Kendall Stewart

Kendall Stewart (born 1950) represents District 45 in the New York City Council.

Born in St. Vincent, and educated at Caribbean Union College, Stewart's original profession is podiatry.

He first ran for office in this district-which was designed in order to maximize the political clout of the large West Indian constituency that lies within this area, i.e. Flatlands, Flatbush, East Flatbush, and Midwood-in 1997 against then incumbent City Councilman Lloyd Henry.

Although he was defeated in that race Stewart would go on to successfully contest the seat four years later in a crowded Democratic primary field, which included two other Caribbean-American candidates, and future State Senator Kevin Parker.

As the incumbent from that district, Stewart would face a tough re-election battle in 2005 when Samuel Taitt, who has become a perennial political rival for Stewart, decided to run against him for the seat yet again.

One of the issues raised over the course of the campaign was a comment Stewart made that his opponents, as well as many Haitian-Americans, viewed as being derogatory towards Haitians. In response to an article published in the "New York Daily News", which accused him of being a delinquent landlord, he asserted that the poor condition of his rental properties were the result of the behavior of Haitian-Americans. He also accused them of breaking locks, which he described as a "cultural thing." [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40E11F73C5C0C728FDDA10894DB404482&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fI%2fImmigration%20and%20Refugees] [http://www.lidbrooklyn.org/bp070703.htm]

In addition to comments that his opponents-and others-deemed to be culturally insensitive, Stewart was also taken to task for his stewardship of several large apartment complexes, which prompted his controversial remarks.

Stewart was also chastised by his opponent in multiple re-election races for endorsing Governor George Pataki, and opposing legislation in the City Council that some Democrats viewed as vital to ensuring the protection of consumer protection laws and tenants' rights.

During Sam Taitt's rematch against Councilman Stewart in 2005 he insinuated that Stewart's campaign might have been behind defamatory campaign pamphlets circulated within the district one week prior to Election Day, a charge that Stewart's campaign vehemently denied. [http://www.columbiajournalist.org/rw1_freedman/2005/article.asp?subj=city&course=rw1_freedman&id=856]

In addition to his role on the City Council, Stewart has also been Democratic District Leader for the 58th Assembly District.

He is an alumnus of City College, and New York College of Podiatric Medicine.

City Corruption

Kendall Stewart was involved is several city and federal investigations. The most famous of those involve the federal prosecution of Stewart in March and April of 2008 where is staff members had been found guilty of skimming moneys off accounts that the City Council set aside for supposed charities but which were actually used for discretionary spending on the district level. His former chief of staff has been arraigned for skimming at least $145,000 from the fund which had received over $300,000 worth of fund through the efforts of Stewart and Lew Fidler. The Staff members indited were Asquith Reid and Joycinth Anderson. Several primary sources and secondary sources are listed below

Kendall Stewart was also involved with police actions involving a shooting at a nightclub he owns in Brooklyn called Cafe Omar. A shooting involving the nightclub happened on March 30th, 2008 just outside the club after a 4:30AM melee which involved the patrons. The shooting victim was 28 year old Elijah Jefferson of Starret City in the Spring Creek section of Brooklyn. Stewart's son claimed the patrons were well behaved at the club which reports and tapes have shown to be simply a false report of events.

External links

* [http://council.nyc.gov/d45/html/members/home.shtml Official NYC Council Website about Kendall Stewart]
* [http://www.nyccfb.info/debates_vg/voter_guides/primary_2001/cd_statements/cd45_kstewart.htm New York City Campaign Finance Voter Guide, 2001]
* [http://www.samtaitt.com/stewart_pataki.html Sam Taitt] Campaign website of former opponent.
* [http://www.nycny.com/columns/lamb/lamb08-29-03b.html Kendall Stewart: a Personal Triumph over Adversity]
* [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/04/report-indicted-employee-a-ken.html Indicted Employees Kendall Stewart Staffers]
* [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/04/stewart-and-the-cfb.html Stewart and the Campaign Finance Board]
* [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iZ416PSuxG-7ScKfuxHZrI7une7QD9037FM80 2 NYC Council workers indicted in slush fund probe ]
* [http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/2-city-council-aides-face-federal-charges/?hp Two Council Aides Face Federal Charges]
* [http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2008/04/melting_the_cit.php Melting the City Council Slush Funds]
* [http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1208433618188150.xml&coll=1&thispage=2 City Council scandal spreads]
* [http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=3&aid=80571 Two Council Staffers Indicted For Embezzlement ]
* [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/04/donna-reid-funds-other-benefac.html Donna Reid Fund's Other Benefactors]
* [http://www.brooklyn-living.com/kendall_the_crook_must_go_1.html Kendal the Crook Watch]
* [http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/03/31/2008-03-31_fatal_shooting_leads_cops_to_confiscate_-3.html Fatal shooting leads cops to confiscate video from councilman's club]
* [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/03/30/2008-03-30_man_killed_in_shooting_near_brooklyn_cou.html Man killed in shooting near Brooklyn councilman's club ]
* [http://brooklynjunction.blogspot.com/2008/04/junction-in-brief-this-morning.html Who Knew? ]
* [http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/04/17/2008-04-17_feds_say_indictments_of_city_council_sta.html Feds say indictments of City Council staffers just tip of iceberg ]
* [http://www.samtaitt.com/kendallstewart.html Several reasons why Kendall Stewart has failed the East Flatbush community as City Council Representative]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E7D71E31F932A3575AC0A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print Previous Backers Desert Councilman in Brooklyn]