John L. Sampson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Sampson
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| Member of the New York State Senate from the 19th district |
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| In office January 1997 – July 24, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Howard E. Babbush |
| Succeeded by | Roxanne Persaud |
| Democratic Conference Leader New York State Senate |
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| In office June 16, 2009 – December 17, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Stewart-Cousins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 17, 1965 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College (B.A.) Albany Law School (J.D.) |
John L. Sampson was born on June 17, 1965. He is an American who used to be a politician. He was part of the Democratic Party. Sampson represented a part of Brooklyn in the New York State Senate from 1997 until 2015. His family comes from Guyana.
Sampson became a leader for the Democrats in the State Senate in June 2009. He served as the Senate Minority Leader from January 2011 to December 2012. He left his Senate position in July 2015.
Contents
John Sampson's Early Life and Education
John Sampson studied at Brooklyn College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Political Science. After that, he went to Albany Law School. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from there in 1991.
He was also a member of the Board of Trustees for Albany Law School. This board helps guide the school.
Before becoming a politician, Sampson worked as a lawyer. He worked for the Department of Environmental Conservation. He also served as a Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of New York. This group helps people who cannot afford legal help.
In 1994, he started working for a law firm called Alter and Barbaro, Esqs.
John Sampson's Political Career
John Sampson was first elected to the New York State Senate in 1996. He served in the Senate from 1997 until July 2015. During his time, he held several important roles.
He was the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee. This committee deals with rules for good behavior. He also chaired the Senate Administrative Regulations Review Commission. Sampson was the first African-American person to be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This committee handles laws related to the justice system. He represented the 19th Senate district, which is in Brooklyn.
In 2005, Sampson tried to become the District Attorney for Kings County, New York. However, he was not successful in that election.
On June 15, 2009, Sampson became a leader for the Democratic group in the State Senate. As the conference chairman, he helped manage the daily work and plans for the Democratic members. He worked alongside another leader, Malcolm Smith. In December 2012, he was replaced in his leadership role by Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
A Change in His Political Journey
In May 2013, John Sampson faced some serious accusations. He was accused of misusing money and not being truthful to federal agents. He stated that he was not guilty of these accusations. On the same day, he lost his committee assignments and leadership positions. He was also removed from the Senate Democratic group.
Even with these accusations, Sampson was re-elected in 2014. However, in July 2015, he was found responsible for some of the actions he was accused of. Because of this, he automatically had to leave his position in the Senate. In March 2016, he was also suspended from practicing law.
Sampson tried to appeal the decision. He used a 2016 decision by the United States Supreme Court as a reason. On January 18, 2017, he received a sentence. He was released in August 2021.
See also
- Paterson, David "Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity."Skyhorse Publishing. New York, New York, 2020
