Boycotted again

In a phone call Tuesday, Mr. Klein explained he is cutting off communication with The Riverdale Press. He called recent articles about him “unprofessional,” pointing to a June 11 story about his campaign contributions from LLCs tied to Glenwood Management — which is in the thick of federal cases against indicted state Sen. Dean Skelos and Assemblyman Sheldon Silver — and to a June 4 Political Arena item about a tenants activists’ protest at his district office. He criticized the LLCs article for quoting a former prominent Democratic fundraiser, Bill Samuels, who endorsed Mr. Klein’s main opponent in last year’s election and for using research by the activist group Hedge Clippers. He did not elaborate on any qualms with the story on the protest.

“Go find another target,” the senator said before hanging up.

Mr. Klein has boycotted The Press twice in recent memory. He ceased communicating with this newspaper for several weeks following the heated Democratic primary, in which he claimed the coverage favored his opponent. He and other local elected officials also boycotted the paper following a 2013 investigative series that found they were part of a borough-wide system in which judges gave lucrative appointments to politicians and politically connected lawyers.

Victims Act poised to fail

This spring saw renewed momentum for the Child Victims Act, the bill to reform the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. Activists including people seeking justice over Horace Mann School’s legacy of abuse worked hard for the measure, with efforts including a lobbying day in Albany.

The bill was nevertheless poised to fail yet again as of press time. While it has previously passed the Assembly several times, Speaker Carl Heastie was yet to move the legislation forward this session. His office did not immediately answer an interview request about the bill.