Fulani Fires Back At Independence Party Leaders Who Reduced Her Power

NY 1/February 9, 2006
By Rita Nissan

The future of New York's third largest political party is at stake. The New York City faction of the Independence Party recently saw its powers diminished, and one of its controversial leaders had a lot to say Tuesday night on NY1’s “Inside City Hall.” NY1’s Rita Nissan filed this report.

Lenora Fulani fired back at the state Independence Party leaders who crippled her power, during a lively discussion on “Inside City Hall.”

Saturday, the party voted to dismantle three county committees she and her mentor, Fred Newman, control: the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens organizations. Chairman Frank MacKay says this was the result of inflammatory comments Fulani made about Jews.

Fulani again refused to denounce them, and tried to turn the tables on MacKay.

“We are not going to back down from all of these smoke screens, regardless of this illegal violation of minority voting rights, because that's what this party under the leadership of Frank MacKay is involved in,” said Fulani.

Fulani claims MacKay yanked power from the three boroughs with the largest black and Latino populations because he wants to make it an all-white party. And she's going to sue to get her control back.

MacKay says, "This has nothing to do with black or white. It has to do with cult members."

Newman has been accused of leading a cult which forces people to work for the Independence Party, his youth charity, and undergo the therapy he created, Social Therapy.

“We don't ask what people who participate politically with us what they are doing therapeutically, regardless of your lowlifes who you interviewed in order to get these responses from,” Fulani told NY1.

The "lowlifes" Fulani referred to are Newman's critics who appeared in a six-part NY1 investigation last year.

Critics also contend Newman calls all the shots, that he is the one and only decision maker. We asked Fulani what her role in the party is, and if she makes decisions for the party.

“Are you asking me if I am dumb?” she said. “Lot's of people make decisions for the party.”

A party that's in the middle of a major power struggle in a major election year.