Saritha Komatireddy, a 41-year-old former federal prosecutor and mother of four, has recently announced her candidacy for the position of New York attorney general.
Despite being a Republican in a state that Kamala Harris, the former vice president, won by a significant margin in the 2024 presidential election, Komatireddy remains undeterred. She is no stranger to uphill battles, as her career in the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York's office has shown.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, Komatireddy likened her political journey to the arduous task of prosecuting a notorious ISIS terrorist, Mirsad Kandic. The case against Kandic, which Komatireddy joined in 2015, was on the brink of being abandoned due to its complexity.
Kandic, despite being on the United States's no-fly list, had managed to travel from Brooklyn to Syria in late 2013. For four years, he was involved in fighting with ISIS terrorists, smuggling weapons, money, and fake IDs, and trafficking recruits from Western countries into ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq.
Komatireddy shared, "It took years to build the case against himtwo years of collecting evidence and tracking him down, four years of litigating and preparing for trial." The legal proceedings were further complicated by the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after collecting evidence from six continents, calling 36 witnesses to testify at trial, and getting two former ISIS fighters overseas to identify Kandic as one of their own, a jury convicted Kandic in 2022. He is now serving a life sentence in the ADX Florence supermax prison.
Komatireddy is now ready to take on another uphill battle, this time aimed at making Americans safer. She believes that New York is ready for a different kind of prosecutor, despite the state not having sent a Republican to the attorney general's office since Dennis Vacco in 1994. She said, "Dennis Vacco is a friend ... and he will tell you, if you ask him, that the conditions in New York now are very similar to the conditions in New York when he ran and won. Its because safety is a top concern for New Yorkers, and when thats the case, people want someone they can trust."
Komatireddy is critical of incumbent Letitia James, stating in her campaign launch video, "We know were less safe. We can feel it. When I walk my kids to school, I hold their hands a little tighter now. Everyone does. Under Letitia James, crime in New York state is up 26 percent, drug deaths 63 percent."
She further accused James of having her priorities out of order, using the office to go after her political enemies and for her own political promotion, rather than focusing on the safety of New Yorkers.
The election of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is another reason why Komatireddy believes New Yorkers may be ready for a Republican attorney general. Mamdani's anti-police rhetoric during his campaign and his transition team picks have raised concerns among the citys police force. Komatireddy stated, "Mamdanis election is what makes this an opportunity for a Republican to win as attorney general.
The inability to retain police officers, the effect on police morale could lead to a severe degradation of the NYPD. What you need to have is an attorney general who is prepared, if needed, to step in."
Komatireddy, who received both her bachelors and law degrees from Harvard University and lectured at Columbia Law School for over a decade, is not afraid to hold those on Ivy League campuses accountable when they break the law. She criticized the citys treatment of those on college campuses who have broken the law by harassing and discriminating against Jewish students.
She stated, "New York state actually has very robust civil rights laws, and you can use them. I would treat [students] like we treat anyone else."
In response to Mamdani's pledge to arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York City, Komatireddy said, "Theres no legal authority to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu." She promised that "no one would be targeted because they are a friend of Israel or they do business with Israel" with her as attorney general. "I dont think thats appropriate."
Komatireddy's campaign is a testament to her belief in the power of perseverance and the importance of safety for New Yorkers. Her experience in prosecuting a notorious terrorist and her commitment to uphold the law, regardless of the individual or institution involved, underscore her readiness to take on the role of New York attorney general.
As she embarks on this uphill battle, she remains steadfast in her commitment to making Americans safer and upholding the principles of justice and fairness.
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