By Sarina Trangle
State Senate hopeful Everly Brown’s job creation stumping fell short long before he made it out of his campaign office, canvassers said.
Multiple canvassers for the Brown campaign said they did not receive the $150 promised to them on primary day in exchange for handing out literature on behalf of Sen. James Sanders’ (D-South Ozone Park) challenger from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Instead, workers Melsun Greyer, William Cox and Julie Tate said the campaign called police for backup, informed them it had run out of money and left them waiting without details about how to recoup their wages.
Tate said about four of the dozen she helped get jobs on Primary Day were paid about a week late, while others arrived at the office to find nobody there and no information about whether they would be paid.
Greyer and Cox said they received their money Monday.
Cox grew worried about not getting paid after he said Brown sneaked out the back door of his campaign headquarters Sept. 9 as about 60 people remained in line.
“Everybody was angry after standing on their feet for 15 hours,” Cox said. “And he didn’t even have the decency to come outside and talk to us. He left through the back door.”
Brown, a Rosedale developer, and Gian Jones, a Bayswater real estate executive, lost the Democratic primary to Sanders, who currently represents the 10th Senate District, running from Arverne to Far Rockaway and north through South Jamaica, South Ozone Park and Richmond Hill.
Brown denied having any knowledge of what transpired on primary night.
“I have no idea what is going on,” Brown said. “I left early.”
He instructed those with questions to contact the campaign treasurer at his 114-34 Farmers Blvd. office, which is technically outside the district he was seeking to represent.
Nobody could be reached at the campaign headquarters, but a message on the voice mail of Brown’s campaign manager instructed people seeking payments to fill out a form on Brown’s website.
A note posted on the candidate’s site under the header “Conflict resolution” alleges that the office was overwhelmed by people demanding money, some of whom did not work for Brown’s campaign, and that police had to restore order.
“Employees of the Brown campaign were escorted by officers into their vehicles. They were greeted by individuals carrying weapons and were followed by vehicles. Their lives were all in danger, and in fear for their lives they had to establish themselves somewhere safe,” the website said.
The Police Department confirmed officers were dispatched to Brown headquarters at about 9:30 p.m. based on a complaint that people were refusing to leave the area and a riot may be imminent. The NYPD said these issues had dissipated when officers arrived. The department said it had no record of weapons, injuries or police escorting anyone from the scene.
Reach reporter Sarina Trangle at 718-260-4546 or by e-mail at strangle@cnglocal.com.
