Hikind, Greenfield Exchange Heated Remarks About D.A. Endorsements

Assemblyman Dov Hikind and Councilman David Greenfield exchanged vicious remarks in regards to the race for the Brooklyn District Attorney. According to a report by Politicker, Greenfield, who supports incumbent Charles Hynes, warned that candidate Ken Thompson would “target the Jewish community” if elected; remarks Hikind referred to as “disgusting.”

Earlier in the month, we reported on Hikind’s endorsement of Thompson. Hikind’s endorsement came as a bit of a surprise considering Hynes’s strong ties to the Orthodox community in Borough Park that Hikind represents. Hynes, who has served as the Brooklyn DA for over 20 years, has been long accused of being reluctant to fully investigate sexual abuse crimes in the Orthodox community. In Hikind’s endorsement of Thompson, the assemblyman promised that the candidate would represent a change of pace from Hynes in this area.

“There is no question that he will be fair and he will not play politics with that issue,” Hikind told the New York Times.

Politicker noted how Greenfield took those comments as an opportunity to bash Thompson and Hikind:

Mr. Greenfield, who was opposed in his first City Council race by a Hikind-backed candidate and has had strained relations with him since, maintained his Thompson criticism in response to Mr. Hikind’s attack.

“Hikind can yell and scream,” Mr. Greenfield wrote. “but it won’t change the fact that his candidate for District Attorney has promised to target the Orthodox Jewish community.”

In a statement Hikind responded with vitriol to Greenfield:

“Councilman Greenfield ought to apologize for spreading disgusting lies about Ken Thompson in the Orthodox Jewish community,” Mr. Hikind said in a statement. “Unlike D.A. Hynes, who has said that Orthodox Jews are “insular” and worse than the Mafia, Ken has repeatedly stated that he will restore confidence, and fight for safety and justice for every community in Brooklyn.”

“[I]t’s no surprise that Mr. Hynes and his defenders have resorted to unconscionable gutter politics to distract voters from the truth,” Mr. Hikind added. “Baseless slandering from a desperate campaign has no place in Brooklyn.”

The Hynes campaign was happy to have Greenfield’s endorsement, taking it as a sign that the Orthodox community, which often votes in blocks, might be more divided than usual.

“We are proud of the strong support we have in the Orthodox community, George Arzt, a spokesman for Hynes told Politicker. “We are happy that Dov Hikind, with all his baggage, is with our opponent.”