Malcolm Smith (American politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Malcolm Smith
Smith in 2013
President pro tempore of the New York State Senate
In office July 9, 2009 – December 31, 2010
Preceded by	Pedro Espada Jr.
Succeeded by	Dean Skelos
Acting Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office January 7, 2009 – June 8, 2009
Governor	David Paterson
Preceded by	Dean Skelos (acting)
Succeeded by	Pedro Espada Jr. (acting)
Majority Leader of the New York State Senate
In office January 7, 2009 – June 8, 2009
Preceded by	Dean Skelos
Succeeded by	Dean Skelos
Member of the New York Senate from the 14th district
In office January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2014
Preceded by	George Onorato
Succeeded by	Leroy Comrie
Member of the New York State Senate from the 10th district
In office January 1, 2000 – December 31, 2002
Preceded by	Alton R. Waldon Jr.
Succeeded by	Ada L. Smith
Personal details
Born	Malcolm Anthony Smith (1956-08-09) August 9, 1956 (age 68) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Other political affiliations	Independent Democratic Conference (2011–2013)
Spouse	Michele Lisby
Children	4
Education	Fordham University (BA) Adelphi University (MBA)
Signature

Malcolm Anthony Smith (born August 9, 1956) 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.

On April 2, 2013, Smith was arrested by the FBI on federal corruption charges. The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation alleged that Smith attempted to secure a spot on the Republican ballot in the 2013 New York City mayoral election through bribery of New York City Councilman Dan Halloran and two other Republican officials. In September 2014, Smith's Democratic primary challenger, former New York City Councilman Leroy Comrie, defeated Smith in a landslide. The following year, Smith was convicted of all charges against him and sentenced to seven years in federal prison.

Early life

A Queens native, Malcolm Smith earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Fordham University and went on to earn an MBA from Adelphi University. At Adelphi, he was inducted into Delta Mu Delta, an honor society for business administration. He has also completed certificate programs from Harvard Law School and Wharton Business School.

Prior to his political career, Smith worked in real estate development. In 1985, he was named president of Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica. In 1991, he founded Smith Development Corporation, and subsequently built over 100 housing units in southeastern Queens, Far Rockaway and Brooklyn. He was also responsible for several notable commercial projects such as the Pathmark Plaza-Springfield Gardens, the interior of the Federal Aviation Administration building, and the baseball fields at Roy Wilkins Park in Jamaica.

Political career

Smith (right) with Hiram Monserrate in 2009.

Smith began his political career as a senior aide and political protégé to Congressman Floyd H. Flake from 1986 to 1991. Smith also served as a chief aide to City Councilman Archie Spigner, who was an assistant to Mayor Ed Koch, and a member of the advance staff for vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro in 1984.

Smith was first elected to the New York State Senate in a 2000 special election. He was elected minority leader in January 2007, succeeding David Paterson. After the 2008 state elections, Democrats gained a majority of seats in the State Senate for the first time in 40 years, and Smith was subsequently chosen as Majority Leader and Temporary President of the body in January 2009. He was the first African American to hold this position. However, on June 8 of that year, Sens. Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate joined with the thirty Republicans in voting to replace Smith as Senate Majority Leader, triggering the 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis. The crisis concluded the following month when Espada and Monserrate abandoned their alliance with the Republicans and rejoined the Senate Democratic Conference. As a compromise, Smith retained only the title of Temporary President of the Senate, with the title of Majority Leader going to Espada.

..... He also helped launch a series of forums statewide for prevention of foreclosure.

Smith also sought to curb gun violence. In the wake of the Sean Bell shooting incident, Smith created and chaired the Tri-Level Legislative Task Force, which released a report on increasing public confidence in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Some of its recommendations were passed by the state legislature.

Smith was re-elected to his State Senate seat without opposition in 2012. Following his reelection, he joined forces with the Independent Democratic Conference to form a "bipartisan governing coalition" with Senate Republicans. He expressed interest in running for mayor of New York City as a Republican in the 2013 mayoral election. He would have needed a Wilson Pakula certification in order to do so. His attempts to obtain that certification led to his April 2, 2013 arrest by the FBI for allegedly attempting to bribe Republican leaders whose permission he needed to run for mayor on the Republican ticket despite being a registered Democrat. Following Smith's arrest, he was expelled from the Independent Democratic Conference. In September 2014, Smith's Democratic primary challenger, former New York City Councilman Leroy Comrie, defeated him in a landslide.

Personal life

Smith is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He is married to Michele Lisby-Smith. They have three children, Tracey, Julian and Amanda. In 2006, a former aide of Smith's filed a paternity suit against him, and he eventually acknowledged paternity of the aide's child and began paying child support.

See also

• List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States