“It took Democrats in the State Senate just one week to remind New Yorkers why the Albany swamp needs to be drained. Judge Hector LaSalle’s hearing in front of the State Senate’s Judiciary Committee today was nothing more than a dog and pony show intended to drag a more-than-qualified candidate for Chief Judge of the state Court of Appeals through the mud because of his political ideology — and that’s why it came as no surprise that State Senate Democrats, true to form, moved to amend the rules to ensure a pre-determined outcome before the first question was even asked at today’s hearing.
Just like all other judicial nominees who’ve been screened by the State Senate’s Judiciary Committee, Judge LaSalle deserved, at minimum, a fair and impartial hearing from State Senate Democrats. What occurred instead was a gross polarization of that process and was absolutely unbecoming of what should be a prestigious and duty-bound legislative body.
After today’s embarrassing episode, it’s clear that the only viable way forward is to bring this matter in front of the entire State Senate for consideration, as prescribed by the state constitution. Judge LaSalle deserved better, and the people of New York must continue to demand better from their elected representatives.”