{{Short description|American lawyer and politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Howard E. Babbush | birth_date = {{birth date|1941|10|8}} | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|01|16|1941|10|8}} | death_place = Spain | office = Member of the New York State Senate | term_start = April 27, 1976 | term_end = December 31, 1996 | predecessor = A. Frederick Meyerson | successor = John L. Sampson | constituency = {{ubl |16th district (1976-1982) |17th district (1983-1992) |19th district (1993-1996) }} | children = | party = Democratic }}
'''Howard E. Babbush''' (October 8, 1941 – January 16, 2004) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.
==Life== Babbush was born on October 8, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York City. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He graduated B.A. from Pace University,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kFMkAQAAIAAJ&q=red+book+howard+babbush+born |title=The New York Red Book |date=1993 |publisher=Williams Press |language=en}}</ref> and from St. John's University School of Law in 1966. He was admitted to the bar in 1967. He married Marilyn, and they had three children.
He entered politics as a Democrat, and became first an Assistant Corporation Counsel of New York City, then an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and later an Assistant New York City Comptroller.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Uhlig |first=Mark A. |date=1987-09-17 |title=Ohrenstein: A Career That Began With Reform |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/17/nyregion/ohrenstein-a-career-that-began-with-reform.html |access-date=2023-11-25 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
On April 27, 1976, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, to fill the vacancy caused by the appointment of A. Frederick Meyerson to the New York City Criminal Court. Babbush was re-elected several times, and remained in the Senate until 1996, sitting in the 181st, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th and 191st New York State Legislatures.
On September 16, 1987, Babbush, Senate Minority Leader Manfred Ohrenstein and Ohrenstein aide Frank Sanzillo were indicted for 564 counts of grand larceny, conspiracy and several other crimes. They were accused of hiring full-time election campaign workers, in the guise of legislative aides, who were paid with money from the State Legislature.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/16/nyregion/new-york-indicts-2-state-senators.html ''NEW YORK INDICTS 2 STATE SENATORS''] in the ''New York Times'' on September 16, 1987</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/17/nyregion/legislator-charged-in-564-counts-in-new-york-payroll-abuse-case.html ''Legislator Charged in 564 Counts In New York Payroll Abuse Case''] in the ''New York Times'' on September 17, 1987</ref> All three pleaded not guilty. Although he remained under indictment, and was re-elected several times in the meanwhile, Babbush's case never came up for trial.
In 1996, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by John L. Sampson. In November 1996, Babbush ran on the Liberal ticket for re-election, but was again defeated by Sampson.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1996-11-07 |title=Results of Voting in New York Races for the State Legislature and the Courts |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/07/nyregion/results-of-voting-in-new-york-races-for-the-state-legislature-and-the-courts.html |access-date=2023-11-25 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Babbush died on January 16, 2004, while travelling in Spain.<ref>[http://www.canarsiecourier.com/news/2004-01-29/OtherNews/030.html ''Ex-Senator Howard Babbush Dies While Vacationing In Spain''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911062009/http://www.canarsiecourier.com/news/2004-01-29/OtherNews/030.html |date=2015-09-11 }} by Charles Rogers, in the ''Canarsie Courier'' on January 29, 2004</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-ny-sen}} {{succession box | before = A. Frederick Meyerson | title = New York State Senate <br>16th District | years = 1976–1982 | after = Jeremy S. Weinstein}} {{succession box | before = Major Owens | title = New York State Senate <br>17th District | years = 1983–1992 | after = Nellie R. Santiago}} {{succession box | before = Martin M. Solomon | title = New York State Senate <br>19th District | years = 1993–1996 | after = John L. Sampson}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babbush, Howard E.}} Category:1941 births Category:2004 deaths Category:Politicians from Brooklyn Category:Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Category:Jewish state legislators in New York (state) Category:Pace University alumni Category:St. John's University School of Law alumni Category:Thomas Jefferson High School (Brooklyn) alumni Category:20th-century American Jews Category:21st-century American Jews Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature