Ruben Wills | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the New York City Council from the 28th district | |
In office January 1, 2011 –August 10, 2017 | |
Preceded by | Thomas White Jr. |
Succeeded by | Adrienne Adams |
Personal details | |
Born | Ruben W. Mills August 9,1971 |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Marcia Thompson |
Website | Official website |
Ruben W. Wills (born August 9,1971) is a former member of the New York City Council,serving the 28th district from 2011 until he was convicted of a felony in August 2017. After serving a 2 - 6-year prison sentence,the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division,Second Department,reversed Wills' convictions and ordered a new trial. On April 22,2021,Ruben Wills was fully exonerated and the charges were dismissed with prejudice. [1] He is a Democrat.
Wills is African-American [2] and was born in Southeast Queens. He was raised in the South Jamaica Houses and attended Public School 40 and Thomas Edison High School. He and his wife,Marcia,are members of the St. Albans Congregational Church.
In 2003,Wills served as the special assistant to City Council Member Leroy Comrie,and later he served as chief of staff to State Senator Shirley Huntley. Wills also worked for the SEIU Local 1199 Union. Prior to working in government,Wills made his living operating a contracting company doing renovations for commercial and residential properties.
After losing the 2009 primary to Thomas White,Jr.,Wills won the council seat for the 28th district in Southeast Queens the next year,after White died. He then won re-election in 2011 to complete the term,and again for his own full term in 2013. Wills renamed a street in his district in honor of White,thanks to the help of his surviving family. [3]
As a council member,Wills mobilized his community behind several initiatives including removing sex offenders from a new homeless shelter near an elementary school, [4] opposing the establishment of a homeless drop-in center near a high school, [5] [6] organizing a town hall to discuss body cameras on police officers, [7] and stopping a juvenile prison from being constructed in South Ozone Park [8]
In 2013,Wills went homeless to raise awareness of the plight of homeless individuals in his community. He pumped gas for tips and slept in parks,relying on soup kitchens to stay fed. [9] The week long experiment was cut short after Wills reportedly developed pneumonia and was temporarily hospitalized when the experience became hazardous to his health. [10] Wills later cited this experience as his motivation to push Mayor Michael Bloomberg to expand rental subsidies stripped from the city budget in 2011. [11]
In August 2013,Councilman Wills secured 4.4 million from 15.5 billion of NYC's capital budget and spent every dollar toward Education initiatives,making him the largest benefactor of schools in the borough. [12]
In 2016,Councilman Wills also started a,first of its kind,New York City Council fund (13 million) that purchased distressed mortgages from local communities and renegotiated favorable loan terms which allowed foreclosed residents to stay in their homes in efforts to prevent homelessness. [13] During this same year,Mayor Bill de Blasio signed important legislation strengthening protections for freelance workers and praised Wills for his sponsorship of a bill strengthening voter protections for pre trial detainees and misdemeanor offenders who were currently incarcerated but still had the right to participate in elections. [14]
In March 2011,Wills responded to two arrest warrants for incidents that occurred over a decade earlier. The first warrant was issued in 1998 for an incident that occurred in 1996. In November 2011,he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief,admitting to stealing items and damaging property in an incident that he called a business dispute. The conviction resulted in no jail time or probation,but Wills had to pay restitution totaling $3,000 and perform 3 days of community service. [15]
The second warrant was for not appearing on scheduled court date in 2002 for an arrest in Nassau County dating back to 2000. The charge was for operating an unlicensed construction business,also a misdemeanor. [16] [17]
On May 7,2014,Wills was arrested as part of a corruption investigation. The charges included multiple counts of fraud and grand larceny in connection with more than $30,000 in public funds that went missing from a charity he ran. [18] [19] On February 2,2015,he was arrested again and charged with five felony counts of failing to disclose financial dealings on five separate disclosure reports filed with the city's Conflicts of Interest Board between 2012 and 2014. [20]
The resolution of the cases from 2014 and 2015 was delayed because Wills' lawyer was removed from the latter case due to a potential conflict of interest,and because of Wills' ongoing medical problems. After his indictment in May 2014,Wills also missed nearly half of his City Council meetings and hearings. [21]
Wills argued that the vast majority of his charges stemmed from the office of New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman,who is an opponent of the Southeast Queens Democratic community and largely endorsed his primary opponent,future-Congresswoman Kathleen Rice,in the 2010 Democratic primary for New York State Attorney General. Wills repeatedly called for a special prosecutor to help develop an impartial prosecution. [22]
On July 20,2017,a jury found Wills guilty on five of the six counts in his corruption trial. He has appealed his conviction and has not yet been sentenced,but was not on the ballot for re-election to his own seat in the primary. [23] [24]
Following Wills conviction,he was sentenced to two to six years in prison,fined $5,000,and ordered to make restitution of $32,874. [25] [26] Wills appealed the conviction and vehemently maintained his innocence. On August 12,2019,Wills was released on parole. [27]
On September 16,2020,the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division,Second Department,reversed the convictions and ordered a new trial, [27] stating:
“The record does not establish that the defendant was acting in bad faith in seeking to present the testimony of these witnesses at the trial,”the appellate court ruled. “The proposed testimony did not deal with a collateral issue,but,rather,went to the heart of the defendant's claim of right defense. Thus,it was error for the Supreme Court to have prospectively precluded the defendant's witnesses from testifying,and,under the facts of this case,that error cannot be deemed harmless.” [28]
On April 22,2021,the prosecution dismissed the charges. [29]
Election history | |||
---|---|---|---|
Location | Year | Election | Results |
NYC Council District 28 | 2009 | Democratic Primary | √Thomas White,Jr. 32.14% Lynn Nunes 32.07% Allan Jennings 16.23% Ruben Wills 9.01% Robert A. Hogan 6.0% Stephen S. Jones 4.56% |
NYC Council District 28 | 2009 | General | √Thomas White,Jr. (D) 88.71% Ruben Wills (Conservative) 11.26% |
NYC Council District 28 | 2010 | Special | √Ruben Wills 35.69% Nicole Paultre Bell 29.16% Allan Jennings 11.30% Albert Baldeo 9.73% Charles A. Bilal 8.34% Harpreet Singh Toor 3.64% Martha Taylor Butler 2.15% |
NYC Council District 28 | 2011 | Democratic Primary | √Ruben Wills 67.97% Allan Jennings 17.32% Michael Duvalle 9.70% Clifton Stanley Diaz 5.01% |
NYC Council District 28 | 2011 | General | √Ruben Wills (D) 92.43% |
NYC Council District 28 | 2013 | Democratic Primary | √Ruben Wills 48.90% Hettie V. Powell 32.97% Eugene Walter Evans 10.37% David Kayode 7.77% |
NYC Council District 28 | 2013 | General | √Ruben Wills (D) 95.23 Mireille Leroy (Unity) 4.64% |
Sheldon Silver was an American Democratic Party politician,attorney,and convicted felon from New York City who served as speaker of the New York State Assembly from 1994 to 2015. A native of Manhattan's Lower East Side,Silver served in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 2015. In 1994,he was selected as the Speaker of the Assembly;he held that position for two decades. During this period,Silver was known as one of the most powerful politicians in the state.
John Chun Yah Liu is an American politician in New York City. A member of the Democratic Party,he is a member of the New York State Senate for the 16th district in northeast Queens. He previously served as the 43rd New York City Comptroller from 2010 to 2013,and as a member of the New York City Council from 2002 to 2009,representing the 20th district in northeast Queens. He was the first Asian American New York City Council member and Comptroller,and one of the first two Asian American New York State Senators,as well as the first elected to legislative or citywide office in New York. He was also a candidate in the 2013 New York City mayoral election.
Ralph Inzunza is a former city councilman from San Diego. He was elected in March 2001 to represent City Council District 8. He resigned in July 2005 along with Councilman Michael Zucchet after both were convicted on federal corruption charges. The conviction against Zucchet was overturned on November 10,2005,citing lack of evidence. However,the convictions against the two co-defendants were upheld.
Larry B. Seabrook is a former New York City Councilman from District 12 in New York City which covers the Co-op City,Williamsbridge,Wakefield,Edenwald,Baychester,and Eastchester sections of the Northeast Bronx,from 2002 until 2012. A Democrat from Co-op City in the Bronx,he has held several elected offices:With his election to the city council in 2001,Seabrook became the first African-American politician to hold office in three separate legislative branches of government,both on municipal and statewide levels.
Hiram Monserrate is an American politician and convicted felon from the State of New York. A Democrat,Monserrate represented New York's 13th State Senate District in Queens from January 1,2009 until February 9,2010,when he was expelled from office following a misdemeanor conviction for assaulting his then-girlfriend. He later served time in prison following a plea of guilty to federal corruption charges. Monserrate is also a former Marine,a former New York City police officer,and a former member of the New York City Council.
Leroy George Comrie Jr. is an American politician from New York City. He represents District 14 in the New York State Senate,which comprises St. Albans,Cambria Heights,Jamaica,Hollis,Rosedale,Laurelton,Kew Gardens,Queens Village and other neighborhoods within the borough of Queens.
Dean George Skelos is an American former politician from Long Island,New York.
The Alaska political corruption probe refers to a 2003 to 2010 widespread investigation by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice,the Federal Bureau of Investigation,and the Internal Revenue Service into political corruption of nine then-current or former Alaskan state lawmakers,as well as Republican US Representative Don Young and then-US Senator,Republican Ted Stevens. Sometimes referred to as "The Corrupt Bastards Club" or the "Operation Polar Pen",the investigation focused on the oil industry,fisheries and for-profit prison industries.
Malcolm Anthony Smith is an American politician from New York who was convicted of public corruption. A Democrat,Smith was a member of the State Senate,representing the 10th district in the New York State Senate from 2000 to 2002 and Senate District 14 from 2003 to 2014. Smith served as New York State Senate Majority Leader in 2009 and served as Temporary President of the New York State Senate from 2009 to 2010;he is the first African-American to hold those leadership positions.
Throughout the history of the New York City Police Department,numerous instances of corruption,misconduct,and other allegations of such,have occurred. Over 12,000 cases have resulted in lawsuit settlements totaling over $400 million during a five-year period ending in 2014. In 2019,taxpayers funded $68,688,423 as the cost of misconduct lawsuits,a 76 percent increase over the previous year,including about $10 million paid out to two exonerated individuals who had been falsely convicted and imprisoned.
Elizabeth S. Crowley is an American politician. She was previously the New York City Council member for the 30th district from 2009 to 2017,representing the neighborhoods of Glendale,Maspeth,Middle Village,Ridgewood,and parts of Woodside and Woodhaven,in the borough of Queens. Crowley is both the first woman and first Democrat to hold the seat. Crowley was a 2021 candidate for Queens Borough President. She is a cousin of former U.S. Congressman Joseph Crowley.
Operation Bid Rig was a long-term investigation into political corruption in New Jersey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation,the Internal Revenue Service,and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2002 to 2014.
James Sanders Jr. is a member of the New York State Senate,serving since January 2013. He represents the 10th district,which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Richmond Hill,South Ozone Park,Jamaica,Rochdale Village,Rosedale and parts of Far Rockaway.
Bradford S. Lander is an American politician,urban planner,and community organizer who currently serves as the New York City Comptroller. A member of the Democratic Party,Lander is a progressive politician,and has been described as "one of the most left-leaning politicians in the city."
Daniel J. Halloran III is a former member of the New York City Council. He was indicted on corruption charges in 2013,did not run for reelection,was convicted in July 2014,and is currently back in the private sector on Long Island. He was the first adherent of Theodism ever elected to the council and one of the first neo-Pagans in hold an elected office in the US.
The Bell scandal involved the misappropriation of public funds in Bell,California,United States,over a period of several years in the late 2000s. In July 2010,the Los Angeles Times published an investigative article on possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of Maywood,revealing that the city officials of Bell received salaries that were reported as the highest in the nation. Subsequent investigations found atypically high property tax rates,allegations of voter fraud in municipal elections and other irregularities which heightened the ensuing scandal. These and other reports led to widespread criticism and a demand for city officials to resign.
The 2013 elections for borough presidents were held on November 5,2013,and coincided with elections for Mayor,Public Advocate,Comptroller,and members of the New York City Council. Primary elections were held on September 10,2013.
Ira Daneek Miller is an American politician who served as the Council Member for the 27th district of the New York City Council. He is a Democrat.
Michael Nelson Feuer is an American politician and lawyer,who served as Los Angeles City Attorney from 2013 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party,Feuer previously served three terms in the California State Assembly,representing the 42nd Assembly District,and as a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1995 to 2001,representing the 5th Council District.
{{cite web}}
: |last=
has generic name (help){{cite web}}
: |last=
has generic name (help)