Hillary Clinton backs Manhattan DA candidate in first endorsement of year

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has endorsed Manhattan district attorney candidate Tali Farhadian Weinstein, the New York Daily News reports.

“New Yorkers need a district attorney who can balance safety and fairness,” Clinton said of Farhadian Weinstein, former general counsel to the Brooklyn district attorney’s office, in a statement obtained by the Daily News. “Tali has fought for both her entire career.”

The former presidential hopeful went on to praise Farhadian Weinstein’s background and unique candidacy.

“As an immigrant, a mother and a fearless advocate for justice, she will make history as our next DA. We’ve never had a woman in this very storied position, and to have someone with the experience, the determination, the commitment and the understanding of what it will take to run that office with a really effective agenda, I think will be a real game changer,” Clinton added.

Clinton’s political endorsement of Farhadian Weinstein, one of the two leading candidates in the race to replace Cyrus R. Vance Jr., is the first she’s made this year, according to the outlet.

“Hillary’s career is an inspiration to women and men everywhere, including the more than half a million Manhattanites who supported her in 2016,” Farhadian Weinstein reportedly said Tuesday. “I am honored to have a fighter like Hillary Rodham Clinton in my corner.”

Clinton’s backing comes shortly after Farhadian Weinstein raised $8.3 million for her campaign between May 17 and June 7 — $8.2 million of which she paid out of her own pocket, according to New York Magazine.

She allegedly spent the majority of the money on campaign mailers, digital advertising, radio spots and television ads, reports New York Mag. 

“It’s a gross amount of money, an unheard of and unspeakable amount, and its hedge-fund money, a blatant attempt to buy the office,” Zephyr Teachout, a former candidate for governor, told the outlet.

He added, “It’s especially problematic when the job being sought is district attorney, where enormous power rests in the hands of one person. Law should not be for sale.”