by The Associated Press, January 11, 2016
NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of New York was escorted off a plane for making a commotion after a 6½-hour delay.
The incident occurred Monday night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
A witness told the New York Post (http://nyp.st/2iYQigB ) that passengers were already cranky when the JetBlue crew asked people who'd paid for extra legroom to switch seats because of weight and balance issues.
The 79-year-old Republican ex-senator was in a regular seat and led a chant, "Make them move."
Video shows D'Amato saying, "They're throwing me off the plane because I complained about what they were doing."
D'Amato's spokesman says he was sleep-deprived after visiting an ailing friend.
JetBlue says passengers can be removed if there's a situation that could escalate.
D'Amato represented New York from 1981 to 1999.
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Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com
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