Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Indicted Councilman Didn't Tell Wife He Divorced Her
By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 11, 2010
Modified Feb 11, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 11, 2010
Modified Feb 11, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Long before getting hit with a 13-count federal indictment for charges of fraud and extortion stunning in both their scope and their audacity, Councilman Larry Seabrook (D-Bronx) successfully brushed off a scandal that could have brought an end to his political career. According to the Daily News, Seabrook somehow divorced his wife without telling her.
In 1993, Seabrook legally split his wife, but kept the divorce secret for years "as his duped spouse shared a bed and a Bronx home" with him and cosigned a $140,000 loan for him. The ex, 64-year-old LaVerne Seabrook, only learned she was divorced when the information came to light during Seabrook's 2000 run for state Senate. His ex-wife says her former husband is innocent of the charges against him. "Do I believe it? No. When we were together, he was honest," she said. "When it comes to stuff like this, nah, that's not Larry."
Seabrook stopped living with his ex-wife in 1996, after the couple's daughter graduated high school, a decision he described by stating: "That's real family values."
Apparently other Councilmembers are hoping that Seabrook's indictment will be the final controversy for the scandal-scarred body. Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-Queens) told the Post he feels "disappointment that these issues continue to pop up," and added: "Hopefully, this is the last one." Despite Speaker Christine Quinn's attempts to clean up the Council following the slush fund scandal, the head of the city's Department of Investigation told the Daily News there remains a need for "serious reform."
Tagged
christine quinn
City Council
council
divorce
Gloria Jones-Grant
indictment
larry seabrook
laverne seabrook
marriage
scadal
separation
slush fund
Ben Muessig
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: How every single NYC neighborhood voted in the governor's race
Because a map has been released, here are your early links: Vineland data center still running on generators, dead chicken disposal on the Upper West Side, BagelFest returns and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Nov 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
DSNY worker arrested for killing a woman in Brooklyn while driving a garbage truck
A sanitation worker from Staten Island was charged with with failure to yield to a pedestrian for fatally striking Siobhan Lynch last week.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
DSNY worker arrested for killing a woman in Brooklyn while driving a garbage truck
A sanitation worker from Staten Island was charged with with failure to yield to a pedestrian for fatally striking Siobhan Lynch last week.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Brooklyn fire kills 6 people, injures 7 others in Sunset Park, officials said
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Mamdani pledged support for NYC street vendors. Now they’re facing a crackdown.
By
Liam Quigley
‘Mind-boggling’ killings show persistence of NYC’s domestic violence problem
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .