Santos sentenced to 7 years, DC 37 endorses Adams, Mamdani and Myrie
No. 424 | Monday, April 28, 2025
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Local News
Disgraced former House representative George Santos has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for two felony counts, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Santos pleaded guilty to stealing the personal identity and financial information of elderly and cognitively impaired campaign donors and for gifting himself thousands of dollars in cash. He also acknowledged fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to his sentencing, Santos said he would ask to serve prison time in solitary confinement because he fears for his safety.
Rapidly increasing numbers of children are appearing in immigration court without the assistance of attorneys, which advocates say will inevitably lead to more children being deported. Last month, the Trump administration eliminated part of a $200 million contract that funds attorneys and legal services for unaccompanied children arriving in the US without a parent or legal guardian. Separately, a 2-year-old US citizen was recently deported without any meaningful legal process.
Three Venezuelan men seeking asylum in NY are at risk of being deported to El Salvador’s detention camp, CECOT, though there are no criminal proceedings against them. At least one of them was a “collateral arrest,” a situation in which ICE arbitrarily detains someone without an arrest warrant.
The New York State Police maintain a statewide gang database tracking more than 5100 individuals - including some who have never been charged with a crime - which feeds into a federal database used by ICE. Criteria as innocuous as clothing and tattoos are used as evidence for criminal affiliation.
City council member Justin Brannan (D-47) has proposed reinvesting $500 million from the city’s pension funds into a universal child care program. Brannan is running for the open city comptroller seat and wants to use this office to invest in and expand child care across NYC.
Though slated to be passed by April 1, the New York State budget continues to be delayed as the legislature is tied up in negotiations on non-fiscal policy items, namely Governor Kathy Hochul’s aggressive push for an involuntary hospitalization mandate and to roll back the landmark 2019 discovery reform laws. The State Assembly has hardly prepared for possible federal cuts to the budget or a looming economic recession.
House Republicans have taken aim at NYC nonprofits hosting “Know Your Rights” trainings for immigrants, threatening to cut federal funding for “anti-law, pro-illegal immigration activism.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi seeks the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the alleged shooter of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.
Election News
NYC’s largest public employees union, District Council 37 (DC37), has endorsed City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for mayor, breaking from their 2021 support of Eric Adams and from the current trend of other labor heavyweights, such as 32BJ, backing disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo in this year’s primary. DC37 has also endorsed a ranked choice slate that lists Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens) in second place and State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) in third.
Gothamist and WNYC reporter Elizabeth Kim asks “Why aren’t more NYC mayoral candidates campaigning in Spanish?” following the well-received Spanish-language ad from Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.
Mayoral hopeful Sen. Zellnor Myrie rejects a bid from the Cuomo campaign to cross-endorse and form a non-aggression pact.
Zohran Mamdani launches the first televised ad in the mayoral race, escalating attacks on former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The Thorn is published weekly by the Electoral Working Group of the NYC Democratic Socialists of America. Join the Electoral Working Group! Volunteer for NYC-DSA-endorsed mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and NYC-DSA-endorsed City Council candidate Alexa Aviles (District 38, Sunset Park)!
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