Norman Seabrook is an American former law enforcement officer and union leader who was the president of the

Correction Officers' Benevolent Association The Correction Officers' Benevolent Association (COBA) is the second largest trade union for law enforcement in New York. COBA is also the largest municipal jail union in the United States. It represents corrections staff within the New York Cit ...

from 1995 to 2016.

Career

Seabrook became a corrections officer in 1985. He received his

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from

Empire State College Empire State University (SUNY Empire) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State University is a multi-site institution offering associate degre ...

. As leader of COBA, which represents more than 9,000 officers within the

New York City Department of Correction The New York City Department of Correction (NYCDOC) is the branch of the municipal government of New York City responsible for the custody, control, and care of New York City's imprisoned population, housing the majority of them on Rikers Island ...

, Seabrook was known for his strong defense for union members, and was said by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' to be a "roadblock to reform". Seabrook was described by the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

as being a "powerbroker" in New York City. Seabrook was instrumental in pushing through the "Feces Bill" which made it a felony to throw feces at a corrections officer. Seabrook fought for deals, sometimes in unison with other city unions, including the

Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (PBA) is the largest police union representing police officers of the New York City Police Department. It represents about 24,000 of the department's 36,000 officers. The PBA was orig ...

and the Uniformed Firefighters Association. Seabrook lobbied for corrections officers to gain parity with the

NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

and the

FDNY The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the full-service fire department of New York City, serving all five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fire Suppression Services, ...

in pay and benefits. In 2001, Seabrook was appointed by New York Governor

George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984 ...

to the three-person, bipartisan "Task Force to Reform New York State and New York City Elections". Seabrook hosted his own radio show called, ''Real Talk, Real Time'' on WWRL 1600 AM in New York City market. This show aired weekly on Fridays.

Criminal issues

Seabrook was charged with taking a $60,000 bribe in connection with a $20 million investment of union members' money. Seabrook was said to have been "presented with a Ferragamo bag by Jona Rechnitz." $19 million of that investment was lost, but through lengthy deals $4.5 million has been restituted. Seabrook was indicated by a federal grand jury on July 7, 2016, along with co-defendant Murray Huberfeld. Huberfield was the founder of Platinum Partners, a hedge fund to which COBA funds would be directed by Seabrook. In return for the COBA investments, Seabrook received

kickbacks A kickback is a form of negotiated bribery in which a commission is paid to the bribe-taker in exchange for services rendered. Generally speaking, the remuneration (money, goods, or services handed over) is negotiated ahead of time. The kickback ...

of between $100,000 and $150,000, depending on the amount invested by COBA. The first trial ended in a hung jury. In the second trial, Seabrook was convicted of corruption and was sentenced to 58 months in prison. As a result of the legal issues, his bank attempted to foreclose on his home.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seabrook, Norman Prison officer organisations American trade union leaders Living people Leaders of organizations Criminals from New York (state) Criminals from New York City New York City Department of Correction 1960 births Empire State University alumni