Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes
image: Rick Kopstein/NYLJ
Two candidates looking to unseat veteran Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes are off to a fast start in raising money for the Democratic primary. According to financial disclosure reports to the state Board of Elections filed on Jan. 15, both Kenneth Thompson and Abraham George outdistanced the incumbent in the first round of reported contributions, although Hynes still has more on hand than either.
Thompson, 46, a former federal prosecutor and a founding partner of the employment discrimination/criminal law firm Thompson Wigdor, has raised $341,568 since announcing his candidacy late last year. He contributed $25,000 of his own money, his partner Douglas Wigdor gave $30,000 and his firm $5,000. After spending $77,316, Thompson had $264,252 on hand as of Jan. 11.
Abraham George, 34, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney, reported that he had received $210,777 with $166,777 of that total coming in contributions. The largest donation—$45,000—was from attorney David Boies. George spent $31,103 and had $179,673 on hand.
Meanwhile, Hynes, 77, disclosed that he received $27,275 in contributions in the last six months, with his largest—$10,000—coming from Crown Acquisitions, a real estate firm. But Hynes, who ran unopposed for a sixth term in 2009, began the reporting period with $419,520 on hand and had $373,165 in his war chest after spending $73,630. The Democratic primary, which is tantamount to election, will be held on Sept. 10.
