Interim Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez Will Stay in Office Until Next Election

BROOKLYN, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that he will not be appointing a special successor for late Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson. The position will instead be filled by Eric Gonzalez, Thompson's chief assistant, until voters can vote for a new DA in November 2017. Gonzalez stepped into the roll of interim DA on Oct. 4, when Thompson stepped down to battle colorectal cancer.

Thompson, 50, passed away due to complications from the disease on Oct. 9. Hundreds of dignitaries — including Cuomo, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch — turned out Saturday for his funeral at the Christian Cultural Center in East New York.

"Today I am announcing that no appointment will be made to fill the rest of District Attorney Thompson's term," Cuomo said in a statement Monday. "Until the next election, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office will continue to be led by Chief Assistant District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, who District Attorney Thompson named earlier to continue his office’s work in his absence. Keeping the first deputy in place when there is mid-term vacancy by a District Attorney is consistent with past practice under this administration."

Cuomo has historically left the district attorney's top assistant in charge until the election, including in 2014 when Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice was elected to Congress.

Thompson was elected Brooklyn DA in September 2013, serving from January 2014 until stepping down. He defeated Charles Hynes, who had served 22 years in the position, in the Democratic primary. Thompson was an advocate of gun control, exonerated over a dozen people who were wrongfully convicted and stopped prosecuting most low-level marijuana offenses.

"I am deeply honored to be able to carry out District Attorney Thompson’s vision of equal justice for all in Brooklyn and I pledge to continue his criminal justice reforms," Gonzalez said in a statement. "I am fully committed to the important initiatives that we have put in place and will work every day to keep the people of Brooklyn safe. I thank Governor Cuomo for having the faith in me to carry on the important work of this Office."

Speculation over whether Cuomo would name a special replacement to Thompson grew over the last week. Cuomo said he was weighing options on whether to name a replacement. Current New York City Public Advocate Letitia James was a leading candidate, according to sources, if Cuomo had decided to name a successor.

Photo Credit: Eric Gonzalez via @BrooklynDA/Twitter