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was not open to the media.

Yes, not open.

Just very concisely, what's the legal basis for...?

The election law provides that the executive committee of the Democratic party of each county shall have some control over its own membership and that it has in the election law the power to remove members of the executive committee, on certain groups. They have to file charges. It's all laid out in the election law. I don't know of any other case where they ever tried it. It was just Koch and Greitzer that were ever tried in this kangaroo proceeding.

So was Beame's nomination that year a surprise to you?

No, it was not a surprise to me. I don't even remember what led up to it, but I don't remember it as a surprise at all. I must say that for several years thereafter he would not talk to me, Abe Beame. If I'd meet him on a staircase, as I did on a number of occasions, he'd walk away. And I must say I never was upset by that, because I would have done the