Alan Hevesi

Hevesi's father was Eugene Hevesi (1896–1983), a Hungarian-born American Jewish leader who served as foreign affairs secretary for the American Jewish Committee and as representative to the United Nations for several Jewish NGOs.

His parents were Jewish immigrants who left Hungary in 1938 to escape the Nazis.

55 of Hevesi's relatives were murdered in concentration camps.

Alan George Hevesi (January 31, 1940 – November 9, 2023) was an American politician and convicted felon who served as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as New York City Comptroller from 1994 to 2001, and as New York State Comptroller from 2003 to 2006.

Hevesi was originally from Queens, New York City.

Alan George Hevesi was born in Manhattan on January 31, 1940, and grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, where he primarily resided for the rest of his life.

Hevesi earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1962 from Queens College, CUNY.

Hevesi married Carol Stanton in 1967; they had three children and were married until her death in 2015.

Their sons, New York State Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi and former New York State Senator Daniel Hevesi, have both had careers in politics.

Hevesi died from Lewy body dementia at a care home in East Meadow, New York, on November 9, 2023, at the age of 83.

He received a Ph.D. in public law and government from Columbia University in 1971.

The title of his doctoral dissertation was Legislative Leadership in New York State.

Hevesi taught political science at Queens College for more than 30 years.

On November 2, 1971, Hevesi was elected to the New York State Assembly to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Emanuel R. Gold.

He took his seat during a special session in December 1971.

Hevesi served in the Assembly for 22 years.

Hevesi unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for city comptroller in 1989, as did Frank Macchiarola.

Both finished behind Brooklyn District Attorney and former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman.

In May 1993, Hevesi began his second campaign for city comptroller.

The primary election again featured a three-way race, with Holtzman, Hevesi, and Herman Badillo.

Hevesi defeated Holtzman to secure the Democratic nomination, then Badillo, who contested the general election as a fusion candidate of the Republican Party and Liberal Party.

Hevesi served as New York City Comptroller from 1994 to 2002, when he was term-limited out of the office.

He won his second term with a Liberal Party endorsement, after which former mayor David Dinkins declined to support him.

In 1995, Hevesi, as Comptroller, thwarted an attempt by then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to fill a one-time hole in the city budget that year by selling the New York City water supply system.

By December 1997, Hevesi enlisted the weight and soundness of his city's finances in the cause of forcing Swiss banks to meet the demands of the World Jewish Congress and other organizations then suing Swiss banks over Nazi-era bank balances the WJC said were owed to the heirs of victims of the holocaust, joined eventually by both then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and then-Governor George Pataki.

In his book on the subject, Norman Finkelstein called Hevesi "the godfather of Holocaust restitution sanctions."

Hevesi recruited many other states' and municipalities' financial officers to put their powers in the service of this cause, at one point calling them to a conference in New York at which they discussed ways to coordinate their actions for maximum effect.

Sanctions against Switzerland having seemed successful in securing the $1.25 billion (1999) settlement, Hevesi then brought the power of the ad hoc network he had constructed to bear on subsequent actions against Germany, Austria, and other countries, where its use was deemed successful in raising the amounts of the settlements.

In 2001, Hevesi sought the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York, running on the platform of "Most Experienced, Best Qualified".

He finished fourth, behind Public Advocate Mark Green, Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, and New York City Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr.. Hevesi was the Liberal Party nominee for mayor in the general election, but did not campaign, instead endorsing Green.

A member of the Democratic Party, Hevesi was elected State Comptroller in 2002 and reelected in 2006.

Following his defeat in the mayor's race, Hevesi started his campaign for state comptroller, defeating William Mulrow in a primary, followed by Republican John Faso in the 2002 election.

He resigned from office effective December 22, 2006, as part of a plea bargain with the Albany County Court related to his unlawful use of state employees to care for his ailing wife.

In November 2006, Hevesi was reelected as New York State Comptroller.

On December 23, 2006, Hevesi pleaded guilty to a single felony, agreed to pay a fine of $5,000, and immediately resigned as comptroller.

At a commencement address he delivered at Queens College on June 1, 2006, Hevesi told his audience that U.S. Senator Charles Schumer was so tough he would "put a bullet between the President's eyes if he could get away with it."

Several hours after his remarks, Hevesi apologized for his comments, calling them "beyond stupid, beyond moronic, totally offensive" and "incredibly moronic".

In February 2007, Hevesi was sentenced to a $5,000 fine and permanently banned from holding elective office again; he received no jail time and no probation.

He also pleaded guilty to corruption charges surrounding a "pay to play" scheme regarding the New York State Pension Fund; on April 15, 2011, he was sentenced to one to four years in prison.

His brother, Dennis, a reporter for The New York Times and Newsday, died in 2017.