NY man wrongfully convicted of parents' murder mulls run for Congress
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - A Long Island man who spent 17 years in prison before a court ruled he was innocent in his parents' murder says he's exploring a possible run for Congress.
Martin "Marty" Tankleff told CBS New York's radio affiliate 1010 WINS he's seriously considering the idea.
"...I'm looking at it right now," Tankleff told the station. "It would be a Democratic or Independent, but more likely as an Independent. This way my allegiance is to the people; it's not to a political party."
He says he has a unique background and knows many people who've been victimized by the criminal justice and education systems.
"Think about the impact I could have on the criminal justice system by being in Congress," said Tankleff, who earned a law degree from Touro Law Center in Long Island last year.
Tankleff was convicted in 1990 and sentenced to 50 years in prison in the 1988 murder of his parents, which occurred when he was just 17-years-old. He was freed in 2007 at the age of 36 after an appeals court found key evidence in his trial was overlooked. No one else has ever been charged in the case.
Last year, he settled a wrongful conviction lawsuit against New York state for nearly $3.4 million.
Tankleff first announced his interest in running via Twitter.