SWITCHEROO: Longtime Rudy Giuliani crony Fred Brown (above) has held office as a GOP district leader and was illegally registered to vote in The Bronx as recently as November despite admitting that he’s lived in a Battery Park City high-rise in Manhattan for years.
Bronx GOP District Leader Illegally Registered To Vote In Bronx
January 27, 2008 — A local delegate for Rudy Giuliani is a federal-tax deadbeat who’s been living for years in a Battery Park City high-rise while holding political office and voting in The Bronx, The Post has learned.
Fred Brown, a longtime Giuliani supporter, is one of New York’s highest-profile black Republicans. He’s chairman of the National Black Republican Council, a minority caucus established in 1972 to help elect black Republicans, and he’s spoken at several national GOP conventions.
Brown, 72, is also a GOP district leader in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx, where he voted in November.
As a district leader, Brown is a high-ranking party official who helps pick candidates. He’s also set to be honored with the Bronx County GOP’s “Lincoln Award” next month.
But when The Post caught up with him last week, Brown admitted living at 355 South End Ave. in Battery Park City “since 9/11.”
It’s illegal to vote in a locality if you don’t live there. Brown said he was entitled to vote in The Bronx because he owns property there.
But state Board of Elections spokesman Lee Daghlian said, “If he doesn’t live there, it doesn’t matter. It’s where you reside, not where you own property.”
Documents from the Bronx DA’s Office show Brown living in Battery Park City as early as 1989.
Intentional false-voter registration and illegal voting are felonies under state law, punishable by up to four years in prison.
Brown wouldn’t discuss his Bronx property, but city records show that property owned by Fred H. Brown, at 1510 St. Lawrence Ave., is almost five miles from the 10-16 Richman Plaza address where Brown is registered to vote.
Even if he lived there, it’s outside the 77th Assembly District, where he votes and serves as a GOP leader, and the 16th Congressional District, where he’s one of three designated Giuliani delegates.
Under state law, New York City district leaders are elected by primary voters, and must live in the Assembly district they represent.
State law also requires that presidential delegates live in the congressional district they intend to represent at the national convention - meaning that Brown would be at risk of breaking a third law if Giuliani wins the New York primary and Brown goes to the GOP convention to vote for him.
Meanwhile, he owes more than $20,000 in unpaid personal income tax for the years 2001 through 2004, according to IRS liens filed with the City Register’s Office last year.
Brown said he was unaware of the IRS liens, but said he was set to meet with the IRS next month.
He wouldn’t say why he owed back taxes and wouldn’t discuss his employment beyond saying he’s retired.
SOURCE: NYPost.com
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