DC 37 Backs Ex-Councilman Cited for Sex Harassment; Jennings Seeks Senate Seat
By DAVID SIMS
District Council 37's list of endorsements for congressional and state legislative races features the stunning inclusion of former City Council member Allan W. Jennings, who lost office after being censured by the Council for sexually harassing five female staffers.

ALLAN JENNINGS: Ex-Council rogue mounts comeback.

Opponent Bemused

Mr. Jennings is running for State Senator in a Queens district that includes many of the neighborhoods he previously represented in the Council, including Jamaica, Springfield Gardens and Richmond Hill, along with Howard Beach and Broad Channel. The incumbent is Democrat Shirley L. Huntley, who was first elected in 2007.

When asked about DC 37's endorsement of her primary opponent, Ms. Huntley cited controversy surrounding Mr. Jennings' tenure in the City Council, saying, "The DC 37 has a large population of women, and he's a man who was charged five different times for harassing five different women ... if the DC 37's women don't mind that, then who am I to complain? People do what they want to do."

In the union's endorsement statement, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts said that all the candidates on the list were supported "because of their proven record in support of the issues important to the men and women we represent." She emphasized that the endorsement "brings with it a pledge to work diligently on [the candidates'] behalf with our powerful, sophisticated field operations," adding that "we firmly believe that these candidates will best represent the interests of the labor community."

DC 37 Political Action Director Wanda Williams subsequently stated that Mr. Jennings "was endorsed for the same reasons as the other candidates — he is a longtime supporter of issues that matter to the men and women that DC 37 represents — the public-sector workers who serve New York and make this city run."

Cites Help Civilianizing NYPD

"For instance, when he was Chair of the City Council's Civil Service and Labor Committee, Jennings joined our fight [for] civilianization in the Police Department," her statement continued. Mr. Jennings was credited by Ms. Williams for combating "a wasteful process that has thousands of New York City police sitting behind precinct desks doing the jobs of the thousands of city clerical workers and denying them promotional opportunities when they should be on the street protecting New Yorkers."

The Chief-Leader/Pat Arnow FAYE MOORE: 'Endorsement makes no sense.'

Mr. Jennings was selected for endorsement through a process involving the DC 37 Screening Committee, which reviewed candidates and made recommendations to the executive board, which then voted on the endorsements. Ms. Williams's statement said the screening process "involves the careful consideration of a candidate's track record and policy positions," but did not comment on Mr. Jennings' history of harassing his subordinates.

Local 371, 420 Heads Object

At least two prominent female local presidents objected to the endorsement, however.

Social Service Employees Local 371 President Faye Moore, who heads DC 37's third-largest local, said that she "voted against" the endorsement of Jennings, but that it was "a close vote, and the majority rules." She supposed that the reason for his support on the board was "his record on civil service, which is fine," as opposed to Ms. Huntley, who was said to have a "bad record" on union issues.

But Ms. Moore still expressed surprise at the endorsement. "It doesn't make any sense to me ... if you want to talk to me about fairness towards workers, it starts in your own office," she said, referring to his history of harassing female employees. She noted that she would be meeting with Mr. Jennings some time after Labor Day to discuss his candidacy, but seemed unconvinced that he could sway her. "I don't know how he's going to explain this all away," she said.

Carmen Charles, president of Hospital Employees Local 420, the fourth-largest group in DC 37, said that she had also voted against the endorsement, but declined to comment further.

Censured and Fined

Mr. Jennings gained notoriety during his term as a City Council Member in the 28th District, serving Jamaica and Rochdale Village. After taking office in 2002, he was the subject of numerous political and personal controversies before being defeated in a 2005 primary for his seat by Thomas White Jr. Mr. White was backed by the Democratic Party in that campaign, which abandoned Mr. Jennings after he became a political liability and poured money into Mr. White's campaign.

The list of embarrassing episodes during Mr. Jennings' one-term tenure in the Council was long. He was censured by the Council and stripped of his committee assignments after five female subordinates accused him of sexual harassment, and his wages were later garnished by the Council because he failed to pay a $5,000 fine that was imposed as a penalty. He never underwent anger management training despite being ordered to as part of the settlement of the charges. He also made headlines for bizarre behavior towards the media, including an incident when he threw a metal object at a TV reporter, hitting him in the back.