Ryan Karben
Ryan Scott Karben is a New York Democrat who represented the state's 95th Assembly District in Albany from 2002-2006.
Karben was born in the borough of The Bronx on September 29, 1974. In 1979 his family moved to Spring Valley, New York. Karben attended Yeshiva University as a Max Stern Distinguished Scholar and graduated magna cum laude in 1996 with a B.A. in English. He then attended the Columbia University School of Law as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, graduating in 1999.
Karben is a member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.
Karben married Lauren C. Bekrtisky, his high school sweetheart, in June 1996. The Karbens have three daughters.
In 1997, Karben was elected to represent Ramapo in the Rockland County Legislature. He was the youngest county lawmaker in the State of New York at that time and remains the youngest person to have served in the Rockland County Legislature. Karben was selected as majority leader of the Rockland County Legislature in 2001-2002.
In November 2002, Karben was elected to the state Assembly in Albany to represent the 95th district, which includes the Town of Orangetown and parts of the Town of Ramapo in Rockland County. Karben served on the Energy Committee and led an investigation of Consolidated Edison in 2004. Karben had also pushed for tougher sex-offender tracking laws and environmental cleanups at several Rockland County sites.
On May 18, 2006, Karben unexpectedly announced his resignation from the New York Assembly. The New York Daily News reported Karben had been the subject of an internal legislative investigation into alleged sexual advances toward male staffers.
Karben issued a statement that made no reference to the internal inquiry but said: "I am stepping down today from the state Assembly to turn greater attention to [his family] and my law practice and to fulfilling other personal and professional aspirations."
Karben had also been involved in a fundraising controversy involving Charles Kushner, a New Jersey developer who served a prison sentence for hiring prostitutes in an attempt to influence potential witnesses in a New Jersey investigation. Kushner had contributed over $40,000 to Karben's campaign, and Karben contributed $2,500 to charity after revelations about Kushner surfaced.