Brian M. McLaughlin

Brian M. McLaughlin is a former American Democratic politician and labor leader from Flushing, Queens.

McLaughlin was a New York Assemblyman elected in 1992 to represent the 25th district of New York City. He was also elected, in June 1995, as the President of the Council on New York Labor.

McLaughlin was arrested October 17, 2006, on charges of stealing more than $2 million from the State of New York and labor unions. After his arrest, he announced that he would not run for re-election, and left office at the end of 2006.

In March 2008, McLaughlin pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering and embezzlement. On May 20, 2009, he was found guilty of these charges and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.

McLaughlin was born in Inwood, Manhattan, New York, and grew up in Queens. His family moved to Brentwood, Long Island, when he was 10. His paternal grandfather, Miles McLaughlin, an electrician, was an immigrant from County Cavan, Ireland. McLaughlin's father was also an electrician, who worked for years as chief electrician at The New York Times. His mother held jobs at General Motors and Gertz department stores. None of his family went to college. Both McLaughlin's father and his paternal grandfather were union activists; Miles McLaughlin sat on labor leader Harry Van Arsdale's "Committee of 100."

In his high school yearbook, McLaughlin's stated career ambition was practical: electrician. He later dropped out of Bridgeport University and did become an electrician.

McLaughlin started his career as a journeyman electrician. He belonged to Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and was one of the union's business representatives. At a union meeting, he met labor leader Harry Van Arsdale, Jr., head of the CLC, who would become his mentor. Van Arsdale also came out of Local 3 of the IBEW, which was "long the most politically active building trades union in New York". Mr. Van Arsdale convinced McLaughlin that a job as a unionized electrician and a college degree were not incompatible, and persuaded him to attend night school.

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