Billionaires vs. The People: Inside the Battle for Manhattan

Summary

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Billionaires vs. The People: Inside the Battle for Manhattan

The Tara Palmeri Show (May 5, 2026)
Host: Tara Palmeri
Guest: Laura Dunn, candidate for NY-12 Congressional District

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the high-stakes, power-laced Democratic primary for New York’s 12th congressional district—one of the wealthiest and most consequential in America. Tara Palmeri speaks with Laura Dunn, a candidate positioning herself as an anti-establishment, people-powered outsider in a contest dominated by wealthy legacies, political insiders, and billionaire backers. The conversation explores campaign funding, the influence of party machines, insider trading in Congress, approaches to Trump-era corruption, Israel policy, child care, and more—illuminating the broader clash between entrenched power and upstart reformers in Manhattan’s political wars.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The NY-12 Race: "A Fight Between the Establishment and Outsider Energy"

• Seven candidates vying for the seat, many with prominent names:
  • George Conway (ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway)
  • Jack Schlossberg (JFK’s grandson, buoyed by celebrity and the FX show "Love Story")
• Laura Dunn frames the race as “outsider versus establishment,” emphasizing her independence from big donors, party leaders, or family dynasties.
• “This is a race where name recognition and big donors loom very large…I alone am a people-powered campaign and that makes me unbossed.” – Laura Dunn [04:18]

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2. Campaign Finance – Outsider vs. Insider Money

• Dunn details her competitors’ backing:

  • Schlossberg: Supported by the Democratic establishment, endorsed by Nancy Pelosi, and “lives off a trust fund.”
  • Conway: Former Republican, anti-Trump position, but “not necessarily a Democrat with Democratic values.”
  • Michael Lasher: $5 million from Bloomberg (“a serial sexual harasser”), suggesting strings attached.
  • Alex Borrez: “Propped up by AI money” from Palantir and Anthropic.

• Dunn’s campaign:

  • Minimal PAC money—just $1,000 from "Leaders in Educational Equity" for campaign consulting, tied to her Teach for America service.
  • “I’m not here for money. I’m not looking to enrich myself. I want to be a public servant.” – Laura Dunn [17:40]

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3. The Role of Celebrity and Name Recognition

• Schlossberg’s campaign ad and Kennedy allure are discussed.
• Dunn contrasts his resume/family legacy with her hands-on legal and advocacy work.
  • “You can go to a fancy school and get a degree, but if you’re not putting that to use, then you don’t have any skills or ability when it comes to leading. …I don’t want someone learning on the fly in this political climate with their first job being Congress.” – Laura Dunn [07:44]

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4. Accountability, Trump, and Democratic Party Failings

• On Democratic priorities:

  • Dunn criticizes Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic leadership for allegedly deprioritizing impeachment/accountability for Trump, and instead focusing on “affordability.”
  • “Affordability is a byproduct of accountability… If Hakeem Jeffries wants to focus on affordability, he has to first remove Donald Trump.” – Laura Dunn [08:48]
  • She accuses Democratic leaders of being “compromised” by AIPAC and other money, and of being content to keep Trump as a foil for fundraising rather than acting to remove him.

• Trump’s influence:

  • Dunn cites concerns about Trump using power to target political enemies (e.g., James Comey indictment), points to the judiciary as the “only functional branch” left, and expresses urgency for Congressional action.

• Need for impeachment and restoration of democracy:

  • “No more work on the Hill until [impeachment] is accomplished… the long course of history will show that this was the right move.” – Laura Dunn [15:13]

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5. Democratic Party Establishment, Power, and Diversity

• Party “machine” and leadership:
  • Dunn describes pressure to back establishment favorites (especially Hakeem Jeffries) and claims she's been told to “wait her turn.”
  • “There’s a lot of internal Democratic efforts to hand-select, very bluntly, white men... at a time when LGBTQ+ and women’s rights are under attack. And I’m a queer woman. I’m not going to stand by as a civil rights attorney and watch the dismantling of all the protections so many have worked for.” – Laura Dunn [16:55]
  • She highlights the overwhelming share of white male candidates despite New York’s diversity.

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6. Congressional Ethics & Reform

• Dunn’s “accountability” plank:
  • Congressional term limits
  • Ending insider trading in Congress
  • Ethical standards for the Supreme Court
  • “I guarantee you none of the other candidates in this race will stop the insider trading by Congress. But I will, because I'm not here for money.” [17:40]

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7. Policies: Israel, Parental Leave, and Childcare

• Israel policy:
  • Calls for ending U.S. aid to Israel over “war crimes and genocidal acts”—directly opposing her opponents and party leadership.
• Universal childcare:
  • Dunn says lack of reproductive-age women in Congress leads to under-prioritization of childcare.
  • “Women’s issues never come up. Family support does not come up… There is just a lack of touch the Democratic Party has, at least at the federal level.” [19:22]

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8. Notable Current Events

• King Charles’s visit:

  • Discusses the symbolism of the British monarch urging America to remember its democratic values amid Trump-era authoritarianism.
  • “You have to buck Trump. You cannot keep doing this and expect to survive as a democracy. So I have mixed feelings about it, too.” – Laura Dunn [22:02]

• Trump’s branding of himself as “king”:

  • “He analogized himself to Jesus. Before that, he analogized himself to the Pope. We know he’s a narcissist and will keep trying to take as much power as Congress allows him…” [23:26]

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9. Jeffrey Epstein Files & Congressional Inaction

• On public corruption and Epstein:
  • Dunn criticizes the lack of transparency, references foreign influence and the bipartisan nature of the scandal, and ties it to broader political accountability.
  • “Anyone who’s watching knows a few things. One, foreign money and ties are all over our government at the highest level. And two, we know the abuse of women and girls at such a horrific level was meant to bond them all together.” [24:32]
  • “I’m a sexual assault survivor… I want to be on the Hill demanding that change, demanding the proper investigation, pushing for prosecution.” [25:10]

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10. Laura Dunn’s Biography and Advocacy

• Personal story:
  • Survived sexual assault, changed state law, and became a nationally recognized advocate and legal expert.
• Experience:
  • Helped write and pass key federal legislation (Violence Against Women Act reauthorization), lobbied Congress, worked in the Senate Judiciary, founded a nonprofit to fight Title IX rollbacks and sue Donald Trump.
  • “I have Democratic establishment credentials. I’ve worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign, Joe Biden’s campaign…but I’m not part of the establishment; I don’t feel beholden to anyone because I was there for survivors day in and day out.” [28:55]

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11. Memorable (New York!) Moments

• Bagel preferences (because Manhattan):
  • Dunn touts Pop Up Bagel’s sesame or poppy seed as her go-to, “challenging the establishment” of NYC bagel shops.
  • “Some people have feelings about it… If you’re old school…you may not be a fan of Pop Up Bagel, but they’re doing a good job. …I’m all about new innovators and new businesses coming into New York.” [31:07]

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Everyone…has some kind of compromising factor about them.” – Laura Dunn [04:18]
• “I’m not here for money. I’m not looking to enrich myself. I want to be a public servant, and I want to restore the standing of Congress.” – Laura Dunn [17:40]
• “Affordability is a byproduct of accountability… If Hakeem Jeffries wants to focus on affordability, he has to first remove Donald Trump.” – Laura Dunn [08:48]
• “No more work on the Hill until [impeachment] is accomplished. …The long course of history will show that this was the right move.” – Laura Dunn [15:13]
• “Women’s issues never come up. Family support does not come up. Childcare does not come up… There is just a lack of touch the Democratic Party has, at least at the federal level.” – Laura Dunn [19:22]
• “Anyone who’s watching knows a few things. One, foreign money and ties are all over our government at the highest level. And two, we know the abuse of women and girls at such a horrific level was meant to bond them all together.” – Laura Dunn [24:32]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:00] – Overview of the NY-12 race and key candidates
• [04:18] – Dunn defines her slogan: “unbought, unbossed, unafraid”
• [05:56] – Discussion of PAC money in the race
• [07:28] – Contrasts with Schlossberg’s legacy and experience
• [08:40] – On Democratic priorities and impeachment
• [10:16] – Challenging Democratic Party leadership
• [12:14] – Addressing Trump-era corruption and Comey indictment
• [14:41] – How Democrats should respond to Trump’s retribution
• [16:55] – Dunn describes pressures from Democratic Party insiders
• [18:35] – On party preference for white male candidates
• [19:22] – Barriers to family policy in Congressional priorities
• [22:02] – Reflections on King Charles’s visit and US democracy
• [23:26] – Trump’s self-styled “King” narrative
• [24:32] – On Epstein scandal, public corruption, and accountability
• [28:55] – Dunn’s personal background and path to politics
• [30:42] – The all-important New York bagel debate

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Closing Thoughts

This episode provides an unvarnished look at Manhattan’s most-watched Congressional primary, with Laura Dunn offering sharp critiques of both Republican threats and Democratic complacency. For listeners outside New York, it’s a microcosm of the broader battle over money, power, representation, and reform in American politics, all delivered with the grit and candor that defines The Tara Palmeri Show.

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Transcript

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[Tara Palmeri]

you see them promoting white men?

[Laura Dunn]

If you look at the demographics of New York City and the state in the area, it is largely white men. And for our city to be this diverse as New York City and to keep putting up that type of leadership really raises questions in my mind. But it's about powerful connections, power and privilege and the money circle.

[Tara Palmeri]

Welcome back to the Tara Palmieri Show. We are heading into midterm season, so that means I will be interviewing a number of midterm candidates. And there's one district that seems to be getting outsized buzz in the congressional races and that is New York 12. It is one of the wealthiest districts in America, spanning across most of Manhattan. Actually. It has seven candidates and two of them are household names. One of them I interviewed already, George Conway. You know him as the ex husband of Kellyanne Conway. And he was at one time a Republican turned independent and most recently a Democrat. And then there's Jack Schlossberg, who is the grandson of JFK Jr. And obviously he has become even more immortalized besides being a candidate thanks to the FX show Love Story. There are seven candidates in this race and one of them is Laura Dunn. And she really explained to me something that I think I hadn't really seen until after we talked that this story is really more about a fight between the establishment power and outsider energy. And she claims that she is the people's candidate and that she is the outsider energy because people like Josh Losberg have gotten endorsements from Nancy Pelosi. And obviously George Conway is a household name with name id. Last time we checked in with him, he was pulling second in the race and Jack is continuing to lead the polls. But she's taking aim at all of them. She's taking aim at them for their funding, their affiliation with party leadership, even their last names. She argues that Democrats are missing the moment on accountability, impeachment and what she calls a broken political machine. And we cover everything from Trump investigations to the Epstein files to PAC money, insider trading in Congress and why she believes that she is the only middle class candidate in this race. So we're going to talk about all of this and more. This is a race where name recognition and big donors loom very large. And so she's trying to say, listen to me, heads up. It's not only the Kennedy and Conway in this race, because whoever wins the Democratic primary will win this race. Laura Dunn, thanks so much for joining the show. Laura is one of the seven candidates running for Congress in New York, 12. She's running to take over the seat long held by Jerry Nadler. It's probably one of the biggest swaths of Manhattan's and arguably one of the wealthiest districts in the world. And Laura, thanks for joining the show.

[Laura Dunn]

Thanks for having me on. I'm looking forward to it.

[Tara Palmeri]

Thanks. Yeah. So it's interesting, I really enjoy your campaign slogan, unbought, unbossed, unafraid. And I was wondering, you know, who are you running against that you feel like is bought or bossed?

[Laura Dunn]

Everyone. All the candidates in this race have some kind of compromising factor about them. So we have Jack Schlossberg, the Kennedy grandchild who lives off a trust fund, has not worked most of his life and is highly connected to the Democratic establishment. He's been endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and he is beholden to that establishment that is propping him up at a time when there's heavy competition. And we have George Conway, the former Republican was married to Kellyanne Conway, Trump's mouthpiece in the first term in office. And we know that he has significantly supported the Republican Party before deciding he's anti Trump. And that's his main platform. He's just opposed to Trump. I don't think he's necessarily a Democrat with Democratic values to represent the district. And then we have Michael Lasher, who is backed by a billionaire. Bloomberg has given him $5 million and he is putting that to use. Everyone's getting flooded in their mailbox right now, but Bloomberg is a serial sexual harasser. We know that there is favors coming along with that money as well as the endorsements that he's collected. And then of course, you have Alex Borrez, who is being propped up by AI money. So he started with Palantir, moved over to anthropic. AI money is funding his campaign. So all of them have some compromising factor. I alone am a People powered campaign and that makes me unbossed. And of course I'm unafraid of what it takes to run for Congress and stand up to the establishment.

[Tara Palmeri]

So you don't have any PAC money behind you?

[Laura Dunn]

We have exactly $1,000 from one group that is a PAC. It's called Leaders in Educational Equity. And that's teach for America's 501c4 because I was a teacher in post Katrina New Orleans. And that money is going to pay for their consulting for the campaign.

[Tara Palmeri]

Okay, so they've been helping you with the campaign and so they're basically paying themselves for that.

[Laura Dunn]

Yes, yes.

[Tara Palmeri]

And what kind of pack money? Yeah, what kind of help are they giving you on the campaign consultation?

[Laura Dunn]

So if we for example, are in petition season, you know, what are the legal requirements of that? What are the best methods and locations and hours for collecting petitions? Because I'm a brand new candidate. I'm not a career politician. So I'm learning. And they have that kind of level of information. They're not day to day. It's big picture. How do you structure strategy?

[Tara Palmeri]

Yeah, I noticed that Jack Schlossberger put out a new ad yesterday. Everyone should check it out. Maybe we can get the producer to put it up on our screen later. But it is of, of him riding a wave, a new wave for con for New York. And he is, he is surfing, which is interesting. Shirtless surfing. He's kind of using a bit of the Kennedy lure from the past. Right. Like didn't his uncle sort of do that a bit like use his sex appeal to try to win the hearts of New Yorkers at one time?

[Laura Dunn]

Yeah, I think his celebrity has gotten him pretty far. So we know that Love story is out right now, which is a fictionalized kind of accounting of his parents relationship. And he obviously has that legacy behind him. So a lot of people have name recognition with him. But I feel very confident every time I'm on the stage with him. He likes to say, well, I've gotten a law degree and I passed the bar. And then I say, and I use my law degree. I've actually been in the courtrooms. I've actually helped pass federal law and policy. I've worked on rulemaking committees, advised White House task forces, served on the Senate Judiciary, even founded a nonprofit to take on and sue Donald Trump in his first term. So you can go to a fancy school and get a degree, but if you're not putting that to use, then you don't have any skills or ability when it comes to leading And I don't know about you, but I don't want someone learning on the fly in this political climate with their first job being Congress.

[Tara Palmeri]

So are you planning to do what George Conway said on this show he wants to do, which is to use his prosecutorial skills to impeach President Trump for a third time? Is that something that you aim to try to make sure happens?

[Laura Dunn]

Yeah. So we just heard Hakeem Jeffries, the Minority speaker of the House, say the other day that impeaching Donald Trump is no longer the top priority of Democrats when they take the House and that they're going to focus on accountability. And I think accountability is a byproduct. I'm sorry. Affordability is a byproduct of accountability. And so if Hakeem Jeffries wants to focus on affordability, as he said, he has to first remove Donald Trump. We know that Donald Trump, for example, is poised to take up to $10 billion of taxpayer money through what I would call a fairly frivolous lawsuit against the IRS. He's claiming $10 billion worth of damages for the IRS, releasing some records, and I doubt he could ever prove that in court, but he can, of course, get the IRS to settle with him so that he doesn't need meritorious claims. He doesn't have judicial oversight and can basically rob our country blind. So I'm not willing to leave Donald Trump in office. It is a priority for him to get impeached. But let's be clear, it's no individual Congressmember that can impeach Donald Trump. So George Conway may have a bone to pick with Donald Trump, but you need to pick someone who's actually going to lead in NY12 and be part of this community. And George moved up from Maryland to run in this race. He's not a New Yorker. He hasn't been here for decades. And when he was here, he lived in Trump Tower and was very tied to the Republican Party. So I know NY12 voters are wise to that and are looking for people who are actually true blue dens like me.

[Tara Palmeri]

Yeah. So you're openly challenging Democratic leadership. That's what I'm hearing from you. How do you think the party is failing its own voters?

[Laura Dunn]

Oh, in numerous ways. The primary way is, of course, taking money that compromises them. So AIPAC money is largely influencing the Democratic Party at a time when most Americans are. Are exhausted by the idea of billions of dollars going to war in the Middle east rather than healthcare, rather than affordable housing, and everything is becoming unaffordable. And yet we're seeing so much aid go to a country that has been a long standing ally, but is actively engaging in war crimes and genocidal acts. So I've called for an end to aid to Israel, which distinguishes me significantly from both Jack and George, my opponents who are standing by Israel at this time. In fact, George Conway has called for unconditional aid to Israel, writing them a blank check with American money, no matter what they want to do with it. And I think that's wrong. So I am very much challenging the money is in this race and also the direction of this race. I think the establishment benefits from having someone as horrible as Donald Trump in Congress. They use it for fundraising, they use it for news stories, they use it for swinging voters. But we have to care more about our country than our parties, and our democracy is crumbling. And so, as a lawyer who serves the rule of law, I see the dismantling of all the guardrails and protections, and I want to stop it. Because no matter how you feel about what's happening in current politics, I will say the world has been watching us. Our dollar is weaker. Our allies are not going to ever assist us should we be under attack. And we've dismantled our entire federal system that will respond for natural disasters or other incidents. So we are creating a very dangerous situation for our country. And I care more about safety for our country than any of this political gamesmanship.

[Tara Palmeri]

Well, how do you think Democrats, Democrats should respond to the kind of corruption happening within Trump's doj, his retribution campaigns? As we know, this has been recorded earlier, but overnight on Monday, sorry, on Tuesday, excuse me, April 28th, I believe, or April 29th. This morning, James Comey turned himself in. He has been indicted for his seashells, his 8447 sheet seashells that he posted on Instagram. The administration is saying that that was a threat to the president's life. And as I'm sure you know, as a lawyer, you could indict a ham sandwich with the right jury, right?

[Laura Dunn]

Yes, yes. Well, we know that Trump has been going after his political opponents. And Letitia James here, our attorney General in New York, has been one of the many that's been targeted by that. So we will see how that plays out. Obviously, that happened a long time ago. So for it to only now be prosecuted after a failed previous indictment on other issues shows that this is really about political retribution. I don't think Trump hides that issue particularly well. And I do think the courts have been very good about standing up to him and shooting down unwarranted prosecutorial efforts and other kind of bad behavior. Right now, for example, with that IRS story, we have a court questioning if it's even legal for a president to be negotiating a settlement as the executive with an executive agency. So I'm hopeful that that line holds. But that's what inspired me to run for office. We have three branches of government. The judiciary is the only functional branch. Congress is out to lunch. The executive's grabbing power, and they need reinforcement. They need someone in Congress who's actually going to stand up and support the balance of powers, which is what our Constitution relies on. And it's out of whack right now.

[Tara Palmeri]

Sorry. Just to get back to this, like, how do the Democrats respond to the

[Laura Dunn]

prosecution of James Comey, or more generally, to the threat that Donald Trump has on our democracy?

[Tara Palmeri]

The corruption? Yeah, the prosecution, James Comey, all of it. His retribution campaigns.

[Laura Dunn]

So we obviously need to win back the House. What we are seeing from the Senate is a little more of bipartisan action. So we saw them step in when TSA agents needed to be funded and Trump was putting ICE agents into airports. We also saw them stay up overnight and fight FISA being extended and authorized and expanded. So I'm seeing a lot of bipartisan success in the Senate holding the line, and it's really the House that's been holding up and serving Donald Trump rather than the American people. So I do think a blue wave is coming in November. And once we had that blue wave, contrary to what Jeffries has said, we have to have impeachment be the number one priority. And in fact, I would argue that it should effectively be a protest by all Congress members. No more work on the Hill until this is accomplished. And there are people that definitely disagree. They want Congress to work no matter what. But again, we have to remember the world is watching. The world does not believe that they can trust the United States in any sense of that term. And if we fail to impeach Donald Trump, we are reinforcing everything that will isolate us. So we have to show our moral center. We have to undertake this effort. We have numerous reasons to indict him. There's nothing of the Constitution he's respected at this point, nor several members of his Cabinet, including Kash Patel, ahead of the doj. So we have a lot to work with. What we need is the courage and conviction to do so. And that may be unpopular with some Americans, but let it be so, because the long course of history will show that this was the right move. Hey, want a Cookie. Oh, I know.

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[Laura Dunn]

Besides, one cookie isn't gonna kill you.

[Tara Palmeri]

How about half?

[Laura Dunn]

Just a bite. Bite it. Bite it.

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[Laura Dunn]

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[Tara Palmeri]

Is there anything that, like, party donors or leaders have told you not to say that you're saying anyway?

[Laura Dunn]

Oh, I mean, it's. It's very clear that I'm supposed to be backing Hakeem Jeffries for speaker if I want to get support from the Democratic Party. That's not a question. Hakeem Jeffries is from the New York City area, and that is part of the lock step. And I've definitely been told several times on the ground, you know, that other people have been chosen ahead of me. I need to wait my turn, and maybe there's a different race for me. So there's a lot of internal Democratic efforts to kind of hand select, very bluntly, white men to keep serving at a time when LGBTQ+ and women's rights are under attack. And I'm a queer woman. I'm not going to stand by as a civil rights attorney and watch the dismantling of all the protections so many have worked for over the decades. So there. There's a lot going on within the Democratic Party. I think I had a view, like many Americans, that maybe it wasn't great, but I could work with it. And now that I'm actually campaigning, what I see as a machine that is out of touch with the American people and wants to just keep people up that will, for example, continue insider trading. My top platform is accountability, and that's congressional term limits, ending insider trading, ethical standards for the Supreme Court. I guarantee you none of the other candidates in this race will stop the insider trading by Congress. But I will, because I'm not here for money. I'm not looking to enrich myself. I want to be a public servant, and I want to restore the standing of Congress. And after everything that we've been through, Congress should be only about public service and not about private wealth.

[Tara Palmeri]

And how do you see them promoting white men?

[Laura Dunn]

Oh, I mean, our races. I think you mentioned seven candidates. There's only two women. The rest are men that fall in that category. So we even just had a special election here in District 3 last night. And three women ran against one white man, and he won. And so if you look at the demographics of New York City and the state in the area, it is largely white men. And for a city to be this diverse as New York City and to keep putting up that type of leadership really raises questions in my mind. But it's about powerful connections, power and privilege and the money circle.

[Tara Palmeri]

Yeah. So you've been an advocate for paid parental leave. What's the most politically difficult part of pushing universal child care right now?

[Laura Dunn]

I think because so few women in Congress are reproductive age and so many men in Congress rely on their partners to do all that work, people bluntly don't think it's as important as it is. We really need women who are a reproductive age to be in Congress. And that's pretty hard to achieve because so many of us are dealing with childcare, are dealing with the home on top of our own careers. So I think prioritization, I can say from having been in almost all of the NY12 forums, that women's issues never come up. Family support does not come up. Childcare does not come up. It's always Israel. Gaza it is Hakeem Jeffries. It was all these establishment tests. So I think there is just a lack of touch that the Democratic Party has, at least at the federal level. I'm very proud of my mayor here in New York, who's obviously gotten universal child care for ages three and four, I believe. And so I'm very proud to see the city knows what the priorities are. But the Democratic Party is a little slow to that.

[Tara Palmeri]

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[Laura Dunn]

I mean I the irony of what just happened yesterday is not lost on me. Right. We had the King of England, someone who historically our country has pushed out of power for our own independence, coming into our home and telling us, hey, have you forgotten your own values? So I, I both appreciate that there were some nods to reminding us of our history, like at the core of our government, because it is Congress who is failing the people at this time. We can check the executive and we can reign those powers. But yes, the England has not had the history of supporting our country. And there was obviously some comments made about, you know, England's own attack on the White House to leave devastation with an analogy to the ballroom. And I don't know how in good taste that was, but the point was made. And to be honest, I think we do need people who have been historically our allies, like Great Britain saying, you guys have to break this spell. You have to buck Trump. You cannot keep doing this and expect to survive as a democracy. So I have mixed feelings about it too.

[Tara Palmeri]

Well, it's interesting because President Trump posted yesterday a picture of him and the king and it said two kings with a crown emoji from the White House account.

[Laura Dunn]

Yeah. I think we have all known that Trump fancies himself a king and that's why the no kings protest has been an increasingly popular and want people coming out. So yes, I mean he analogized himself to Jesus. Before that he analogized himself to the Pope. We know he's a narcissist and will keep trying to take as much power as Congress allows him to give. And so that's why I'm running. We need people of courage. This, this reality that we live in does not have to be and it can quickly be changed, but it requires the right leadership, people who are about serving our democracy and not just getting in line with whatever the party wants.

[Tara Palmeri]

Also, the Epstein survivors, I mean it just feels very incongruent knowing that his, his brother refused to testify in the case, the civil suit filed by Virginia Giuffre, and that they instead settled and that he's now being charged with public corruption.

[Laura Dunn]

Yeah, it'll be interesting to watch that prosecution and to see the level of merit or lack of merit that it has. You know, fingers crossed that it sets a good example for the rest of the world of how serious to take it. But we know the Epstein files are an ongoing travesty. And I was brushing up on your shows and you were pointing out, right, we have less than 1% of the files. Like, we still have no idea the extent of this. But anyone who's watching knows a few things. One, foreign money and ties are all over our government at the highest level. And two, we know that the abuse of women and girls at such a horrific level was meant to bond them all together. So there is so much that we can do with this information. And I'm a sexual assault survivor. My entire career has been going after perpetrators and enablers of sexual violence and holding them accountable. So I want to be on the Hill demanding that change, demanding the proper investigation, pushing for prosecution. We hear a lot of excuses, but the public is smart enough to know that these are just efforts to obstruct justice. We know what's in the files. We just need them released. And I'm so excited to see that there are lawsuits and efforts to create some accountability there, because Congress has failed. And again, that's why the midterms are going to matter so, so much. So whether you're an independent or you're blue, or even if you're red, I hope you're voting for people who actually care about truth and justice and not party in class. Because the more you keep cozying up to millionaires and billionaires and those kind of candidates, you're never going to see justice. Because we know the files aren't just about Donald Trump. They have Bill Clinton. They have other people in them, and there is an effort to protect them. Powerful. We must hold the Epstein class accountable.

[Tara Palmeri]

Yeah, no, you're. You're certainly right about that. I wanted to go back to the biggest difference between you and the typical New York 12 Democrat.

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[Laura Dunn]

Absolutely. Well, there's a lot there. So I came to politics, as I said, in an unusual way, by being a sexual assault survivor myself. I grew up in a politically divided family, half Dems, half Republicans, who are also half Bears, half Packers. We're just one of those families that lives in contradiction. And I never thought much of politics because of that divide that was always around me until that sexual assault. And I realized that state law did not protect me because it did not consider alcohol an intoxicating substance to facilitate sexual violence, which I think we're all mature enough to know is the case. But that was not in state law, and that's because of a powerful alcohol lobby that intentionally kept that from being in there. So I use my name, face, and story preemie two to get that into the law to make justice for future survivors. And it didn't just stop there because I had used my name, face, and story. I got the attention of President Obama and the White House at that time, and they undertook an amazing effort to address campus sexual violence. And that gave me my experience in federal law and policy. I actually helped draft section 304 of the Violence Against Women act reauthorization that passed in 2013. Took us two years. I had to lobby Capitol Hill in a bipartisan Congress, sharing my story in Democrat and Republican offices alike to get this law passed. And they did that as a law student on top of my studies, unpaid, just for the justice of it. And that's a life education that none of these other candidates have. And I was also a contributor to what became the 2011 Dear Colleague letter on Title IX that took us from maybe 30 Title 9 complaints about campus sexual assault over the last 30 years to 300 overnight, because we empowered so many survivors with information on their rights and options and gained the commitment of the president to enforce these laws in a more meaningful way. So I've been literally leading change, not as a politician, but as an advocate. And I've seen how Washington works and how it doesn't work. And so I can bring that knowledge in and use it for the better. I was lucky enough after that experience passing law to get a clerkship with Senator Leahy, who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary. So I've actually worked on the inside, worked on committees, passing reports on pathways to citizenship, ending human trafficking, military prosecution. So I know also how it works from the inside, not just as an advocate and I used all of that when I graduated law school. I created a national nonprofit called Serve justice, and through that actually sued Donald Trump in his first term to protect against Title 9 rollbacks that were happening. So I have learned from that experience exactly what it takes to fight. And what I love about my background is I have Democratic establishment credentials. I've worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign, Joe Biden's campaign, in policy level positions. But I'm not part of the establishment. I don't feel beholden to anyone because I was there for survivors day in and day out. And that was it. It wasn't for the party. That's the same energy I want to bring into the campaign.

[Tara Palmeri]

So, as we know, mayoral race. In the mayoral race, some candidates had quite controversial bagel orders. And it's something that New Yorkers take very seriously. What's yours?

[Laura Dunn]

Yes. Well, I know some people will have judgment, but don't knock until you try it. Pop Up Bagel has amazing sesame seed pop up bagels. And I normally get all of my volunteers bagels from there every single time they're out with me on the Upper west side Farmer's Market on Sunday. And that remains my favorite order. And I've tried quite a few orders, but there's just something about the poppy seed bagel that gets me there.

[Tara Palmeri]

I love poppy seed bagel. Is that weird?

[Laura Dunn]

No, I think Pop Up Bagel has, it's not one of those classic ones. It's kind of more of a newer up and coming that's actually given a challenge to more of the establishment bagel places. So some people have feelings about it.

[Tara Palmeri]

Well, explain it to me just so I can understand because I've never been before.

[Laura Dunn]

Oh, it's, you know, it's, there's no place to sit. You just kind of get in line and they have a little rope and slogan is not famous but known. And it moves quick. So it's, it's a perfect New York kind of stop. Takes you a few minutes. Once you're through that line, the order comes out within minutes and you can buy like three bagels and a spread or just four bagels together. But I think it's been putting a lot of the classics like Kozars and Zuckers up against the ropes as far as like pulling more and more people. So if you're old school and you've had your classic place for decades, you may not be a fan of Papa Bagel, but they're, they're doing a good job. And I, I'm all about new innovators and new businesses coming into New York.

[Tara Palmeri]

Okay, well, thanks for this interesting interview. You clearly know your stuff. We'll see what happens. I mean this is a very crowded field. Obviously whoever wins the primary wins the race. So we'll see what happens.

[Laura Dunn]

Yes. And for all of those who heard something they liked, we're always looking for volunteers. We got less than two months. The primary is June 23rd with early voting starting June 13th. And we're always looking for more hands on with donations, support. And we appreciate you so much for covering this race and giving non establishment candidates an opportunity to be heard because it's a race where a lot of power and privilege is talking and I want the people to be heard.

[Tara Palmeri]

Sounds great. Thank you, Laura. That was another episode of the Tara Palmeri Show. Thanks so much for tuning in. Tell me who you want me to interview in the midterm races that are ahead. Leave a comment Send me an email Tara palmarinfo mail.com go to tarapaul mary.com and sign up for my newsletter, the Red Letter. If you become a paid subscriber, you can support this sort of independent journalism that is also people paid. No institutional money, no PACs behind it either. No corporate bureaucracy. Just me to you. I want to thank my producer Dan Schiffmacher, Abby Baker, who's also booking and doing my production and social media, Adam Stewart on the thumbnails and Dan Rosen, my manager. See you all again soon.

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