John L. Sampson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Sampson
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| Member of the New York State Senate from the 19th district |
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| In office January 1997 – July 24, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Howard E. Babbush |
| Succeeded by | Roxanne Persaud |
| Democratic Conference Leader New York State Senate | |
| In office June 16, 2009 – December 17, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Stewart-Cousins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 17, 1965 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College (B.A.) Albany Law School (J.D.) |
John L. Sampson (born June 17, 1965) is an American former politician and convicted felon. A Democrat, Sampson represented District 19 in the New York State Senate from 1997 to 2015. He is of Guyanese heritage. Sampson became Senate Democratic Leader in June 2009 and served as Senate Minority Leader from January 2011 to December 2012. Sampson forfeited his Senate seat when he was convicted of federal felony charges on July 24, 2015. On January 18, 2017, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
Education and early legal career
Sampson earned his B.A. in Political Science from Brooklyn College and a J.D. from Albany Law School (class of 1991). He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Albany Law School.
Sampson worked for the Department of Environmental Conservation and as a Staff Attorney to the Legal Aid Society of New York.
Starting in 1994, he worked as an attorney for the law firm of Alter and Barbaro, Esqs.
Political career
Elected in 1996 to the New York State Senate, Sampson served in the Senate from 1997 to July 2015. He served as chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and the Senate Administrative Regulations Review Commission, and was the first African-American to serve as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sampson represented Senate District 19 in Brooklyn.
In 2005, Sampson made an unsuccessful bid to become District Attorney of Kings County, New York, opposing the incumbent, Charles "Joe" Hynes.
On June 15, 2009, Sampson was elevated to the leadership of the Democratic Conference of the State Senate. As conference chairman, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and the legislative agenda of the Democratic caucus. He served in leadership alongside former Majority Leader and Temporary Senate President Malcolm Smith. On December 17, 2012, Sampson was ousted from his leadership post when Democrats elected Andrea Stewart-Cousins as Senate Democratic Leader.
See also
- Paterson, David "Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity."Skyhorse Publishing. New York, New York, 2020
