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By: Serach Nissim
Former state Assemblyman Peter Abbate (D-Brooklyn) has taken rare steps to speak out against his fellow Democrats, using thousands of dollars left over from his campaign coffers. Abbate had served in the NY State Assembly for some 35 years from 1987 till 2022, representing the 49th district, which includes Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Borough Park and Sunset Park. He had served through critical events including the Sept 11 terror attacks, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. He served for about 20 years as the chair of the Committee on Governmental Employees, working to ensure line of duty benefits for front-line workers.
As reported by the NY Post, Abbate recently sent out a mailer to voters entitled, “Who’s Ruining Our Community”. It featured accusatory photos of Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn, who serves as the Brooklyn Democratic Party chairwoman; Assembly Bill Colton and City Councilwoman Susan Zhuang. The mailer also targeted Republican Lester Chang, a newbie assemblyman who won over Abbate’s seat two years ago. Bichotte, Colton and Chang are all running in the upcoming November elections.
“They’ve done a disservice to the community,” Abbate told The Post of his targets, also claiming that they had helped force him out of office. “I’m not attacking Democrats. I’m attacking people who are helping Republicans win. They are working against Democrats.”
Abbate, 75, reportedly spent $7,000 on the mailers from his old campaign account, per a report filed with the state Board of Elections. Per the Post, Abbate still has a hefty campaign account —with a whopping $846,478 remaining in his political war chest. Some Democratic Party insiders said they wondered why he had not spent more of it in his 2022 re-election. Democratic Party officials also berated Abbate for using the cash now to attack fellow Democrats right before the election. “I never feel it’s productive to have intra-party fights before an election,” said state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs. A Brooklyn Democratic Party insider said, “It’s definitely inappropriate. He’s very bitter.”
Bichotte-Hermelyn commented to the Post on Sunday, saying: “With an astonishing $870,000 in campaign funds available during the most important election of our lifetime, Peter Abbate spent thousands of dollars attacking fellow Democrats.” She added: “I wouldn’t be surprised if Abbate tried to use the rest of that money to buy a sports car or a nice new house. The former assemblymember is a renowned fraudster whose petitions to run for office were discredited as fraudulent.”
Abbate shot back, defending the mailers, and saying that Bichotte-Hermelyn and Colton had schemed together with Republicans to disqualify him from qualifying for ballot status to run again, paving the way for Chang’s easy re-election. “It’s disgusting. Rodneyse only cares about herself,” Abbate said. He added that it was the lack of party support which led him to lose to Chang in the 49th District. He said this internal lack of support is also the reason that Democratic Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz lost to Republican Michael Novakhov in 2022 in southern Brooklyn’s 45th District, representing Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Manhattan Beach, Gravesend, and Brighton Beach.
