By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — The gloves are already off in the six-way primary race for New York State Attorney General.
AG candidate State Sen. Eric Schneiderman turned the tables on Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, putting the notoriously tough lawyer in the hot seat when he revealed Wednesday that crime had gone up in the county under his opponent’s watch.
Murders in Nassau County increased by 15 percent with overall crime up 4 percent since Rice became DA, Schneiderman said, pointing to statistics from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice.
“If DA Rice couldn’t keep crime down as DA, why does she deserve a promotion to Attorney General?” read a statement from the state senator’s campaign.
Rice, who officially announced her bid for the office on Monday, is known for her aggressive pursuit of wrongdoing. During her campaign video, Rice emphasized the importance of fighting crime.
“Protecting our citizens from crime is the most fundamental role of state government,” said Rice. “A prosecutor is the last line of defense against the worst elements of humanity.”
In a television appearance on Monday, the candidate denied that crime had been up under her watch, but on Wednesday stated that the statistics were correct.
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky and Eric Dinallo, a former aide in the Spitzer administration, are among the other contenders for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office. Coumo is expected to announce his bid for governor this month.
