Former D.A. Charles Hynes and sitting judge accused of campaign misconduct by NY City Department of Invetigation

This is a very painful post for me.  I admire and like both these men, who I know casually - getting a cup of coffee before class, etc.  Hynes has been a hero of mine for decades.  Judge Kamins I have been aware of only the past ten years.  His bar leadership and his reputation as a jurist have been outstanding. - gwc

Charles Hynes, Ex Brooklyn D.A. Accused of Misuse of Funds  NY Times
DOI Report
by Stephanie Clifford and William K. Rashbaum

A New York City Department of Investigation inquiry has implicated Charles J. Hynes, the former Brooklyn district attorney, in the improper use of money seized from drug dealers and other criminal defendants to pay a political consultant more than $200,000 for his work on Mr. Hynes’s unsuccessful re-election campaign last year.

The report, which has been referred to the state attorney general and several other agencies, concluded that Mr. Hynes could face larceny charges for the misuse of public funds.

The investigation also found that a widely respected jurist, Barry Kamins, the administrative judge for New York City’s criminal courts, violated the judicial code of ethics by advising Mr. Hynes on his campaign, offering legal advice and discussing matters that the district attorney’s office was actively prosecuting.

Justice Kamins has been relieved of all administrative duties on Monday, a state courts spokesman said.