Speculation mounts Cuomo will vacate seat for gubernatorial bid
As rumors surround New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s candidacy in the upcoming gubernatorial race, Bronxville’s Sean Coffey has thrown his name into the race for the Democratic nomination for attorney. A retired naval officer and former federal prosecutor, Coffey has never held political office before but feels that the time is right for him to get into the public arena.

“I am running because the state is in serious trouble and I want to be part of the solution,” Coffey said. “From my navy experience, I understand what it means to serve on behalf of others.”

Coffey’s platform issues are transparency and accountability. He feels that both are currently lacking in New York State government.

“If you look at the end result, the state still has high taxes while services are declining,” Coffey stated. “There is a lot of important information about our legislators that is hidden from view. We pay them a salary to work for us. Voters ought to know those material facts.”

Alternatives to incarceration are another issue that Coffey is concerned about. Though it is part of a larger discussion, he generally believes that jail time for first-time drug possession offenses is not necessarily the thing to do, feeling that there should be alternatives to jail time.

Coffey, 53, has lived in Bronxville for the last 15 years. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1978 and was on active duty during the Cold War where he flew as a P-3 Orion mission commander tracking Soviet nuclear submarines. Coffey took night classes while working in Washington and graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center magna cum laude. From there he was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York in 1991 dealing with cases involving firearms, narcotics, business, crime and bank fraud.

As a member of Latham & Watkins (eventually becoming partner), Coffey defended Fortune 500 companies in civil, regulatory and criminal matters. He then joined the litigation firm of Bernstein, Litowitz, Berger & Grossman representing many of the world’s largest institutional investors. During his time there, he led teams that recovered billions of dollars for victims of corporate fraud.

If Cuomo chooses not to run for governor and keep his current position, which seems unlikely, Coffey said he would withdraw his name from consideration for the Democratic nomination and support him “enthusiastically.” Over the years people have asked him if he as been in combat.

His response: “I’m saving that for Albany.”