2012 Election and Mayoral Race Debacle Create Rift Between GOP County Chair and Brooklyn's only Elected Official

Calling himself the Republican's only Brooklyn elected official, state Senator Marty Golden is using the 2012 election losses and the mayor's race debacle as a ramification to try to force out county GOP Chairman Craig Eaton, Celeste Katz reports.

In a letter to US Attorney Preet Bharara, Brooklyn Republican state Sen. Martin Golden requested to ID 'Chairman #1' - who is mentioned in the bribery plot to nominate Malcolm Smith as the Republican candidate for mayor - and says the mystery man should quit if he hasn't already.

Golden, Katz notes, "is a Joe Lhota supporter who has been at odds with his borough party's chairman, Craig Eaton, who endorsed John Catsimatidis after a failed attempt to secure support for giving independent Adolfo Carrion Jr. a Wilson-Pakula for the primary."

In response to the move, State Committeewoman Gladys Pemberton of the 41st AD Republican Club sent a letter to committee members  including the GOP 41st district leader, who works in Marty Golden's district office, warning about the risk of losing the rank and file of the Brooklyn Republican party.

In the support  letter of Craig Eaton,  Pemberton vows to step down if Golden succeeds in what she calls his "disgrace" of a fight to oust Eaton from a county party that has seen divisive power struggles in the past.

Letter in Support of Craig Eaton

Asked to respond, Team Golden pointed to the latest election failure to secure victories as in 2011, the BOE commissioner story and more to defend their act. 

"With all due respect, Gladys Pemberton spends nine months out of the year in Florida. Those of us who are on the ground all year have a different view, Jeffrey Kraus, a campaign spokesman wrote in a statement to The Daily News. "The Senator is concerned about the direction of the Party in Brooklyn and the City. [State Sen.] David Storobin lost, [Rep. Michael] Grimm and [Assemblywoman Nicole] Malliotakis lost Brooklyn and Republican numbers all around the county were poor. In many districts the party didn't even run candidates. Its time to consider some changes."