Grasso secures endorsement from former NYPD commish Bill Bratton
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George Grasso, the former administrative judge in Queens Supreme, Criminal Term, is facing off against Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in the Democratic primary. Photo via Grasso/AP photo by Seth Wenig
By Ryan Schwach
George Grasso, a candidate for Queens district attorney and former administrative judge in Queens Supreme Court, Criminal Term, is touting the endorsement of former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, who he worked alongside in the department.
Grasso’s endorsement came at the same time his opponent, incumbent Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, also secured endorsements from a number of unions.
Grasso is lauding the endorsement from Bratton, who was the city’s top cop from 1994 to 1996 under Rudy Giuliani, and then again from 2014 to 2016 under Bill de Blasio. Bratton is currently the chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.
“Judge Grasso is one of the sharpest legal minds I have had the opportunity to work with over my law enforcement career," Bratton said in a statement. “He has highlighted the crime crisis in Queens and has the experience and knowledge to ensure the public safety that New Yorkers deserve.”
The Bratton endorsement is the first major endorsement for Grasso’s campaign, which is the first attempt at elected office for the former cop turned judge.
“I’m honored and humbled,” Grasso, a Queens native and York College alumni, told the Eagle this week following the endorsement. “A man who I hold in such high esteem personally, and who has world renowned stature as one of the most preeminent law enforcement experts, both in the United States and and globally, has decided to offer such a full throated and sincere endorsement of my candidacy.”
Grasso worked with Bratton while with the legal department of the NYPD in the 1990s and helped to establish several policing programs, which focused on quality of life crimes during the high-crime periods of the decade, and then again worked with Bratton when he returned as commissioner in 2014 while Grasso was a judge.
“Those initial years of the Bratton administration were some of the proudest years of my life,” Grasso said. “Since I have that personal connection with Commissioner Bratton, that's why that endorsement means so much to me.”
Grasso also said that he plans to continue to confer with Bratton on matters if he is elected to the district attorney's office in November.
“I'm not just going to be doing this alone,” he said. “I'm going to be looking for leaders throughout New York City…and Commissioner Bratton is certainly someone who I will make part of that.”
While Grasso is pushing his recent endorsement, his opponent is touting her own endorsements, which have come from The Uniformed Firefighters Association and The Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association, both non-profit organizations.
“The Uniformed Firefighters Association and the Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association members keep our city moving. They are dedicated to our residents and work every day to improve their quality of life,” Katz in a statement. “I’m honored to earn their endorsement and excited to keep working with them to keep Queens residents safe.”
Katz has also been endorsed by the local Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, 1199SEIU and the New York State Court Officers Association.
Grasso argues that Bratton’s endorsement has more weight than Katz’s, since the former commissioner has a law enforcement background and is generally well respected in the field.
“If we had scales, I'd put Commissioner Bratton's endorsement on the scale,” he said. “To me it's a weighter endorsement, in terms of the actual role and responsibilities of this office than all of her endorsements combined so far.”
Katz’s camp argues her endorsements represent a broad range of support.
“DA Katz’s numerous endorsements display not only her broad base of support, but her universal job approval,” said Katz campaign spokesman Tucker Green. “Whether from the Uniformed Firefighters, the RWDSU union members, or the Court Officers - the residents of Queens are making their voices heard.”
Although these specific endorsements for Katz don’t have a direct connection with law enforcement like Grasso argues, they do represent the will of large unions with potentially parallel large voting blocks. The UFA alone has around 18,000 members between active and retired firefighters according to the union.
“District Attorney Melinda Katz has done a fantastic job keeping the residents of Queens safe and making sure our members are protected at home and at work” said Andrew Ansbro, President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association. “Our members are proud to endorse DA Katz for another four years in the District Attorney’s office, and we look forward to helping her get back to doing what she does best - serving the residents of New York.”
Katz and Grasso, who formerly worked on a number of cout initiatives together, are a little more than four months away from primary day, and Katz is currently far outspending and outraising Grasso.
According to the most recently filing deadline numbers, Grasso had around $230,200 on hand to Katz’s $1,175,000.
According to the campaign finance board, around 600 individuals had contributed to Grasso’s campaign between October of 2022 and January of this year, which the candidate says shows a grassroots effort, supported more by Queens residents than institutions. Around 280 individual contributions were made to Katz in the filing period.
Around half of the contributions that Katz received came from Queens residents, but the district attorney also received sizable contributions from a number of labor unions and business interests.
Primary day for Queens’ Democratic voters will be on June 27, and petitioning to get on the ballot begins next week, Tuesday, Feb. 28.
