Council Member Calls Colleagues To Prevent White Candidate From Winning Seat

Stopping the only white candidate from winning the Brooklyn congressional seat once held by the first black woman elected to Congress is the subject of a meeting originally scheduled to convene in the City Council's conference room, The New York Sun has learned.

The meeting, organized by a City Council member, Albert Vann, of Brooklyn, was first disclosed on The Sun's political blog, 51st State.

Listed as the contact person in the e-mail was Yvonne Girela, an aide to Mr. Vann, who gave Mr. Vann's City Hall office as the contact phone number. When reached there, Mrs. Girela declined to comment.

Mr. Vann sent the e-mail to "Black Elected Officials, City, State, and Federal" through the council's internal computer network, according to a council employee who forwarded it to The Sun. City and federal laws prohibit using government offices, supplies, and personnel for campaigning. Last year, a City Council employee was fired for using the council's internal email network to recruit volunteers for Council Speaker Gifford Miller's mayoral campaign.

In the e-mail, Mr. Vann, who is black, said, "As one of the planners for the Black Brooklyn Empowerment Convention to be held at Concord Baptist Church on Saturday, June 17, 2006, we felt it our duty to address the fact that we are in peril of losing a "Voting Rights" district, the 11th Congressional District, as a result of the well financed candidacy of Council Member David Yassky, a white individual."

The three black candidates in the race include a council member, Yvette Clarke, state Senator Carl Andrews, and Chris Owens, son of the retiring Congressman, Major Owens. A fourth black candidate, state Assembly member Nicholas Perry, dropped out of the race and announced he would support Ms. Clarke. In announcing his withdrawal, Mr. Perry said he hoped "we can make the right decision that would benefit the community rather than our own selfish ambitions for moving up the political ladder."

Critics have said Mr.Yassky is trying to capitalize on a crowded field of black candidates splitting the voting block in the majority black district.

Calls to Ms. Clarke, Messrs. Owens, Andrews were not immediately returned yesterday. A spokesman for Mr. Yassky, said, "David is running on his progressive record of accomplishment, and is working hard to win the support of everyone in the district."

"Use of Council resources for political meetings is entirely unacceptable," a spokeswoman for the Council, Maria Alvarado, said. "It is wrong. When we found out about it, we notified Councilman Vann."

The sentiment was echoed in Mr. Vann's e-mail. In it, he concluded, "We realize the time is short, but we also recognize that this is a most critical issue that we must begin to address immediately."

Mr.Vann said the location had been changed but did not say to where.

"That's not where the meeting will be held. That's not where the meeting should be held," Mr. Vann said before hanging up. Afterward, two phone lines in Mr. Vann's district office had busy signals.

Ms. Alvarado could not confirm whether the council's internal e-mail resources were used to send Mr. Vann's e-mail but said he would not be penalized because the meeting location was changed.