Downfall of a Young and Ambitious Assemblyman Stuns His Constituents

By LISA W. FODERARO and JENNIFER MEDINA

MONSEY, N.Y., May 26 — For Rockland County, Ryan S. Karben was nothing less than a political dynamo. He was appointed to the planning board in the Town of Ramapo at age 18. In 2002, he had already served two terms in the County Legislature when he won a State Assembly seat at 28, becoming the youngest state lawmaker in New York.

Described variously as ambitious, energetic, smart and ubiquitous, Mr. Karben, a Democrat, stood out for more than his youth, however. "He was a shining star," said Nicole Doliner, secretary of the Clarkstown Democratic Committee in Rockland. "He was very inspiring. He would give a speech and you would say, 'Wow, let's go.' He really believed what he said."

But his rising political fortunes came crashing down a week ago when he abruptly resigned from the Assembly, saying only that he wanted to spend more time with his wife and their three young daughters.

It did not take long for the back story to emerge. According to several Assembly officials who were briefed on the matter, Mr. Karben quit his post after being confronted with allegations that he brought three Assembly interns to a home he owns in Albany and watched pornography with them there.

Rather than face an investigation, which could include public censure, Mr. Karben chose to step down, the officials said.

Eileen Larrabee, a spokeswoman for the Assembly, said she could neither confirm nor deny that a complaint had been filed against Mr. Karben, who would not comment for this article.

His political fall apparently brought his law career down with it, at least for now. The firm in Spring Valley where Mr. Karben, a Columbia Law School graduate, had been a partner for three years wasted no time in removing his name from the lobby directory. Howard M. Gurock, a partner, confirmed that Mr. Karben's employment was terminated, but he declined to elaborate.

"I was surprised when I heard that he resigned from the Assembly and I was even more surprised when I heard the allegations against him," he said. "It seemed very out of character."

Across the 95th District that Mr. Karben represented, which includes Orangetown and parts of Ramapo, there was a sense of disbelief on Friday among constituents who had shaken his hand at school functions and watched him march in parades.

Mr. Karben is an Orthodox Jew and quickly became a leader in that community, which has grown substantially in the county in recent years. Internet blogs geared toward Orthodox Jews were buzzing about his resignation, as were residents in his district.

Some were reserving judgment, saying they wanted more facts. Others wondered how the circumstances would reflect on the community.

Most seemed to view the situation as a tragedy. "It's very sad," said David Chapman, 42, an Orthodox Jew who owns an office supply business. "It sounds like he was intentionally brought down. Maybe some people thought he was rising too fast in the political arena. Maybe some of the older ones were jealous."

Even the mail carrier on the quiet suburban street where he lives in Monsey rallied to Mr. Karben's defense, barking at a reporter parked outside Mr. Karben's sprawling Colonial house to leave him alone. On Friday, Mr. Karben came to the door but would not open it, telling a reporter through a frosted glass window to call him on his cellphone.

In a phone message that Mr. Karben left later, he said, "I'm not going to have any further comment beyond the two statements I've already issued on this."

Neither of those statements addressed his reasons for resigning. In one, he said, "My focus has, understandably, shifted from concern for a constituency of 130,000 to a constituency of 4."

The accusations against Mr. Karben reignited talk in Albany about where to draw the line in socializing with interns.

"The culture here is terrible," said Thomas K. Duane, a Democratic state senator from Manhattan who has pressed the legislative leaders to revamp sexual harassment policies. "You have people in these upper-level jobs who just don't get the enormous power they have over the young people who work here."

The Assembly had recently adopted a policy banning fraternization with interns, who are typically college seniors and juniors, after Adam Clayton Powell IV was accused of raping a 19-year-old intern in 2004; the charges were later dropped.

While some critics saw Mr. Karben as combative, arrogant and impulsive, friends and supporters called him articulate, gregarious and thoughtful. He became a vocal presence on several committees, unafraid to buck the leadership. He was a formidable fund-raiser, too: in his latest campaign finance filing, his re-election committee had more than $500,000. (Only a few other lawmakers, each in office for decades, had more cash on hand.)

And Mr. Karben, who was relentless in his pursuit of publicity, certainly had bigger ambitions, hinting at the possibility that he would one day run for governor.

Born in the Bronx, Mr. Karben attended Yeshiva University and married his high school sweetheart while in college.

Adam T. Bradley, an assemblyman from White Plains, quickly became friends with Mr. Karben when the two were first-year lawmakers in 2002. "It was always clear that he had a glowing commitment to his family," Mr. Bradley said.

"I hoped it was some kind of dream that I would wake up from," Mr. Bradley said, referring to the circumstances surrounding Mr. Karben's resignation. "He had a caliber of discussion and personality that I am going to miss."

Lisa W. Foderaro reported from Monsey, N.Y., for this article and Jennifer Medina from Albany.