{"id":749,"date":"2026-09-15T22:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T22:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=749"},"modified":"2026-09-15T22:25:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T22:25:26","slug":"judge-blocks-rodneyse-bichotte-hermelyns-bk-dems-rules-overhaul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=749","title":{"rendered":"Judge blocks Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn\u2019s BK Dems rules overhaul"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Brooklyn Democratic boss Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn\u2019s attempt to maintain control of the county Democratic club was blocked in court on Monday. The ruling in Brooklyn Supreme Court found an overhaul of party bylaws passed last month that favored Bichotte Hermelyn\u2019s chances of staying in power was \u201cimproper\u201d and said the results of that vote \u201cmust be declared a nullity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Federal workers still don\u2019t want to move to Jersey \u2013 but looks like they\u2019ll have to<\/a><\/p>\n

A group of reformist district leaders in the embattled county Democratic club sued to block the Bichotte Hermelyn-orchestrated vote last month, arguing that outgoing members of the party\u2019s executive committee who voted on the rules change shouldn\u2019t have been allowed to do so. State Supreme Court Judge Jill R. Epstein agreed, granting the reformers a permanent injunction that restrains outgoing members of the executive committee from \u201cexercising functions on substantial matters\u201d as a part of the committee.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like the judge has undergone a painstaking, point-by-point consideration of arguments offered by both sides and has determined that we are correct as to the voting authority of the members of the state committee,\u201d said Howard Graubard, a lawyer for the reformers, and a longtime Brooklyn politics insider.<\/p>\n

The decision, which is likely to be appealed, has broad ramifications for the future of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. One of the major changes to party rules outgoing district leaders voted on last month was to add dozens of new voting members to the executive committee, which selects the party\u2019s chair. The move likely\u00a0 would have guaranteed that Bichotte Hermelyn and her allies could outvote the reformist district leaders\u2019 newfound majority, allowing her to keep her seat. The reform group, which won a majority of state committee seats in the June election, had informally decided in July that they\u2019d elect Julio Pe\u00f1a III as the party\u2019s next chair.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mark Hanna, another lawyer for reformers and a district leader, argued that the ruling was a win for democracy. While he acknowledged that Epstein\u2019s ruling centered on the idea that outgoing committee members no longer had the right to vote on things that would dictate the party\u2019s future, he believes it also reinforced major Democrats\u2019 condemnation of Bichotte Hermelyn\u2019s actions as undemocratic. \u201cWe want elections to mean something,\u201d Hanna said. Epstein was only recently sworn in as a State Supreme Court judge, elevated by the Brooklyn Democratic Party. The nomination of judges is one of the powers the county party possesses. While overseeing the hearing between reformers and party establishment in New York State Supreme Court last week, Epstein wryly acknowledged that she knew both parties well. \u201cI never have to run for re-election\u201d she said, drawing a chorus of laughter from the courtroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more NYC sues feds over \u2018public charge\u2019 rule<\/a><\/p>\n

Bichotte Hermelyn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Tony Melone, president of the New Kings Democrats, said he hopes the party will let the judge\u2019s ruling stand. The progressive group organized the coalition of reformist district leaders backing Pe\u00f1a \u00a0as the party\u2019s next chair. A vote for leader is expected before Oct. 6.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody wants our Democratic party to be leaderless as we get closer to the November election. We all want this to be resolved and the court has made a very clear ruling,\u201d Melone said. \u201cIt\u2019s just time for the party chair to take a step back and then we can work together.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like Hanna, Pe\u00f1a described the ruling as a \u201cvictory for democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis conflict has always been over whether or not we respect the will of the voters,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump has promised to issue checks if the GOP holds the House. Is he taking a page from Hochul?<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a developing story.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Judge Jill R. Epstein called the recent vote to change party rules \u2013 part of the Brooklyn chair\u2019s scheme to maintain control \u2013 \u201cimproper.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,92],"tags":[21,93],"class_list":["post-749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-york-city","category-politics","tag-new-york-city","tag-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nJudge blocks Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn\u2019s BK Dems rules overhaul - Business Relocation Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=749\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Judge blocks Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn\u2019s BK Dems rules overhaul - Business Relocation Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Judge Jill R. 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