Hakeem Jeffries

New York State Assemblyman Michael Novakhov, R-Brooklyn, is accusing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and local Democrat operatives of political misconduct over the use of deceased community leader Mark Gevertzman's name on petition filings tied to Jeffries' reelection effort in southern Brooklyn, New York Post reported.

Gevertzman was a deeply respected, longtime community leader and activist in southern Brooklyn. He passed away in March 2025 at the age of 76.

Because he successfully cleared the petition-checking process despite being deceased, local critics and political rivals have accused the party of using his beloved reputation to deceptively harvest signatures from conservative-leaning Brooklyn voters to bolster Jeffries' reelection ballot access.

Novakhov told the news outlet the controversy reflects broader concerns about entrenched Democrat political operations in New York, criticizing what he described as machine-style politics and voter manipulation surrounding the petition process.

"Running dead people shocks the conscience, and so does lying to and misleading the voters about which party you represent. It is disgraceful, dishonest, and an insult to the voters of this district and to the Gevertzman family," said Novakhov.

Jeffries declined comment on the report.

Joey Cohen-Saban, a Brooklyn Democratic Party district leader and local assembly candidate, insisted that placing Gevertzman on the petitions was "nothing more than a clerical error" that the party deeply regrets.

"They didn't know that someone could run on more than one line," said Cohen-Saben. "It [has since been] made clear to these petition circulators that they are collecting third-party-signatures for candidates that are already on the Democratic line."

Novakhov said Brooklyn Democratic Party Chairperson and state Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn was also involved in the alleged effort to mislead voters.

Brooklyn Republican Party Chair Liam McCabe said Jeffries accusing Republicans "of needing to cheat to win" was hypocritical as "we literally have found multiple examples of Democrats in his own Congressional district cheating and lying to win including with petitions with his name at top. Unfortunately, the joke is on us."