The Working Families Party is alleging that a criminal probe against it was politically motivated and orchestrated by longtime Staten Island political leader Guy Molinari. The party on Friday submitted a brief to the Appellate Division, Second Department, in a matter where it challenges the appointment of a special district attorney in the case. The special district attorney, Roger Bennett Adler, was appointed by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Fern Fisher at the request of Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan Jr. But Donovan’s reasons for seeking recusal, and Fisher’s reasons for relieving him in the case, are unclear as documents in the matter are sealed and only heavily redacted versions have been released.
Last month, Donovan submitted a brief to the Second Department defending his recusal, explaining it was necessary to avoid any appearance that the prosecution is politically motivated (NYLJ, May 15). In response, the WFP attorneys Avi Schick and Kiran Patel of Dentons submitted a brief on Friday contending that Molinari approached Donovan and urged him to investigate the party in an effort to undermine the City Council candidacy of Democrat Debi Rose, who was elected in 2009.
