Clergy members, community leaders, and residents gathered in East Flatbush on April 9 in a show of solidarity with New York City Council Member\u00a0Farah Louis\u00a0and her sister, Debbie Louis, following a federal investigation involving the pair.<\/p>\n
The press conference, held near the\u00a0Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, brought together faith leaders and advocates who urged the public to withhold judgment as authorities continue their inquiry.<\/p>\n
Federal prosecutors visited the sisters\u2019 homes on March 23 as part of an investigation into whether they allegedly accepted bribes or kickbacks tied to city-funded contracts connected to BHRAGS Home Care Corp., a nonprofit providing home care and community services. Contrary to earlier reports, no raid took place, and only cell phones were seized.<\/p>\n
Authorities have not filed charges or publicly accused either woman of wrongdoing. Both have been named in a federal search warrant seeking potential evidence.<\/p>\n
Speakers at the event repeatedly emphasized the importance of due process and cautioned against premature conclusions. Bishop\u00a0Orlando Findlayter\u00a0described both women as longstanding community advocates.<\/p>\n
\u201cCouncil Member Farah Louis has served well and will continue to serve well,\u201d he said. \u201cThese are women of integrity who have given their all to this community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pastor\u00a0Gilford T. Monrose\u00a0opened the gathering with prayer, while other clergy members echoed calls for patience as the investigation unfolds.<\/p>\n
Findlayter also pushed back against calls for disciplinary action within the City Council, urging lawmakers not to refer Louis to the ethics committee in the absence of formal charges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are innocent until proven guilty,\u201d he said. \u201cLet the process play itself out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pastor\u00a0James A. Thornton\u00a0of Salem Missionary Baptist Church highlighted the sisters\u2019 character and accessibility, describing Louis as a responsive and engaged public servant. \u201cShe is one of the few politicians you can call and get an answer,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
Community leaders framed the situation as part of a broader concern within Brooklyn\u2019s Haitian community.\u00a0Jensen Desrosiers, head of the\u00a0Haitian Powerhouse, said the investigation has sparked unease but also galvanized support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are here to show solidarity,\u201d Desrosiers said. \u201cWe\u2019re not interfering with the process, but we want it known that the community is watching.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additional support came from tenant association leaders, clergy, and local advocates, many of whom pointed to the council member\u2019s role in securing more than $140 million for the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, seen as a major investment in youth and community development.<\/p>\n
Debbie Louis, who serves in the New York State Executive Chamber, was also praised for her behind-the-scenes work on major initiatives, including advocacy related to healthcare and state funding efforts.<\/p>\n
Pastor\u00a0Louis Straker\u00a0acknowledged the challenges of public service, describing politics as a demanding arena, but maintained that both sisters have conducted themselves with integrity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are standing where the fruits of her labor are visible,\u201d he said, referencing the recreation center. \u201cThis is the kind of leadership she brings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the growing public attention, both sisters declined to comment. A family source confirmed they are cooperating fully with investigators and have not been charged with any offenses.<\/p>\n
As the probe continues, community leaders say their message remains clear: allow the legal process to unfold without prejudice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe stand together,\u201d Thornton said. \u201cBecause in unity, there is strength.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Clergy members, community leaders, and residents gathered in East Flatbush on April 9 in a show of solidarity…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":200649,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,9,24,63],"class_list":{"0":"post-200648","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-brooklyn","9":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","10":"tag-brooklyn-news","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-new-york-city","13":"tag-nyc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/200649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}