Brooklyn Dems claim to elect new chair, despite court orders

The Brooklyn Democratic Party on Monday claimed to have elected Assembly Member Nikki Lucas as the next party chair after a late-night vote that seemed to violate court orders and the party’s bylaws. 

Former party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn called a virtual meeting of the party’s executive committee on Sunday to elect new leadership. But only a handful of participants were elected District Leaders. Most of the people who took part in the meeting — and cast their votes for Lucas — are not legally part of the executive committee, according to rulings from the state Supreme and Appellate courts.