Perp Walk: NY State Sen. Malcolm Smith

I visited my grandfather's office on Capitol Hill back in the day. I was dressed business casual. My grandfather asked if I was coming to his office from my workplace. I said, 'Yes'. My grandfather shared a word of wisdom with me -- "...you are a Black man. Never think for a moment that you can get away with the same things that your white colleagues get away with...".

Nobody shared that memo with New York State Senator Malcolm Smith. Evidently he thought he join others in plot to rig the upcoming mayoral election in New York City through fraud and bribes. He was arrested earlier today as part of an ongoing corruption case. There were others arrested ... but, it always saddens me when a powerful Black official takes the fall.

Smith is a long-time Democrat. He got together with some other Republican politicians to form an alliance based on cash payments and fraud. Smith was trying to buy off Republican leaders because he needed the party’s support in at least three boroughs in order to run as a GOP candidate without even changing his own party affiliation.

Smith met with his alleged co-conspirators as recently as February. Now, we're in the first week of April and Smith is making that perp walk. Sad.