Suspend New Surrogate Under Indictment for Campaign Irregularities

The state Court of Appeals has suspended new Manhattan Surrogate Court Judge Nora Anderson while she defends herself against felony charges of campaign finance violations.

In his indictment last month, Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau said that Ms. Anderson, who as a candidate had no limit to how much she could self-contribute, filed a disclosure statement saying that she had given $100,000 to her campaign on Aug. 20, and another one stating she loaned $150,000 to her campaign six days later. But, he alleged, her employer, Seth Rubenstein, a trusts and estates attorney, was the actual source of the money, exceeded his $33,122.50 contribution limit.

Could Repay the Favors

As a Surrogate Judge, Ms. Anderson would have the power to award estates work worth millions of dollars to attorneys like Mr. Rubenstein.

Ms. Anderson's attorney, Richard Godosky, had urged the court not to suspend her and argued that if it did, it should not withhold her pay because she is barred from practicing law now that her term began and she is supporting her brother and her mother, who is sick.

Mr. Godosky said in court papers that the indictment "does not charge Ms. Anderson with actions of venality or corruption."

He added, "Obviously, because she has yet to take the Bench, the conduct with which Ms. Anderson is charged has nothing to do with her conduct of fitness as a judge."

Her suspension started Jan. 1, the day she was slated to take to office.

A.P.