Ryan Karben

Infobox_Politician


imagesize = 150px
name = Ryan Scott Karben
width =
height =
caption =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1974|9|29|mf=y
birth_place = Bronx, NY
residence = Monsey, New York
office = Legislator; Rockland County Legislature
term_start = 1997
term_end = 2002
predecessor =
successor =
constituency = Ramapo, New York
office2 = Assemblyman; New York State Assembly
salary2 =
term_start2 = 2003
term_end2 = May 18, 2006
predecessor2 =
successor2 =
constituency2 = 95th Assembly District
party = Democrat
religion = Modern Orthodox Judaism
occupation = Lawyer
majority =
spouse = Lauren C. Bekritsky
children =
website = http://www.ryankarben.com
footnotes =

Ryan Scott Karben is a New York Democrat who represented the state's 95th Assembly District in Albany from 2003–2006.

Education and family

Karben was born in the borough of The Bronx on September 29, 1974. In 1979, his family moved to Spring Valley, New York. Karben was a student at the Frisch School in Paramus, New Jersey ref_harvard|BR1|"Bergen Record", October 16, 1991|none. He attended Yeshiva University as a Max Stern Distinguished Scholar and graduated magna cum laude in 1996 with a B.A. in English. He then attended the Columbia Law School as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, graduating in 1999.

Karben is a member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.

Karben married Lauren C. Bekritsky, his high school sweetheart, in June 1996. The Karbens have three daughters.

Political career

In 1995, Karben lost his initial bid to become county legislator at the age of 21 when he finished 4th in a race for three open positions. In his concession speech at the Holiday Inn in Suffern, New York, Karben assured his supporters that he considered the election a positive experience and that he would be back.

In 1997, Karben was elected to represent Ramapo in the Rockland County Legislature. He was the youngest county lawmaker in the State of New York at that time and remains the youngest person to have served in the Rockland County Legislature. Karben was selected as majority leader of the Rockland County Legislature in 2001–2002.

In November 2002, Karben was elected to the New York State Assembly in Albany to represent the 95th district, which includes the Town of Orangetown and parts of the Town of Ramapo in Rockland County. Karben served on the Energy Committee and led an investigation of Consolidated Edison in 2004. Karben had also pushed for tougher sex-offender tracking laws and environmental cleanups at several Rockland County sites.

Resignation

On May 18, 2006, Karben unexpectedly announced his resignation from the New York Assembly. It was reported that Karben had been the subject of an internal legislative investigation into alleged sexual advances toward male staffers ref_harvard|NYDN|"New York Daily News", May 19, 2006|none. No formal complaints against Karben were ever filed ref_harvard|EB|"New York Daily News", September 17, 2007|a.

Karben issued a statement that made no reference to the internal inquiry but said:

"It is time for a new beginning. As I have discussed with some of my friends over the past few weeks, my elected service is one piece of what I hope will be an interesting and diverse professional career. After spending more than 13 of my 31 years in public service, it is time for a change for me and my family. I was appointed to my first public position as a college freshman and leave my second elected office as a proud father of three little girls. I am stepping down today from the State Assembly to turn greater attention to them and my law practice and to fulfilling other personal and professional aspirations. I will remain an active and vocal voice for better schools, a cleaner environment and lower taxes. I am grateful for the friendship and support of so many, especially my wife Lauren, my family, my campaign volunteers and my clients. It has been a privilege to serve."

Subsequently, Karben left his position as a partner in the Spring Valley law firm of Kurtzman, Matera, Scuderi, Gurock, and Karben. The firm has refused to publicly state how they arrived at the decision for Karben to leave ref_harvard|RJN1|"The Journal News", May 23, 2006|none.

Karben had also been involved in a fundraising controversy involving Charles Kushner, a New Jersey developer who served a prison sentence for hiring prostitutes in an attempt to influence potential witnesses in a New Jersey investigation. Kushner had contributed over $40,000 to Karben's campaign, and Karben contributed $2,500 to charity after revelations about Kushner surfaced ref_harvard|RJN2|"The Journal News", May 19, 2006|none.

Private practice

Following his resignation, he started his own law firm, the Law Office of Ryan Karben, based at his home in Monsey ref_harvard|RKHP|Law Office of Ryan Karben 2006|none. In September 2007, Karben was named Managing Director of Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations, a national political consulting and lobbying firm ref_harvard|EB|"New York Daily News", September 17, 2007|b.

DWI arrest

On January 31 2008 Karben was arraigned after spending the night in the Ramapo, New York town jail. He was accused of driving into a utility pole on the day before. Karben told police he had swerved to avoid a deer, but refused to take a blood-alcohol test. Police charged him with DWI ref_harvard|CBS1|WCBS (AM) February 2, 2008|none. As a result of his refusal to take the blood alcohol test, Karben's license was suspended for one year. His trial is scheduled for October, 2008 ref_harvard|RJN3|"The Journal News", September 19, 2008|none.

References

note_label|BR1|"Bergen Record", October 16, 1991|nonecite news
first = Pearl J.
last = Park
title = He Learns Political Science from Firsthand Experience—Frisch Senior is Lobbyist
publisher = Bergen Record
date = October 16, 1991
quote =Frisch School senior Ryan Karben has strong political convictions -- and an equally strong desire to advocate them.

note_label|EB|"New York Daily News", September 17, 2007|anote_label|EB|"New York Daily News", September 17, 2007|bcite news
first = Elizabeth
last = Benjamin
title = Pol plans to launch 3rd party for '08 presidential election
url = http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/09/17/2007-09-17_pol_plans_to_launch_3rd_party_for_08_pre.html
work = Metro News
publisher = New York Daily News
date = September 17, 2007
accessdate = 2007-10-07
page = 12
quote = Former Assemblyman Ryan Karben, a Rockland County Democrat, confirmed he is poised to become a managing director in October at Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations, which he called "a terrific firm with national reach".…Karben, 32, was an ambitious, rising political star when he abruptly resigned from his Assembly seat in May 2006 amid allegations that he had made sexual advances toward male legislative staffers and interns. No formal complaints were ever filed.

note_label|RJN1|"The Journal News", May 23, 2006|nonecite news
first = Jay
last = Gallagher
coauthors = James Walsh
url = http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060523/NEWS03/605230321/1019/NEWS03
title = Karben exits Spring Valley law firm, stays out of view
publisher = The Journal News
date = May 23, 2006
accessdate = 2006-05-23
archiveurl = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?s_site=thejournalnews&f_site=thejournalnews&f_sitename=Journal+News%2C+The+%28Westchester%2C+NY%29&p_theme=gannett&p_product=WJNB&p_action=search&p_field_base-0=&p_text_base-0=Karben+Jay+Gallagher+&Search=Search&p_perpage=10&p_maxdocs=200&p_queryname=700&s_search_type=keyword&p_sort=_rank_%3AD&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date%3AB%2CE&p_text_date-0=2006
archivedate=Unknown

note_label|RKHP|Law Office of Ryan Scott Karben 2006|nonecite web
url = http://ryankarben.com/
title = Law Office of Ryan Scott Karben
accessdate = 2006-09-05
year = 2006
publisher = Ryan Karben

note_label|PR|Ryan Karben’s Press Release of May 18, 2006|nonecite press release
date= May 18, 2006
title= Ryan Karben

note_label|NYDN|"New York Daily News", May 19, 2006|nonecite news
first = Joe
last = Mahoney
coauthors = Ben Smith
url =
title = Pol in sex probe quits
publisher = New York Daily News
date = May 19, 2006
page = 16
accessdate = 2006-05-23
archiveurl=none
archivedate=Unknown

note_label|RJN2|"The Journal News", May 19, 2006|nonecite news
first = Sarah
last = Netter
coauthors = Steve Lieberman
url = http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060519/NEWS03/605190342/1017
title = Karben’s resignation shocks, raises questions
publisher = The Journal News
date = May 19, 2006
accessdate = 2006-05-23
archiveurl = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?s_site=thejournalnews&f_site=thejournalnews&f_sitename=Journal+News%2C+The+%28Westchester%2C+NY%29&p_theme=gannett&p_product=WJNB&p_action=search&p_field_base-0=&p_text_base-0=Karben%27s+resignation+shocks%2C+raises+questions&Search=Search&p_perpage=10&p_maxdocs=200&p_queryname=700&s_search_type=keyword&p_sort=_rank_%3AD&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date%3AB%2CE&p_text_date-0=wst2006051909292822
archivedate = Unknown

note_label|CBS1| [WCBS February 2, 2008|nonecite web
url = http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/1585415.php?
title = Former Legislator to Face DWI Charges
accessdate = 2008-09-25
date = February 2 2008
publisher = WCBS

note_label|RJN3|"The Journal News", September 19, 2008|nonecite web
url = http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809190411
accessdate = 2008-09-25
title = Karben's DWI trial to begin Oct. 24
last = Lieberman
first = Steve
date = September 19 2008
publisher = The Journal News
archiveurl =
archivedate =

External links

* [http://www.ryankarben.com Law Office of Ryan Scott Karben]

Persondata
NAME = Karben, Ryan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Ryan Scott Karben
SHORT DESCRIPTION = New York State Politician
DATE OF BIRTH = 29 September 1974
PLACE OF BIRTH = Bronx, New York
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =