New York City Council expels Jewish lawmaker who evaded taxes

(JTA) — The New York City Council expelled a Jewish lawmaker after he pleaded guilty earlier in the week to federal charges of tax evasion.

Chaim Deutsch, a Democrat who represents Sheepshead Bay and other heavily Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn, said he would not resign after admitting to evading more than $82,000 in property taxes between 2013 and 2015.

Council Speaker Corey Johnson said that state law allowed him to eject a public office holder who commits a crime and that Deutsch “is no longer a member of the City Council.”

A spokeswoman for the Council told the New York Post that the seat will remain empty until a replacement is elected in November. A number of Jewish candidates are running for his seat, which Deutsch was due to leave due to term limits.

A lawyer for Deutsch told Brooklyn Paper that he was “evaluating all of his legal rights and options.” Deutsch will be sentenced in July.

The post New York City Council expels Jewish lawmaker who evaded taxes appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.