ABSTRACT
In addition to conflicts with black Republicans, UCD also had problems with Caribbean-born Democrats, who under the leadership of J. Raymond Jones sought municipal patronage from UCD. State corruption investigations and the Seabury corruption scandal led to the resignation of Mayor Jimmy Walker in 1932. Morton recognized the power shifting to Republicans. The newly elected mayor, Fiorello La Guardia, offered to reappoint Morton as commissioner if he changed political parties. Morton resigned his UCD leadership and his Democratic Party membership in 1935. To keep his position as commissioner, Morton joined the American Labor party.
