A Brooklyn Democratic district leader is facing calls for her resignation after allegedly promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and blaming "Zionists" for a personal property dispute. Carmella Charrington, who represents a district in Bedford-Stuyvesant and holds a crucial vote in the upcoming Kings County Democratic Party chair election, made the remarks in an interview with Egyptian podcaster Raha Zein.
Charrington is involved in an inheritance dispute over her family's brownstone home and claimed in the interview that "Zionists" with ties to the West Bank were responsible for her troubles. "Same thing that they’re doing in the West Bank, it’s the same thing. There’s a connection," she stated.
This is not the first time Charrington has faced accusations of antisemitism. Last year, she shared a video on Instagram promoting Henry Ford's "The International Jew" booklets, which falsely alleged Jewish control over business, media, and banking.
Jewish leaders have condemned Charrington's statements. Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council, stated, "Repeatedly invoking Zionists' as a collective villain, particularly after previously promoting Henry Ford’s ‘The International Jew’, is not legitimate policy criticism. It traffics in some of the oldest and most dangerous forms of antisemitic scapegoating." He added that Charrington should resign, citing that Jewish New Yorkers are disproportionately targeted by hate crimes.
State Sen. Sam Sutton, the first Sephardic Jewish state senator in New York history, also called for Charrington's immediate resignation. "As the first Sephardic Jewish state senator in New York history, I cannot remain silent when antisemitism is legitimized in my home borough," Sutton said, noting that Brooklyn has a large Jewish population and Jewish New Yorkers are frequent targets of hate crimes.
The controversy arises amid a contest for leadership of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, where progressive members are seeking to unseat the current moderate chairperson, Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte. Charrington is aligned with Bichotte's main challenger, Julio Pena.
State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, who is Jewish, described Charrington's remarks as "smack[ing] of antisemitism" and called them "distasteful and not intelligent," though he stopped short of demanding her resignation.
A spokesperson for Mayor Zohran Mamdani also denounced Charrington's comments, stating, "Suggesting that an alleged deed theft in Brooklyn is part of a global conspiracy involving Jewish people is blatant, reprehensible antisemitism. Trafficking in these dangerous antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories is vile and inexcusable."
Charrington has claimed to be a victim of deed theft, but a Georgia conservator has accused her of kidnapping her father, who has dementia. In the podcast interview, she named Joseph and Elliot Ambalo and Daniel Gazal, individuals who purchased stakes in the property from the conservator of her father's estate.