Charlie King (politician)
Encyclopedia
Charlie King is an attorney
, politician
, and civic leader in New York
. After graduating from the Ethical Culture Fieldston School
, he attended Brown University
(graduated in 1981), and New York University Law School
(graduated in 1987).
King served as the chairman of the Democratic
County Committee in New York County
.King was a volunteer attorney for the Mollen Commission
in the early 1990s, and was a member of the Election Monitoring Committee in South Africa
when Nelson Mandela
was elected president in 1994.
In 1999 he was appointed by President
Bill Clinton
as the regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for New York and New Jersey
, serving in this post until 2001.
King served as the acting Executive Director for National Action Network
, Al Sharpton
's not for profit organization from April 2007-April 2009. King also represented the witnesses connected to the killing of Sean Bell
by the New York Police Department.
In April 2010, King was appointed executive director of the New York State Democratic Party.
King is also a frequent host of Reverend Al Sharpton's nationally syndicated radio show, "Keeping it Real".
and finished second behind Brighton
Town Supervisor
Sandra Frankel
.
In 2002, King again sought New York's Lieutenant Governorship, this time as the running mate of former HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo
. He and Cuomo dropped out of the race before the primary and endorsed the ticket of State Comptroller
Carl McCall
and businessman Dennis Mehiel. The Cuomo/King ticket appeared on the 2002 general election ballot as the nominees of the Liberal Party
and received less than 50,000 votes, thereby costing the Party its automatic ballot status.
In 2006 King sought New York's Attorney General
's office, in a race where the winner was Andrew Cuomo. King also faced former New York City Public Advocate Mark J. Green
, former U.S. Attorney
Denise O'Donnell
and former White House
Staff Secretary Sean Patrick Maloney
in the primary. King dropped out a week before the primary election and endorsed Cuomo. He then went on to serve on Cuomo's Transition Team as chair of the Civil Rights
Committee.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and civic leader in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. After graduating from the Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
The Ethical Culture Fieldston School, known as "Fieldston", is a private "independent" school in New York City and a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League. It has about 1600 students and a staff of 400 people , led by Dr. Damian J...
, he attended Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
(graduated in 1981), and New York University Law School
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
(graduated in 1987).
King served as the chairman of the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
County Committee in New York County
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.King was a volunteer attorney for the Mollen Commission
Mollen Commission
The Mollen Commission is formally known as The City of New York Commission to Investigate Allegations of Police Corruption and the Anti-Corruption Procedures of the Police Department. Former judge Milton Mollen was appointed in July 1992 by then New York City mayor David N. Dinkins to investigate...
in the early 1990s, and was a member of the Election Monitoring Committee in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
when Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
was elected president in 1994.
In 1999 he was appointed by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
as the regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for New York and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, serving in this post until 2001.
King served as the acting Executive Director for National Action Network
National Action Network
The National Action Network is a not-for-profit, civil rights organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton in New York City, New York, in early 1991....
, Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
's not for profit organization from April 2007-April 2009. King also represented the witnesses connected to the killing of Sean Bell
Sean Bell shooting incident
The Sean Bell shooting incident took place in the New York City borough of Queens, New York, United States on November 25, 2006, when three men were shot a total of fifty times by a team of both plainclothes and undercover NYPD officers, killing one of the men, Sean Bell, on the morning before his...
by the New York Police Department.
In April 2010, King was appointed executive director of the New York State Democratic Party.
King is also a frequent host of Reverend Al Sharpton's nationally syndicated radio show, "Keeping it Real".
Runs for elective office
In 1998, he ran for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of New YorkLieutenant Governor of New York
The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
and finished second behind Brighton
Brighton, Monroe County, New York
Brighton is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 36,609 at the 2010 census.-History:The Town of Brighton, located on the southeast border of the city of Rochester, was originally settled approximately 1790, and formally established in 1814—earning it recognition as one...
Town Supervisor
Town supervisor
Town Supervisor is an elective legislative position in New York towns. Supervisors sit on the town board, where they preside over town board meetings and vote on all matters with no more legal weight than that of any other board member .Towns may adopt local laws that allow them to provide for an...
Sandra Frankel
Sandra Frankel
Sandra L. Frankel is the Supervisor of the Town of Brighton, Monroe County, New York. A former school board member, Frankel is a longtime town supervisor....
.
In 2002, King again sought New York's Lieutenant Governorship, this time as the running mate of former HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
. He and Cuomo dropped out of the race before the primary and endorsed the ticket of State Comptroller
New York State Comptroller
The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...
Carl McCall
Carl McCall
Herman Carl McCall is a former Comptroller of New York State and was the Democratic candidate for state governor in 2002. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for numerous corporations. He received a B.A. degree from Dartmouth...
and businessman Dennis Mehiel. The Cuomo/King ticket appeared on the 2002 general election ballot as the nominees of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of New York
The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...
and received less than 50,000 votes, thereby costing the Party its automatic ballot status.
In 2006 King sought New York's Attorney General
New York State Attorney General
The New York State Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of New York. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.The current Attorney General is Eric Schneiderman...
's office, in a race where the winner was Andrew Cuomo. King also faced former New York City Public Advocate Mark J. Green
Mark J. Green
Mark J. Green is an author, public interest lawyer and a Democratic politician who lives in New York City. He worked with Ralph Nader from 1970-1980, eventually as director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, and is also the former president of Air America Radio .He was New York City Consumer...
, former U.S. Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
Denise O'Donnell
Denise O'Donnell
Denise O'Donnell is the Director of Justice Assistance at the US Department of Justice in the Obama Administration. She is also an attorney and Democratic politician from Buffalo, New York. She most recently served as New York State Commissioner of Criminal Justice Services and Assistant Secretary...
and former White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Staff Secretary Sean Patrick Maloney
Sean Patrick Maloney
Sean Patrick Maloney is an American politician from New York State and, in 2006, was a Democratic candidate for state Attorney General. He is the former First Deputy Secretary to the Governor, which made him a senior adviser and Cabinet member of New York Gov. David Paterson. He also served as...
in the primary. King dropped out a week before the primary election and endorsed Cuomo. He then went on to serve on Cuomo's Transition Team as chair of the Civil Rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
Committee.