of Democrats and Republicans.

Schneiderman, like all of the NY Attorney General candidates, is unaware of the crimes being committed and lacks the courage and knowledge necessary to prosecute them.

[Epimenides]

11:00 AM on 11/03/2010

yes, your are correct, the Tea Party "just mad" - as hatters

[ptarantino]

09:23 AM on 11/03/2010

"The attorney general, with a staff of about 625 lawyers, defends New York in lawsuits and files suits, monitors charities and sometimes conducts investigations and prosecutions."

SOMETIMES? more like never.

[billybobt]

09:15 AM on 11/03/2010

Sheriff of Wall Street, thats a good one. Im sure the halls are filled with the laughter of a thousand millionaires.