Michael Gianaris, the second most powerful leader in the New York Senate, said he will no longer accept campaign contributions from police unions and law enforcement groups following the death of George Floyd and tense interactions between protesters and police.
“I am donating all contributions received from police PACs for my re-election to bail funds and mutual aid organizations, and I will not accept them going forward,” Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris tweeted Sunday.
In tweets Saturday, he had said: “We need to call out injustice, but most of all we must act. This is the scene at the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights, Queens, where people are fed up. No more violence. We deserve a police force that acts with empathy.
“And we deserve a police force that is held accountable for racist behavior.”
Gianaris’s 12th senatorial district includes Astoria, Long Island City and Woodside.
A review of campaign filings show that law enforcement unions have contributed at least $11,000 to Gianari’s re-election kitty for the 2020 election cycle — including donations from the NYC PBA, NYS Troopers PAC, Detectives Endowment Association and unions representing MTA and Port Authority police officers.
The Astoria area until recently had been represented by pro-police Democratic lawmakers — notably former Council Speaker Peter Vallone and his son, ex-Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.
But the district appears to be shifting left — with democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s toppling of ex-Congressman Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary two years ago. Following his defeat, Crowley also stepped down as the Queens Democratic Party chairman.
Gianaris was a key player in blocking Amazon from opening a massive new headquarters along the Long Island City waterfront in his district — thwarting Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a big booster of the project, as well as the e-tail giant. Ocasio-Cortez also opposed the move in a dispute over tax subsidies.
Gianaris is facing a Democratic primary challenge from retired sanitation worker Iganazio “Iggy” Terranova.
One police union leader accused Gianaris of smearing the entire law enforcement community over a few bad apples.
“Gianaris is a politician who paints everyone in law enforcement with the same brush. Should we paint him with the same brush as Albany lawmakers who were indicted or convicted of crimes?” said Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
“The public needs to take a look at a politician like Gianaris. The Astoria area has always been pro-police. Keep this up and people will move out of New York City.”