Congressman Lee Zeldin Statement on Release of Career Criminal Who Attacked Two NYPD Officers in Manhattan

Renews Calls for Special Session to Reverse Crime Spike

NEW YORK – Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party nominee for Governor, slammed the release of Nathaniel Turner, who allegedly punched a NYPD Officer and tried to bite another NYPD Officer as they tried to stop him from doing drugs on the street. Turner is a career criminal and lifetime parolee who was released without bail following this attack.

Congressman Zeldin said, “If you assault a police officer, you should not be free to roam New York’s streets, and you especially should not be let out without bail. Criminals who assault a police officer should be placed in mandatory pre-trial confinement. A pre-trial release should be rare and considered the exception rather than the norm. Never should that release be without bail.

“Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Paul McDonnell has yet again refused to enforce the law. This is the second case this week in which he allowed a recidivist to walk free on the streets of New York City. He released Turner even though the prosecutor requested $20,000 bail.

“Members of the NYPD, and police forces across the state, are being shown time and again that our elected officials do not have their backs, not in New York City, and not in Albany.”

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About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

Congressman Lee Zeldin Slams Hochul for Failure to Fire Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg After He Released Man Who Then Attempted to Rape 15-Year-Old

Zeldin Again Calls on Hochul to Repeal Dangerous Cashless Bail Law

NEW YORK – Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party nominee for Governor, issued the following statement slamming Governor Kathy Hochul for her continued refusal to fire Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg after he released a robbery suspect – Anthony Ibanez – by downgrading his charges and releasing him on cashless bail, before Ibanez then allegedly attempted to rape a 15-year-old:

“While Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg continues his refusal to enforce the law, everyday New Yorkers are paying the price. Kathy Hochul has the authority to fire Alvin Bragg and protect New Yorkers, but time and time again she has refused to even criticize him for his refusal to do his job. In fact, she said we should cut him some slack. New Yorkers can’t afford to cut him some slack and the Ibanez case is just the most recent in a long line of stories that illustrate exactly why. I won’t stand on the sidelines. On Day 1, I’ll tell Alvin Bragg he’s fired, and fight tooth and nail to repeal cashless bail and secure our streets.”

###

About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

Congressman Zeldin Slams Hochul After She Still Has Not Accepted a Single Debate Request

NEW YORK – Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party nominee for Governor, once again challenged Hochul to join him on the debate stage for a minimum of five televised debates throughout New York prior to the general election. Congressman Zeldin has accepted multiple debates so far, while Hochul has failed to accept any.

Last week, after accepting the first two debate requests made to him – CBS2 and PIX11 – Congressman Zeldin called on Hochul to do the same.

“What is Kathy Hochul so afraid of? She could easily accept the CBS2 and Pix11 debate requests today! Voters deserve the ability to make an informed decision about the future of our state, to learn first hand where the two candidates stand on the issues most important to them and cast their vote accordingly. New Yorkers have told me time and time again that their top concerns of this race are crime, the economy, quality of education, corruption in Albany and more. The status quo isn’t cutting it, and they know it’s going to take common sense, balance, and new leadership to bring New York back from the brink and save our state.”

Congressman Zeldin is calling for at least 2 debates in the New York City media market, at least 1 debate in the Buffalo or Rochester media markets, at least 1 in the Capital Region, and at least 1 in the Syracuse, Elmira, Binghamton, Ithaca, or Watertown media markets. He is willing to do debates in every media market.

He also believes at least 2 of these debates should happen prior to the start of absentee voting and at least 3 more should be prior to the start of early voting.

###

About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

Congressman Zeldin Statement on 1 Year Anniversary of Hochul Being Sworn Into Office

Releases List of 10 Top Ten Lowlights of Hochul’s Year as Governor

NEW YORK – Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party nominee for Governor, issued the following statement on the top 10 lowlights of Hochul’s year in office. Today is the one-year anniversary of Governor Kathy Hochul being sworn into office:

“Kathy Hochul’s first year as Governor has been a disaster. We’ve witnessed how a year of failed leadership in Albany and one party rule can further decimate New Yorkers’ way of life – skyrocketing crime, punishing taxes, and rampant corruption. New York leads the entire nation in population loss and can’t live through four more years of Kathy Hochul. On November 8th, we must fire Hochul to Save Our State.” 

While the list could easily be much longer, here are the Top 10 Lowlights of Hochul’s year as Governor:

  • Selecting Brian Benjamin to be Lieutenant Governor, as her very first big decision as Governor. He was the poster child of the Defund the Police Movement. Benjamin was arrested for bribery and campaign finance fraud less than 7 months later. Just days before his arrest and resignation, Hochul tripled down and still was covering for his crimes.
  • Refusing to repeal cashless bail and give judges discretion to weigh dangerousness on far more crimes, despite the pleas of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and many more. Hochul still insists there is no data to support these calls for action.
  • Covering for rogue District Attorneys like Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. Hochul has the constitutional authority to remove Bragg, but she instead insists that New Yorkers should just cut him some slack, and he just got there and is doing his job.
  • Secretly negotiating and agreeing to a $850 million taxpayer funded arrangement for a new Buffalo Bills Stadium that she sought to jam into the budget at the last possible moment and without transparency and vetting. Hochul’s husband is General Counsel for the company that has the vendor contract on the current Bills Stadium.
  • Every 30 days, Hochul unilaterally extends her self-claimed COVID emergency powers. Through this power, she went around the state’s competitive bidding laws to grant a no-bid contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a company run by a family that donated $300,000 to her campaign.
  • After the United States Supreme Court ruled that New York’s concealed carry law was unconstitutional, Hochul immediately convened a Special Session of the State Legislature to go even further than the prior law. The new law, which is clearly unconstitutional, tramples all over 1st Amendment rights to trample all over 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding New Yorkers. When Hochul was asked what data she had to target concealed carry permit holders, Hochul said she didn’t need data.
  • When Hochul was asked to stick up for Jose Alba after Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg charged him with murder and sent him to Rikers Island, Hochul declined and said that she wasn’t going to get involved at all.
  • Calling on New Yorkers to be her “apostles” in deciding whether to get the COVID vaccine. She ordered all healthcare heroes to be fired if they didn’t get the COVID shot, regardless of natural immunity and other science and considerations.
  • After the HALT Act went into effect April 1, 2022, assaults on corrections officers, other prison staff, and inmates, all have skyrocketed, and yet Hochul has said and done absolutely nothing to address this serious issue.

Honorable mentions: Hochul signing the Less is More Act, abusing her access to state aircraft for her travels, giving donors special access with state liquor license requests, announcing that she supported term limits and then did absolutely nothing at all to actually advance the proposal through the legislature, refusing to approve new pipeline applications, making small businesses pay a new unemployment insurance surcharge after the state refused to pay off its federal loan like many other states did, mailing out property tax checks to New Yorkers days before the Democratic Party primary with a note that the money was courtesy of Hochul, awarding an exclusive multi-billion dollar contract to someone who hosted a fundraiser for Hochul’s campaign and met with her administration during the period that such meetings were prohibited under State Finance Law…

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About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

Congressman Zeldin, Alison Esposito, Local Small Businesses and Elected Officials Slam Hochul Administration’s New Unemployment Insurance Fees Hammering Small Businesses, Announce a Better Path Forward

Watch the full video here.

WARWICK, NY – On Tuesday, August 23, 2022, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party designee for Governor, Alison Esposito, the Republican Party and Conservative Party designee for Lieutenant Governor, State Senator Mike Martucci, Assemblyman Colin Schmitt, Assemblyman Karl Brabenec, local officials, and small businesses spoke out against the Hochul Administration charging small businesses an additional Unemployment Insurance Interest Assessment Surcharge. The reason provided for the new fee was to pay for New York State’s federal loan taken out to continue unemployment payments after the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund ran dry. Congressman Zeldin outlined a better path forward that would provide local small businesses with relief from this additional surcharge.

Shuttering businesses across the state during the COVID outbreak, the State of New York paid more than $110 billion in unemployment benefits to New Yorkers who lost their jobs. The state borrowed money from the federal government to provide these benefits and now owe $8.1 billion to the federal government.

This summer, the Department of Labor told small businesses it would charge them an additional fee to pay off New York State’s debt owed to the federal government.

Small businesses will now be saddled with this additional unexpected fee, due on September 1st. The Department of Labor will charge this fee annually.

“The struggling small businesses had to get through the pandemic where life was not easy. Many didn’t make it. Some employers had to cut down on the number of staff and services. It’s not easy to be a small business owner in New York,” said Congressman Zeldin. “Now, you already have an inflation crisis. You already have a supply chain crisis. You already have an employee shortage. You’re struggling to make ends meet, and now on top of it, New York State is passing off an additional cost to employers.”

###

About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

Congressman Zeldin, Dutchess County Executive Molinaro Slam Kathy Hochul for Declaring They Are “Not New Yorkers” and Need to Move Out of the State

Hochul Comments Come on the Eve of NY-19 Special Election

NEW YORK – Tonight, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party designee for Governor, and Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, the Republican Party and Conservative Party nominee for New York 19th’s Congressional District (NY-19) slammed Governor Kathy Hochul for declaring they are “not New Yorkers” and need to move out of the state. Hochul’s comments came ahead of tomorrow’s NY-19 special election.

“Wow Kathy Hochul. You’re losing your marbles, lady,” tweeted Congressman Zeldin. “Won’t take you up on your psycho demand to leave New York, but what I will do is get in my car right now, drive to NY-19, & do everything in my power to make sure Marc Molinaro wins tomorrow’s Special Election for Congress.” 

Congressman Zeldin, who is now on his way to NY-19 to campaign for Molinaro, sent Kathy Hochul this video message.

“Governor Hochul – the Governor of the entire State of New York – at a rally with my opponent nodding along sounded exactly like Andrew Cuomo,” said Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinario. “Disagree with their policies, disagree with them and you have no place here. This is yet another example of how arrogant Kathy Hochul, Pat Ryan and liberals have become. Let me be very clear: Everyone who lives here regardless of your party or beliefs is a New Yorker. And, tomorrow, let’s remind Pat and Governor Hochul who they work for, we the people of New York. We the people of New York 19!”

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About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

Congressman Zeldin, NYPD Unions Speak Out Against Legislation Removing Qualified Immunity and Call on Kathy Hochul to Do the Same

Watch the full video here.

NEW YORK – On Monday, August 22, 2022, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party designee for Governor, the Detectives Endowment Association (DEA), Captains Endowment Association (CEA), and Lieutenants Benevolent Association (LBA) slammed continued attacks on police officers’ qualified immunity by the pro-criminal elected officials in New York State and New York City. Congressman Zeldin opposes legislation in Albany to remove qualified immunity for law enforcement and has pledged to veto this legislation if passed next year by the state Legislature. He is calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to come out of hiding and clearly state her position on efforts to abolish qualified immunity because New Yorkers deserve to know where she stands on key issues before they vote in November:

“I am calling on Governor Hochul to provide the big reveal now regarding her positions and plans on cashless bail and qualified immunity, as opposite to deceitfully trying to make it some big mystery where New Yorkers have to elect her to a four-year term to find out where she stands on these important issues,” said Congressman Zeldin. “If you want to sit in the Governor’s seat, then you have the duty to tell people where you stand on the issues that matter most to them. New Yorkers want to back our men and women in blue, support qualified immunity, and ensure law enforcement is able to go to work with all of the tools and resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. Law enforcement should be able to focus on trusting their instincts and training, and keeping themselves and their community safe.” 

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About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

Congressman Zeldin Campaigns in Saratoga, Sullivan, Bronx, Kings, and New York Counties

Download photos here

NEW YORK – On Thursday, August 18, 2022, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) joined the Saratoga County Republican Committee at Jasper Nolan Day at the Races. Congressman Zeldin was joined by his running mate Alison Esposito, US Senate Candidate Joseph Pinion, New York State Comptroller Candidate Paul A. Rodriguez, State Senator Jim Tedisco, Assemblyman Matt Simpson, Congressional Candidate Liz Joy, and many other candidates and New Yorkers.

Congressman Zeldin then headed to Glen Spey with State Senator Mike Martucci to attend Bike 4 Chai, a cycling event to raise funds for Chai Lifeline, an organization that provides services to children with cancer and blood disorders. Following the Bike 4 Chai fundraiser, Congressman Zeldin toured and met campers at Camp Shalva of Bobov in Thompsonville.

Congressman Zeldin then attended a dinner meet and greet at Boosur Restaurant in South Fallsburg before heading to Woodbourne Shul to meet with Rabbi Jungries and a large group of congregants.

Congressman Zeldin ended the day by meeting with Satmar community leaders in Bloomingburg, joined by State Senator Martucci, State Senator Peter Oberacker, and candidate for Attorney General Michael Henry.

On Friday, August 19, 2022, Congressman Zeldin and his running mate Alison Esposito visited the Jamaica Muslim Center in Jamaica, Queens.

Congressman Zeldin and Alison Esposito then hosted a press conference to reiterate their call to repeal cashless bail following the brutal beating of an innocent New Yorker who was released on cashless bail. The perpetrator is sex offender Bui Van Phu who was released on parole by the Cuomo-Hochul Administration in 2019. When Phu was first arrested after this most recent attack, the NYPD charged him with attempted murder for brutally beating the victim who needed brain surgery and was put into a coma. The Bronx District Attorney downgraded the charges to misdemeanor assault and harassment, two crimes not eligible for bail under New York’s disastrous cashless bail law. The press conference was held at the scene of the crime outside of Fuego Típico Restaurant in the Bronx. To watch the press conference, click here.

Following the press conference, Congressman Zeldin visited the Summer Stroll on 3rd in Bay Ridge, where he walked around with Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R, NY-11), New York State Conservative Party Chair Jerry Kassar, Curtis Sliwa, and local candidates for office.

On Saturday, August 20, 2022, Congressman Zeldin, his wife, Diana, and their daughters visited Harlem for the annual Harlem Week street fair.

Congressman Zeldin, concluded the evening by attending the Jamaica 60 Diamond Jubilee Gala celebrating the 60th year of Jamaican independence.

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About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

On Senior Citizens Day, Congressman Zeldin Slams Hochul’s Tone Deaf Tweet Considering Her Efforts Covering Up the Coverup of the State’s Deadly Nursing Home Order

NEW YORK – Today, on Senior Citizens Day, Congressman Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party nominee for Governor of New York, issued the following statement slamming Kathy Hochul’s tone deaf tweet on Senior Citizens Day as she continues advancing her efforts covering up the coverup of the Cuomo-Hochul Administration’s deadly nursing home order:

“Today on #SeniorCitizensDay and every day, Kathy Hochul desperately ignores the state’s corrupt and deadly nursing home order and coverup, unwilling to help deliver answers or justice. Thousands of families of deceased New York seniors are not going to just magically go away and stop calling for transparency and accountability, nor should they. Hochul came into office a year ago and lied to their faces promising to take this seriously and advance an investigation that still has not started. On top of it all, Hochul recently announced that she won’t be allowing any interim findings to be released prior to the November 8th election. Hochul won’t get the job done. I will, and it will be a key part of my Day ONE agenda.”

Congressman Zeldin also posted on Twitter regarding this topic here.

About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

As the Hochul Crime Wave Surges, Congressman Lee Zeldin Calls for Charges in Bronx Sucker-Punch Case to Be Upgraded

Continues Call to Repeal Cashless Bail and Fire Rogue District Attorneys Who Refuse to Enforce the Law

NEW YORK – Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), the Republican Party and Conservative Party nominee for Governor, is calling for the charges in the Bronx Sucker-Punch case to be upgraded. The New York Police Department filed attempted murder charges against convicted sex offender Bui Van Phu, but the Bronx District Attorney’s office downgraded the charges to misdemeanor assault and harassment. Congressman Zeldin also continued his call for the Governor to remove rogue, far-left District Attorneys who are refusing to enforce the law, and for the State Legislature to convene in a special session to overhaul cashless bail:

“The charges against convicted sex offender and lifetime parolee Bui Van Phu must be upgraded. His unprovoked attack has left Jesus Cortez with a fractured skull and he remains in a coma to this day. There is clear evidence to support a stronger charge. Phu should have never been granted a cashless bail release back onto the streets.

“Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark needs to do her job. If she wants to be a criminal defense attorney then she should go be a criminal defense attorney and let someone who actually wants to enforce the law to start serving as District Attorney.

“Meanwhile, Kathy Hochul continues to call for more ‘data’ when it comes to repealing cashless bail. This case alone shows just how badly the state’s cashless bail law needs to be repealed. This case is a great example in favor of mandatory pre-trial confinement. Discretion to set cash bail should be the exception here instead of the norm. In this case, however, the only option for the judge was a cashless bail release, which is insane. As the Hochul Crime Wave continues to surge, I am calling on the New York State Legislature to get back up to Albany today to convene in a special session to repeal cashless bail and secure our streets. These failed policies are causing countless law-abiding New Yorkers to be attacked, stabbed, and killed every day.”

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About Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.

Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.

In the State Senate, Lee:

  • Led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. 

  • Cosponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, which became law.

  • Reduced middle-income tax rates in New York to the lowest level in 60 years.

  • Secured the repeal of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

  • Created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

  • Authored the law to protect our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials. 

Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and has now won seven consecutive races since 2010 in purple NYC suburban districts, unseating two Democrat incumbents along the way. In Congress, Lee quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues: 

  • Combating and defeating MS-13 on Long Island, leading the charge in New York and nationally against cashless bail, opposing all efforts to defund, dismantle or abolish police, and providing law enforcement the resources they need to fight gang violence and other crimes in our communities, including bulletproof vests.

  • Securing the repeal of many harmful, job killing regulations, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and many other initiatives, to improve our business climate and grow our economy. 

  • Leading the charge to end all COVID mandates. 

  • Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. 

  • Delivering a $1.5 billion boost in border security resources, helping to choke off the flow of illegal migration across our borders. 

  • Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.

  • Delivering the Electron Ion Collider “discovery machine” to Brookhaven National Lab that will enable advancements in national security, medical and cancer research, astrophysics, and more and create an extensive number of jobs. 

  • Advancing his law enforcement bill of rights, which would help ensure that our great law enforcement officers and the people they serve are protected.

  • Championing the expansion of the Dwyer Program nationally, to help all of our nation’s veterans access the resources they need. 

  • Securing much needed support of treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

  • Leading the effort against the fatally flawed Iran Nuclear Deal.

  • Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

  • Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.

  • Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and advancing top priorities for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.

  • Co-chairing, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, the House Republican Israel Caucus, and serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee, as well as four House Subcommittees.

  • Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of his constituents.

Lee and his wife, Diana, reside in Shirley with their twin fifteen-year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.