A New York State Supreme Court justice has blocked rule changes approved by outgoing Brooklyn Democratic Party executive committee members, preventing the changes from taking effect as the party faces a leadership transition, according to The City Reporter.
Justice Jill Epstein ruled Monday that the outgoing members did not have authority to vote on the changes at an August meeting. The ruling invalidates the changes and prevents their implementation. The Brooklyn Democratic Party has said it plans to appeal the decision.
The disputed changes would have expanded the party’s executive committee by adding dozens of voting members, and therefore expanding the committee's role in selecting the party chair. The changes followed the June primary, in which New Kings Democrats and allied district leaders gained a majority of the existing district leader seats.
“Given that the court finds that the vote at the meeting by the outgoing Executive Committee members was improper and given that the votes of these outgoing members made the difference,” Epstein wrote. “The court finds that the rule changes must be declared a nullity and a permanent injunction enjoining the implementation of these amended rules is thus warranted.”
The group has backed longtime Sunset Park district leader Julio Peña III for party chair.
The case is significant for Brooklyn because the county Democratic Party has a role in selecting party leadership and influencing local Democratic operations. The leadership dispute also comes after a major shift in the balance of power among the party’s elected district leaders.
Before the court ruling, the proposed changes would have increased the number of voting members on the executive committee and potentially changed how the next party chair is selected. The court’s decision leaves the existing rules in place while the legal challenge continues.
The next major step is a Brooklyn Democratic Party county committee meeting scheduled for Sept. 23 in Downtown Brooklyn.
The party is expected to address the executive committee’s membership, with the selection of a new party chair expected before Oct. 6. The outcome of the appeal could also affect the party’s leadership process.
