Warren Redlich

Warren Redlich (born 1966) is an Internet businessman, lawyer and politician currently based in Palm Beach County, Florida and originally from Guilderland, New York. In 2004 and 2006, Redlich, at the time a trustee on the Guilderland town council, ran for US Congress for the 21st District of New York State as a Republican. In 2005, he briefly served as the Political Director of the Libertarian Party of New York. He was the Libertarian Party candidate in the New York gubernatorial election, 2010. In that election, Redlich had collected 48,386 votes, more than any Libertarian governor candidate in the state's history and the only time any Libertarian gubernatorial candidate has even come close to automatic ballot access (50,000 votes are required for that status and no gubernatorial candidate had earned more than 25,000 votes prior to Redlich).[1] Currently, Redlich runs the website westbocanews.com with his wife.

Early life and education

Born in Long Island to Allen and Rita Redlich, his family moved to Wisconsin and then to Albany while Redlich was a child. He grew up in the town of Guilderland, New York. He and his wife gave birth to two daughters, Abigail and Hannah Redlich in 2001 and 2005. Redlich graduated from Rice University with a B.A. in Mathematical Economics in 1988. He received a Masters from Stanford University in Political Science in 1992, and a J.D. from Albany Law School in 1994.[2]

Career

He spent a year in Hiroshima, Japan teaching English Conversation, and then returned and began his career as a lawyer.

After brief stints as a solo practitioner and working for the New York State Nurses Association, Redlich spent 3 years as a trial lawyer with the Allstate Insurance Company. He then served for three years as Principal Law Clerk to the Hon. Robert P. Best, Justice of the Supreme Court in Fulton County, New York. In 2003, Redlich opened his own law firm. His law firm specializes in criminal defense and personal injury.

In 2005, Redlich co-founded SpinJ Corporation which develops and operates websites including Town-Court.com, a directory of traffic and criminal courts. That site has grown to serve over 4 million users a year.

In 2011, Redlich moved to South Florida and expanded his law practice to include criminal, DUI and traffic defense in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. In 2013 he published his first book, Fair DUI: Stay safe and sane in a world gone MADD. He earned a certain degree of notoriety for his approach to avoiding a DUI arrest, which involves placing one's documents in a bag outside the vehicle and refusing to open the window, thus ensuring that an officer cannot use a smell test to detect alcohol.[3]

Political activity

Redlich was a registered Democrat before joining the Republican Party circa 2001. He has had a long and favorable relationship with the Libertarian Party and is one of only two Libertarians in New York to hold an elected office (Dan Halloran, a former member of the New York City Council, is the other). In the past, he has run with support from the Liberal Party of New York; he has also sought support of the Green Party of New York and Working Families Party.[4] Later, during his gubernatorial campaign, he would coordinate some of his events with Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins.[5][6][7] He has served on the Guilderland town board since 2007 as a Republican.[8]

Redlich ran as the Republicans' nominee against the now-retired Michael McNulty for the seat representing New York's 21st congressional district. He lost both elections, the latter by a 78-22 margin.[9] Redlich, during his congressional runs, did not have the support of the Conservative Party of New York State as most Republicans traditionally do; instead, the Conservative Party endorsed McNulty in both races.

Redlich announced in February 2010 to pursue the Republican and Libertarian Party nominations for Governor of New York. Redlich defeated Sam Sloan for the Libertarian nomination, 27-17, at the party convention; Alden Link will be Redlich's running mate. Eric Sundwall, a former leader of the New York Libertarian Party and a short-lived candidate in the New York's 20th congressional district election, 2009, is Redlich's campaign manager. He attended the New York Republican Convention, but was not nominated, received no votes, and failed to muster any support for a petition drive.[10] He went on to endorse Rick Lazio in the Republican primary, calling it an "easy choice."[11]

Redlich refused to complete the disclosure form required of all political candidates, responding to questions regarding the names of immediate family members with the phrase "none of your business." He has until October 1, 2010 to submit that information to the Commission on Public Integrity or else face punishment.[12] (A similar situation forced Howard Stern out of the gubernatorial race in 1994.)

Redlich has been accused of cybersquatting.[13] He purchases domain names related to his political opponents[14] and others[15] and posts websites about them such as http://www.christineodonnell08.com/, primarily as a means of revenue (the O'Donnell site nets him approximately US$85 per day in advertising revenue from Google AdSense).[16] He has heavily advertised on the Internet during his gubernatorial campaign.

Redlich posted a blog post in April 2008 criticizing what he saw was an overblown reaction to Miley Cyrus's appearance in Vanity Fair, suggesting that sexual objectification of females under the age of 18 has historically been accepted.[17] In October 2010, Roger Stone, the campaign manager for Kristin M. Davis, encouraged an outside group to circulate flyers labeling Redlich a "public danger," citing that post as a source, and encouraging people to "call the police" if they encountered him.[18] The flyer received a rebuke in the form of an open letter from Redlich's wife.[19]

Political positions

Redlich's most prominent political position is expressed in his motto, "stop wasting money." He proposes placing a salary cap on all state workers limiting them to a salary of $100,000 or less, with those making over $100,000 having their salary cut at the first opportunity, while still protecting existing union contracts.[20] He supports same-sex marriage, prosecution of corrupt public officials, ending corporate welfare,[21] the elimination of some state agencies, and referendum approval of pay increases for legislators. He opposes a constitutional convention, calling it a distraction. He proposes limiting local governments to five sources of revenue.[22] He supports the construction of the proposed Muslim community center two blocks from the World Trade Center site.[23] He supports reforming driving under the influence laws[24] and supports ending the War on Drugs.[25]

After the election, Redlich announced he was relocating to Palm Beach County, Florida, primarily citing poor weather in upstate New York. In 2012 Redlich became a member of the Palm Beach Republican Executive Committee. He also purchased third-party news website Independent Political Report.

References

  1. ↑ "General Election Results". New York State Board of Elections. December 13, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  2. ↑ http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/33428-fl-warren-redlich-934857.html
  3. ↑ Keegan, Charlie (January 7, 2015). Does viral video explain how to get away with driving drunk? Boca Raton lawyer says goal is to protect innocent. WPTV. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  4. ↑ Warren Redlich: the story of a political opportunist.
  5. ↑ "Capitol Report – Green & Libertarian candidates want to debate : News". CNYcentral.com. 2010-09-30. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  6. ↑ "Redlich, Hawkins Talk Debate | Politics on the Hudson". Polhudson.lohudblogs.com. 2010-10-15. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  7. ↑ "(Some) Gubernatorial Candidates Agree To Second Debate - WBEN NewsRadio 930 : Buffalo & Niagara Falls, NY". Wben.com. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  8. ↑ Town of Guilderland government website page on Town Board. Accessed October 12, 2010.
  9. ↑ CNN website Election 2006 page. Accessed October 12, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Times Union - Albany NY". Albarchive.merlinone.net. 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  11. ↑ "Redlich Voting For Lazio, Reluctantly | Vote Up! - Covering the Elections in Upstate New York | Vote Up NY". Blogs.democratandchronicle.com. 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  12. ↑ Katz, Celeste (2010-09-20). Warren Redlich: This is so stupid. The Daily Politics (New York Daily News). Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  13. ↑ "Domain Names, Cybersquatting, Politics and the Law - YOUmoz". SEOmoz. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  14. ↑ Lawyer, Albany (2009-03-05). "Ken Runion, Domain Names, Cybersquatting, and the Law - Albany Lawyer". Albany-lawyer.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  15. ↑ "The Other 'Christine O'Donnell for U.S. Senate' Website - Chris Good - Politics". The Atlantic. 2010-09-01. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  16. ↑ Orden, Erica (2010-10-15). "Candidates Crowd Stage". The Wall Street Journal.
  17. ↑ Lawyer, Albany. "April « 2008 « Stop Wasting Money". Wredlich.com. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  18. ↑ Vielkind, Jimmy (2010-10-29). Stone: I pushed for Redlich mailer. Albany Times-Union. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  19. ↑ Seiler, Casey (2010-10-31). Redlich’s wife’s letter to Stone on ‘horrific smear’. Albany Times-Union. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  20. ↑ "Times Union - Albany NY". Albarchive.merlinone.net. 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  21. ↑ "1 – Eliminate Waste « NY: Stop Wasting Money". Wredlich.com. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  22. ↑ "Governor - Libertarian Party Primary - Albany Voter Guide". Thevoterguide.org. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  23. ↑ "Times Union - Albany NY". Albarchive.merlinone.net. 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  24. ↑ "DWAI Controversy - WRGB Channel 6 News". Cbs6albany.com. 2009-05-07. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  25. ↑ "Campaign to end the War on Drugs". Repeal.net. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
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