Ada L. Smith
Ada L. Smith | |
---|---|
Member of the New York State Senate from the 20th, then the 12th and the 10th district | |
In office 1989–2006 | |
Preceded by | Thomas J. Bartosiewicz |
Succeeded by | Shirley Huntley |
Personal details | |
Born | Amherst County, Virginia | April 18, 1945
Political party | Democratic |
Ada L. Smith (born April 18, 1945) is an American former politician from New York.
Biography
Smith was born on April 18, 1945, in Amherst County, Virginia, and was raised in New York City.[1] She graduated from Baruch College in 1973.[2]
Smith entered politics as a Democrat, and was a deputy in the office of the City Clerk of New York City. She was a member of the New York State Senate from 1989 to 2006. Her district was centered in the Jamaica, Queens section of New York City.
Smith was the ranking minority member of the Senate's Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee, and gained notoriety for several brushes with the law. She was backed by her party organization in the 2006 Democratic Senate primary election[3] but lost to challenger Shirley Huntley,[4] who also won the general election later that year.[5]
Smith went through over 200 high-level aides and staffers in her 18 years in the Senate, more than any other sitting Senator in New York State history.[6][better source needed]
Crimes and staff complaints
In 1996, staffer LaSone Garland-Bryan accused Smith of menacing her with a knife while they were alone in Smith's office. According to Garland-Bryan's statement, the senator became angry when she overheard Garland-Bryan telling family members that Smith "sometimes forgot to take her medication". Garland-Bryan declined to press charges, but wrote an official complaint about the incident to then-Senate Minority Leader Martin Connor, who responded by asserting that he had "no authority" to punish Smith.[7]
In 1998, New York City police arrested Smith after she allegedly became belligerent and bit an officer following a traffic stop in Brooklyn. Police were eventually forced to mace Smith and drag her from her car in order to subdue her.[8]
In 2004, Smith was arrested and cited for reckless driving after refusing to stop to present identification at a police checkpoint at a state garage in Albany. Smith attempted to accelerate through the checkpoint, almost running over a state trooper with her car in the process.[9][6][better source needed] Smith's actions led to a conviction; following that conviction, then-Senate Minority Leader David Paterson removed her from a leadership post.[10]
In 2004, a former Smith staffer, Wayne Mahlke, alleged that Smith had subjected him to verbally abusive comments relating to sexual orientation. The following year, the state's Division of Human Rights dismissed his claims due to insufficient evidence.[10]
Smith attacked a staffer, Jennifer Jackson, on March 21, 2006. The attack occurred in Smith's Albany office. Smith flew into a rage and threw hot coffee in Jackson's face after the staffer commented on her weight. Jackson also alleged that Smith pulled off her hairpiece, injuring her neck in the process, and threatened to kill her if she reported the incident. The senator had just returned from a Weight Watchers meeting that morning to report she had lost 4.3 pounds. According to published reports, Jackson did not intend to insult Smith; rather, she lightheartedly commented that she would have expected her boss to have shed more pounds given her constant on-the-go lifestyle. Smith's lawyer denied the charges and accused Jackson of lying to authorities, claiming that Jackson actually told the senator she needed to lose 100 pounds. Originally charged with misdemeanor battery, Smith rejected a plea offer that included anger management counseling and chose to go to trial. On August 26, 2006, Smith was convicted of misdemeanor harassment in Albany City Court.[8] In the aftermath of the coffee attack, then-Senate Minority Leader David Paterson stripped Smith of her state-issued car, her honorary title, and a $9,500 per year stipend attached to her leadership position. Paterson stated that the coffee attack was the latest example of what he called "a pattern of inappropriate, unprofessional and often abusive behavior" from Smith.[11]
In 2006, The New York Times reported that tabloids referred to Smith as "'the Wild Woman of Albany'".[10]
References
- ^ "Profile of Senator Ada L. Smith". QueensNewYork.com.
- ^ "Distinguished CUNY Alumnae". Archived from the original on 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
- ^ Hicks, Jonathan P. (2006-05-23). "Senator in Coffee-Throwing Case Gets Party Backing for Re-election". The New York Times.
- ^ Schindler, Paul. "Key Gay Defeats in Primary". Gay City News.
- ^ Nir, Sarah Maslin (August 27, 2012). "Shirley Huntley, Queens State Senator, Turns Herself In" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ a b "The Bobby Knight Of The State Assembly". Bridge and Tunnel Club Blog. 2006-04-06.
- ^ Joe Mahoney and David Saltonstall (2006-04-06). "'WILD WOMAN' TALES. Hurling coffee, insulting gays, cursing, you name it - her ex-aides say Sen. Smth's done it". The New York Daily News.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "State senator rejects plea deal". Times Union. 2006-04-27.
- ^ Cooper, Michael (2006-04-07). "Aide Testifies in Coffee-Throwing Accusation". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c Jonathan P. Hicks (2006-04-21). "District May Be Losing Patience With Embattled Senator - The New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
- ^ Cooper, Michael (April 18, 2006). "In Coffee-Throwing Case, a Second Allegation Emerges" – via NYTimes.com.
- New York (state) state senators
- Women state legislators in New York (state)
- African-American state legislators in New York (state)
- African-American women in politics
- New York (state) Democrats
- Living people
- 1945 births
- New York (state) politicians convicted of crimes
- People from Amherst County, Virginia
- Baruch College alumni