Tabone really stepped in it!

From the NY Post:

As jury selection began Monday in the new bribery trial for former state senator Malcolm Smith, his co-defendant was slapped with ​new charges — for allegedly tampering with a witness.

Prosecutors say former Queens Republican Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone on May 23 confronted Philip Ragusa, who then chaired the borough’s GOP party, at his home and tried to convince him not to testify when Tabone and Smith were on trial earlier this year for trying to fix the 2013 mayoral race.

That White Plains federal court proceeding resulted in a June mistrial following the feds’ late release of more than 92 hours of recordings – including 28 hours in Yiddish yet to be translated.

A superseding indictment in the $200,000 bribery case now alleges Tabone spoke to the “county chairman,” who is not mentioned by name, while the chairman was “failing in health” and “resting in bed” and “encouraged” him not to testify. Tabone also allegedly claimed “no court” could “force” Ragusa to testify. The death-bed conversation took place an hour before Ragusa was supposed to give a deposition to prosecutors.

Ragusa, who was never charged with wrongdoing, was expected to eventually testify at the trial in defense of another co-defendant, former Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens), but died in June of leukemia.

I gotta laugh at this, because Tabone originally claimed that he would get the charges dismissed because he wasn't an elected official and therefore couldn't be charged with bribery and now he went ahead and screwed himself. Once you're charged with a federal crime, it's best not to talk to anyone because the wiretaps and nervous witnesses are more than likely gonna trip you up.

Judge becomes new Queens GOP chair

From the Queens Chronicle:

Queens Republicans have a new chairman.

After the death of Phil Ragusa last month, the county party’s executive vice chairman, Robert Beltrani of Jackson Heights, was automatically elevated to chairman.

Beltrani, a judge with the New York State Division of Parole, will serve as chairman for the remainder of Ragusa’s term, which will expire in September 2015. Ragusa was re-elected chairman last September, according to Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak.

A loyalist of the late chairman, Beltrani ran for state Senate in the special election to replace Hiram Monserrate after the senator was expelled from the Legislature following his conviction for assaulting his former girlfriend. Beltrani entered the race after an unsuccessful attempt by Queens Republicans to lure former Democratic Councilwoman Helen Sears, who had just been ousted a few months earlier, onto their ballot line. Beltrani lost the race to then-Assemblyman Jose Peralta. He has also ran several times for state Supreme Court, most recently in 2012.

Who will lead the Queens GOP?

From the Times Ledger:

Phil Ragusa, chairman of the Queens Republican Party, died Tuesday surrounded by his family after a short battle with leukemia, the party said.

Ragusa, who lived in Whitestone, had headed the Queens GOP party since 2007, according to spokesman Robert Hornak.
Bayside Pilates

“Chairman Ragusa will be remembered for his integrity and commitment to the democratic process and was viewed by many as not just a friend but a mentor,” Hornak said.

Ragusa was 74.

Ragusa remains head of Queens GOP

From the Queens Tribune:

Phil Ragusa will remain chair of the Queens County Republican Party after the petition against his election was dismissed.

According to a court filing obtained by the Queens Tribune, the judge ruled the case against last September’s reorganizational meeting invalid, saying there was not enough evidence to overturn the vote, which saw Ragusa retain his position as head of the Queens GOP, against former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner.

“The court has examined the petition and finds that it fails to set forth facts sufficient to justify the relief requested. The petition must set forth facts supporting the claim that irregularities occurred at the organizational meeting which altered the outcome of the election,” the filing read in part.

Last year, Turner’s side, represented by former Councilman Tom Ognibene, filed a petition in court, challenging the vote over concerns about the meeting’s operation, including the vote being held on a weekday afternoon, which allegedly prevented some members from attending the meeting.

The filing ruled that notice for the meeting was clear and sufficient.

Lhota not too enthused by the Queens GOP

From Crain's:

Republican mayoral candidate Joseph Lhota has a secret, sources say: He's been endorsed by the Queens Republican organization.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said Lhota consultant Jake Menges informed leadership of the Queens Republican Party of the campaign's decision last weekend not to publicize the endorsement. Mr. Menges not only rejected Queens Republicans' offer to have an endorsement press conference, but asked the party not to issue a press release touting its backing of Mr. Lhota, the sources added.

According to one source privy to the campaign's thinking, Mr. Lhota's camp did not want to highlight dissension in the Queens Republican Party and in other Republican circles by publicizing the endorsement, which would have come six weeks after an ugly Republican mayoral primary and two weeks before the general election. The Queens Republican faction led by Queens Republican Chairman Phil Ragusa backed grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis in the primary, while the faction led by Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich backed Mr. Lhota.

Such an announcement could have also brought attention to infighting in Brooklyn Republican Party, and to the fact that Mr. Catsimatidis has not formally endorsed Mr. Lhota, the Lhota campaign feared.

But you know who wasn't ashamed of possibly snagging the endorsement of the Queens GOP? Paul Vallone. Back in 2009:

A source close to Vallone’s campaign said the candidate was interested in the GOP nomination because he believed in race against Democratic primary winner Kevin Kim, Vallone would “win the one-on-one match up with him easily.” Halloran added that Vallone, who faced attacks from his Democratic rivals during the primary campaign, would be supporting him over the Democratic nominee in the race, Kim. “Paul is really like a kindred spirit,” said Halloran.

And then there was his bid for the Conservative line...

According to Tom Long, chairman of the Queens County Conservative Party, however, Vallone told him this during a candidate screening with the party that he is, in fact, pro-life.

Despite once being considered for the GOP and Conservative lines, Vallone is now the Democratic nominee and he's pro-choice. How the hell did that happen?

GOP war gets down and dirty

2 GOP candidates for State Committee decided to challenge Phil Ragusa and the status quo, and this was the result:



Mr. Bacarella was on the board of Unisphere, Inc when Estelle Cooper was stealing from it?

Well, wasn't Phil Ragusa the treasurer of said organization?



There actually is no proof that any of the allegations of identity theft or forgery are true.

Those attacked struck back...





Well, you can't argue with that...

Queens GOP dumps Halloran, backs Saffran; 2 other candidates enter race

From Crains:

The longtime former chief-of-staff for Republican Councilman Daniel Halloran is looking to run for her old boss' seat—as a Democrat. The councilman was recently hit with bribery allegations, setting off a free-for-all for his post.

Chrissy Voskerichian, who had a reputation as extremely loyal to Mr. Halloran but quit soon after the scandal hit, registered a campaign committee Friday to raise money for a possible run. In an interesting twist, a knowledgeable Queens source said, unlike Mr. Halloran, Ms. Voskerichian is registered as a Democrat and was expected to enter a crowded Democratic primary. Her voter registration status as a Democrat was noted in a 2011 Queens Chronicle profile.

"You could say she's more of a conservative Democrat. She's probably got a good shot, since she's well respected and knows everyone in the community," said the Queens source, who is not affiliated with any Democratic campaign.

Also from Crains:

The Queens Republican Party is officially dumping embattled Republican Councilman Daniel Halloran.

A Queens GOP screening committee voted unanimously Thursday evening to instead back the candidacy of Dennis Saffran, an attorney who lost a 2001 race for the same seat by a mere 400 votes, for the northeast Queens seat held by Mr. Halloran, according to party chairman Phil Ragusa. The Queens GOP's executive committee is all but certain to follow suit next Tuesday.

"[Halloran] is a Republican, and he can decide whether or not he wants to run. I can't say whether he's innocent or guilty," said Mr. Ragusa. "But he's got a cloud hanging over his head. He's got to make up his own mind, but I don't think it would be a good idea."

The bribery scandal also ensnared former Queens GOP executive vice-chairman Vincent Tabone, who has since been replaced by former Councilman Anthony Como. Mr. Tabone is accused of accepting a cash bribe. It's unclear whether Mr. Halloran will try to run for re-election. He did not return a request for comment.

From the Queens Chronicle:

A City Council candidate’s long-rumored run was made official this week, as John Duane formally kicked off his campaign after months of fundraising and behind-the-scenes legwork.

The Little Neck resident spent one term in the state Assembly nearly three decades ago and is making a second push for public office since that initial stint in Albany. (Duane lost to Ed Braunstein for the 26th Assembly District seat in 2010.)

Duane said his drive to represent the people of Northeast Queens has not diminished since his long-ago stint in Albany, and in fact has only grown.

“I certainly know the struggles my neighbors have had, and I’ve had them as well,” the Democrat said. “I’ve spent my whole life serving my community.”

The 59-year-old often portrays his candidacy and potential stint in the City Council as a time of bridge-building and nuts-and-bolts legislating. Transportation, education and public safety top his priorities list, as well as veterans issues. The latter concern distinguishes him from his potential opponents.

You really don't want to mess with Sunny Hahn

From the NY Post:

Just two weeks after state Sen. Malcolm Smith’s bribery bust, a Queens GOP boss offered a City Council hopeful the party’s endorsement in exchange for consulting jobs for him or some pals, The Post has learned.

First Vice Chairman Stephen Graves — a regular in poker games with Smith’s co-defendants, City Councilman Dan Halloran and ex-Republican power broker Vincent Tabone — made the pitch to Sunny Hahn on April 16, sources said.

He promised her the party’s endorsement as she looks to challenge Councilman Peter Koo for his Flushing seat. Koo was elected in 2009 on the GOP ticket, but later became a Democrat.

“If you . . . consider hiring me or [Republican] party people like me, it would help to get an endorsement,” Graves told Hahn, according to multiple sources.

“I called him back the next day and said, ‘I cannot accept an endorsement with conditions,’ ” Hahn told The Post.

Graves got nervous when she refused, and said, “No, didn’t mean that. I didn’t’ mean conditions,” Hahn claimed.

The FBI was immediately told about the alleged shakedown attempt, sources said.

Graves denied offering an endorsement to Hahn in exchange for a consulting gig.

“That is completely, completely, completely and totally, totally a mischaracterization,” he told The Post.

“Even if I were so stupid to be that way in the first place — which I would not — in the current environment, that would be ridiculously dumb.”

Graves claims he stressed to Hahn that only the Queens GOP chairman, Phil Ragusa, could endorse a candidate.

But Ragusa distanced the party from Graves.

“If he went out and did it on his own, that’s not my problem,” he said.

“If what you’re saying is true, clearly, we are very upset because he never had the authority to do such a thing.”

Look folks, local politics is ALL about consulting contracts. You want to run, you have to hire the right firm, or you don't get the backing of the county organization. That goes for Democrats as well as Republicans. It's not about philosophy. It's about tweeding. The consultants get to feed off the 6-to-1 matching funds that we taxpayers hand over to the candidates. This may be one of the few times that a little sunlight has fallen upon the practice.

Quotes about Dan & Vince

From Facebook:


From City and State:

Amid the chaos surrounding New York City Councilman Dan Halloran’s alleged involvement in a corruption and bribery scheme with state Sen. Malcolm Smith and two city GOP operatives, Halloran has to defend his Council seat from one of a slew of Democratic opponents. Two of them, former Cuomo administration employee Austin Shafran and urban planner Paul Graziano, put out statements about Halloran’s troubles.

“These are serious and disturbing charges from the FBI which need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Shafran said in a statement. “Public service is a privilege, and violations of the public’s trust cannot be tolerated. Anyone involved in this scandal should immediately come clean because the people deserve to know the truth so justice can be done.”

Graziano released a statement noting that he had seen “a lot of things being done by Dan Halloran that I thought were inappropriate,” which led him to enter the race. Asked to elaborate, Graziano detailed his battles with Halloran over rezoning in District 19, where Halloran allegedly pushed for a zoning change to help the business of an associate with ties to the Gambino crime family.

Halloran did not respond to calls for comment about the rezoning dispute. Two other candidates challenging Halloran, attorney Paul Vallone and former Assemblyman John Duane, could not be reached for comment about Halloran’s corruption charges.

Of course, the above fails to mention that Shafran was Smith's spokesperson in Albany for quite a while...

Interesting choice of Facebook profile picture for a Republican...

The Queens Gazette carries a front page "article" on their front page this week, consisting only of a quote from Paul Vallone, who is currently vacationing in Florida, and no one else:

"The corruption charges against Dan Halloran are very troubling. If these allegations prove to be true, this conduct is an egregious violation of the public's trust and those who are found guilty in this scheme should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Vallone. “Now is the time for integrity and trust – principles which the Vallone Family have embodied for over three generations and which I will bring to the 19th City Council seat."

From the NY Times:

William C. Thompson Jr., another Democratic candidate, who said Ms. Quinn had failed to curb “a history of corruption and a broken system” of earmarks in the Council. A third Democratic candidate, Sal F. Albanese, accused Ms. Quinn of “abuse.”

From WNYC:

"Until we ban member items, it's just not been enough," argued De Blasio who said City Council should replace the member item practice with what he calls a merit-based system, or one that gives spending choices to groups of local residents, which some districts have tried on a smaller scale.

Comptroller John Liu, who's been embroiled in a fundraising scandal of his own, released a brief statement Tuesday morning calling the news, "shocking."

"When there is suspicion that taxpayers' money is being abused, investigations should be carried out quickly and thoroughly," Liu said. The trial of members of his campaign staff related to a straw donor scheme is scheduled to resume this month.

Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota says the arrests of local Republican leaders yesterday, including two who had endorsed his bid for mayor, demands more ethics reform in Albany and New York City.

"There needs to be a change here," Lhota said, offering a good government critique that also dings Quinn at the same time. "Transparency on all financial items. Whether it's in government or in the process of campaigning, on what agreements are made between the members of council and the organizations they're giving money to. The taxpayers of New York shouldn't be finding out about the actions of various elected officials through the prism of a US Attorney."

From Capital New York:

"I do not think this is a reason to conclude that member items should not be given," Quinn said today.

"In the case of Dan Halloran, this senior citizen group did nothing wrong," she continued. "Why should they become the victim of an alleged criminal's activities?"

Rather than call for their abolition, Quinn offered a full-throated defense of the member-item system in the Council, which has undergone substantial reform since the slush fund scandal of 2008.

"I think it is the tightest system you'll find in any legislative body in the country," said Quinn.

"When I became speaker, I largely inherited a process around member items that was an honor system," she said. "If a member said, 'Fund X group,' the assumption was...it was a good group. We no longer have that system. We have largely what is a verification system."

Quinn did, however, say the Council was reviewing all of Halloran's prior member items and stripping him of the ability to dole out new ones during the next budget cycle.

She also suggested he consider resigning.

"I think Councilmember Halloran owes the people of his district a great deal of thought about whether he is actually able to continue to serve them, conduct the defense I'm sure he believes he deserves, and do both of those at the same time," she said.

Quinn also said she disagrees with Bloomberg's argument that the allegations against Halloran and Smith present a strong argument in favor of nonpartisan elections, though she didn't explain why.

From the Daily News:

Ragusa said he first heard about the arrests on the radio this morning and "almost jumped out of bed."

He said he knew nothing about the case, including Tabone's alleged involvement, and was neither approached by anyone offering a bribe or interrogated by the feds ("Knock on wood, no. I hope they never show up either," he added.)

And to wrap up, from the NY Post:

Should Bob Turner lead the Queens GOP?

From The Politicker:

In the wake of bribery charges being brought against the Queens Republican Party’s executive vice president, Republican Councilman Eric Ulrich is calling for former Congressman Bob Turner to the lead the party.

“I want to see Bob Turner as the next chairman and I want [Queens GOP Chair] Phil Ragusa to resign immediately,” Mr. Ulrich told Politicker. “I believe Ragusa has an obligation to step aside. The only person who can bring peace and bring people together is Bob Turner because of his integrity, character and ability to work with people on different sides. He’s very conciliatory.”

Mr. Turner lost his congressional seat in the decennial redistricting process last year. He has been a rumored candidate to replace Mr. Ragusa, who angered some party insiders when he ran a primary opponent against Mr. Ulrich’s State Senate bid last year–the latest in what has been an ongoing feud between the party’s two factions. For his part, Mr. Ulrich also tried and failed to oust Mr. Ragusa in 2011.

Mr. Ulrich further said he was shocked that his colleague, Republican Councilman Dan Halloran, was charged with participating in an alleged bribery scheme to land Democratic State Sen. Malcolm Smith in the Republican primary, but was not surprised Vince Tabone, the executive vice president of the Queens GOP, was arrested as well.

Queens GOP stuck on stupid

From The Independent Sentinel:

Democrats have spent years building up their party in states and counties where they once were weak, and are reaping the electoral benefits of these efforts. States that once were safe for Republicans have rather dramatically become swing states.

Compare that to the Borough of Queens where Republican County Chairman Phil Ragusa saw fit to challenge Eric Ulrich’s candidacy for State Senate, by promoting Juan Reyes. Reyes was the candidate of Ragusa’s choice, and chosen only after Ulrich announced his interested in the State Senate race.

Focusing near exclusively on this bruising primary Ragusa’s Republican Party failed to recruit even the faintest of challengers for my local State Assembly seat! Where there could have been synergy from a competitive candidate for State Senate and another for State Assembly, we had a primary that became nationally notable for its extreme negativity.

This primary was held because Phil Ragusa was upset by the prospects of a challenger coming from outside his approved structure of leadership. Eric Ulrich prevailed in the primary, but lost to the incumbent in November, no doubt hurt when all summer long Republicans were told not to vote for him.

After the local party blew through its resources in that primary, it became silent during the critical period after the primary. I received no mailers from the Queens Republicans, I received no phone calls and no canvassers came knocking to my door after Ulrich won the Republican nomination.

A party should have a powerful political apparatus designed to get the vote out, promote primary winners and guide new talent through the political arena, not to perpetuate petty vendettas.

In Queens, the County Republican Party functions first to keep the incumbent county leadership in place, and then to promote candidates who have “paid their dues” to the county party. This party engages in efforts to stop upstarts who dare to believe that they can be elected to serve in public office.

The constant and continuing failure of local leadership is demonstrated by the perpetual lack of competitive candidates for Borough President in Queens. Despite voting for the Republican nominee for mayor in the past six mayoral elections, during simultaneous down-ticket elections there have been no competitive efforts for the position by the local Republicans.

We see a county party not interested in promoting the free market and individual liberty ideology of the national party, but content solely with the ability to dole out patronage positions in the Board of Elections.

Just give the chairmanship to Turner already

From the NY Post:

Rep. Bob Turner said yesterday he’s up for a new challenge — becoming the next leader of the divided Queens Republican Party.

GOP insiders are touting Turner, who won Anthony Weiner’s old congressional seat on Democratic turf last year, as the man with the credibility and integrity to fuse the party’s warring factions. Phil Ragusa is the current GOP chairman.

Turner, the retired Cable TV executive, confirmed that he would be interested in the job if there is a vacancy.

“I’d hope to see what I can do. If I can bring peace to the valley, I’d be happy to do this. This is a difficult, thankless job,” Turner said.

Turner’s Queens-Brooklyn congressional seat was carved up through redistricting and his term expires at year’s end.

Republican operatives said Ragusa is on thin ice after Councilman Eric Ulrich trounced Ragusa’s hand-picked candidate, Juan Reyes, by a 2-to-1 margin in an ugly GOP primary for state Senate.

You mean Ragusa cutting off the GOP's nose to spite its face was not a popular decision amongst the rank-and-file?

"Since we have the maturity level of 12-year olds, we'd rather risk letting the Dems have the majority than endorse the guy who has the best chance of winning."

Queens GOP under FBI investigation

From the NY Post:

The FBI is investigating the Queens Republican Party, its consultants and at least three people it recommended to the city Board of Elections, according to sources recently quizzed by federal agents.

The probe appears to be focused on how board employees may have used their official positions to further their careers as political consultants, as well as their party’s ambitions in local primary elections.

Board employees are recommended by both political parties in each of the five boroughs and are hired by board commissioners.

The names of at least three employees recommended by the Queens GOP — including Stephen Graves, whom the board suspended in April after being caught on tape soliciting cash from a company seeking a contract — came up in questions posed by the FBI, the sources said.

One source said Queens GOP Chairman Philip Ragusa and Executive Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone pushed a board official out of her job for not taking a rival, Myrna Littlewort, off the ballot during a state committee leadership race.

The official, Katherine James, the board’s former deputy chief clerk, said, “They wanted Myrna off the ballot, and there was no way I could do that fair and square.”

The federal probe stems from reports in The Post detailing politicians’ complaints that Queens GOP consultants tried milking them for cash, according to two sources interviewed by the feds.

GOP members charge extortion

From the NY Post:

City Councilman Eric Ulrich is demanding an investigation into claims that Queens GOP leaders milked candidates “for financial gain.”

His call comes amid mounting criticism of the county party from prominent Republicans, including former Rep. Rick Lazio, Rep. Bob Turner and ex-Councilman and party honcho Thomas Ognibene.

“The District Attorney’s Office or the US Attorney’s Office should look into these issues because they’re deeply troubling,” Ulrich said. “These con artists have been playing this game for far too long.”

Several Queens Republican sources said it’s commonly known that if candidates want the party’s nomination, they’ll have to pay — whether it’s in the form of hefty contributions to the party or fees to the party’s consultants.

One high-ranking Republican familiar with the allegations against the Queens GOP leadership said Ragusa is a “decent guy” but has surrounded himself with “operatives who make a living off this.”

Congressman Turner said he was dismayed when the Queens leadership delayed his nomination last year for the special vote arising from the Anthony Weiner sext scandal.

“They were hesitant, and it cost us two weeks of campaigning for what every other political professional thought was a no-brainer,” he said. “Their reasons for doing it were suspect.”

Turner said he was approached by Jay Golub, a consultant for Queens political candidates.

“I think his play was that I could clear up the nomination process by using him,” Turner recalled. “The conversation didn’t last long . . . I didn’t like where it was going.”

Golub said he was “just trying to help Bob.”

“I was never hired by the Turner campaign,” he said.

Republican leadership goes to court

From the Daily News:

Current chairman Phil Ragusa and his supporters will head to Queens Supreme Court Monday, claiming he was duly re-elected during a reorganization meeting in Flushing on Wednesday.

But former City Councilman Tom Ognibene and his backers are claiming victory too, saying he was elected during a different reorganization meeting held at the same time in Richmond Hill.

“I don’t know what happened at their meeting,” Ognibene said today. “I was elected county chair and we elected an executive committee.”

Ognibene’s supporters include City Councilman Eric Ulrich and his chief of staff, Bart Haggerty.

Ragusa’s camp tried to get a restraining order against the other faction to stop their reorganization meeting on Wednesday night.

Battle for control of Queens GOP

From the Daily News:

Former City Councilman Thomas Ognibene said he may challenge Queens County GOP leader Phil Ragusa at the upcoming organizational meeting.

"A lot of people feel the party can move forward. There are new opportunities in 2012," he said. "Real leadership can make a difference."

Queens Republicans are eager to harness the momentum created by newly elected Congressman Bob Turner's victory and grab back state legislative seats they lost in recent years.

"The county [party] adds nothing," said Ognibene. "They do not raise money and they do not provide expertise."

Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak said Ognibene's criticism was unfair and unfounded.

"If Tom feels compelled to run for county chairman, he's certainly free to do so," said Hornak. "If he had been more involved in the county organization over the past few years he would know our field operations and fund-raising has increased."

Ragusa was recovering from surgery and was not immediately available for comment.

Hornak said Ragusa has enough votes to be reelected.

Queens GOP version of Hatfield-McCoy feud

From City Hall:

The Queens Republican Party paid for a mailer suggesting the brother of indicted campaign operative John Haggerty was involved in a scheme to steal $1 million from Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Bart Haggerty is facing a Republican district leader primary challenge in the 28th Assembly District from Patrick Gallagher, the son of former Council Member Dennis Gallagher, who has the backing of the Queens Republican leadership.

The party paid for the negative mailer – which suggests Bart Haggerty was involved in his brother’s alleged scheme - that recently landed in mailboxes in Forest Hills, Queens.

The Haggerty brothers have long sought to overthrow Ragusa and are actively supporting Ognibene, while Dennis Gallagher is a Ragusa ally. Gallagher himself resigned from office in disgrace in 2008 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor sex abuse charges.

Ognibene said going after Bart Haggerty was completely out of bounds.

“Bart Haggerty has never, ever been accused of anything improper in his life,” Ognibene said.

A spokesman for Ragusa declined to comment, saying the mailer speaks for itself.

Bloomberg’s money has been a centerpiece of the battle for control of the party. Ognibene says he is running against Ragusa in part because the current chair failed to secure enough money from Bloomberg when the mayor was seeking the Republican ballot line in 2009.

“It is not our job to extort money from people,” Ragusa replied.

There's a pathetic bunch of hacks in the GOP. In the Democratic party, too, but the GOP wins the prize. Is this the best they can come up with?

Board of Elections saga: Here we go again

From City Hall:

For the past seven months, the 10-member New York City Board of Elections, consisting of five Democrats and five Republicans, has been deadlocked in appointing a $180,000-a-year executive director. No candidate has been able to line up the six votes necessary to win the job, and the board has refused to conduct a public search for the best national talent.

But Queens Republicans have renewed their push for the appointment of former City Councilman Anthony Como, and have struck a tentative deal with Brooklyn Democrats under which party chairman Vito Lopez would back Como, according to two sources with knowledge of the agreement.

Como, a Republican, would be appointed executive director, while a Brooklyn Democrat—most likely current Board of Elections counsel Steve Richman—would be appointed deputy director, the board’s other plum patronage post. Board of Elections rules require that the executive director and deputy director be from different parties.

Como and Richman both declined to comment.

Serf's back...

From City Hall:

Former State Sen. Serf Maltese wants back into politics.

But instead of running himself, Maltese wants to run all city elections, in a bid to become the new executive director of the city Board of Elections.

“I am writing you to indicate that I would like to be considered for the position of Executive Director of the Board of Elections in the City of New York,” Maltese wrote in an email that was sent around to commissioners Wednesday evening. “My biography accompanies this request and I believe that my background and experience would qualify me for this position of great responsibility and importance.”

That 2,000-word biography details Maltese’s history in local politics, hitting all the highlights and many of the awards he picked up during his 20 years representing Queens in the State Senate. Maltese lost by double digits to Joe Addabbo in 2008 in one of the two seats that swung the majority to the Democrats.

And in an ironic twist, Addabbo is this year being challenged by former Council Member Anthony Como, who had been agitating for the executive director job before pulling out at the last minute to pursue the State Senate race. Como, though a former commissioner, had been unable to rally the six votes necessary to get a majority of the 10 commissioners.

In his email to the commissioners, Maltese indicated that he had a running start in getting to six.

“I can assure you that I have the confidence and backing of my Queens County Chairman, the Honorable Phil Ragusa, our Queens County Republican Commissioner the Honorable Judith Stupp and my former Senate colleague Senator Marty Golden,” Maltese wrote.

However, Serf's resurrection may swing the vote over to the Dems. How ironic.

Bloomberg knew exactly what was going on

From the Village Voice:

...right up to that fateful election day, John Haggerty Jr. had worked his heart out for the Bloomberg cause with no apparent payment by the most generous political candidate in municipal history. Other top officials of Team Bloomberg scored the biggest paydays of their lives. Haggerty worked for free—at least as far as filings show. Yet his tasks were just as crucial, if not more so. He played the leading role in persuading five cranky Republican county leaders to get over their hurt feelings and give Bloomberg their nomination, even though the mayor had jilted them two years earlier by quitting their party. Take a look at those photos of Bloomberg's pre-nomination meetings in which he pleaded with GOP officials to let bygones be bygones. There's John Haggerty, quietly at his side.

Without the GOP nod, Bloomberg would've been forced to slog it out as a third-party candidate against an African-American Democrat on his left and a Republican spoiler on his right. We know how that would have turned out: Even with the GOP in line, Bloomberg managed only a 4 percent win, despite spending more than $108 million. We'd be talking today about Mayor William C. Thompson. That seems like reason enough to want to throw Haggerty a million bucks worth of thank-yous.

"John was responsible for the mayor's election," says Tom Ognibene, the former Queens Republican Councilmember. "Without the Republican line, he was not getting re-elected."

...the reason Bloomberg never cried thief last year is because there was no harm and no foul. "John got this money funneled to him," he says. "That's why there was no complaint filed. He never took a penny. He could've been making hundreds of thousands of dollars. This was John's bonus."

Then there's Bloomberg's own curious performance in all this. Vance says that he's had complete cooperation from the mayor and his campaign, and that neither are targets. For that, Bloomberg can thank the state's election laws, which are murkier than a Louisiana oil slick.

By routing it through his own checking account, the mayor guaranteed that it would stay secret until mid-January, the party's next required public filing. That much of the scheme Haggerty was clearly involved in. In a note to Bloomberg's campaign staff cited in Vance's legal papers, Haggerty wrote that the payment for the operation should be funded with "a Housekeeping contribution that will not be reported until January 15, 2010."

From the Times Ledger:

Queens Republican Party Chairman Phil Ragusa said he tried to dissuade Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s re-election campaign last year from dealing with GOP operative and Forest Hills resident John Haggerty Jr., who was indicted earlier this month on allegations he stole $1.1 million of the mayor’s money and lied to Bloomberg that the money would go to poll watching and ballot security operations.

“I warned Bloomberg before this happened,” Ragusa said in a phone interview Monday, saying he was “saddened and surprised” by the indictment against Haggerty, who along with brother Bart have been warring with Ragusa over control of the Queens GOP.

Ragusa said he did not want to take satisfaction from the indictment against his rival.

“I don’t want to revel in someone else’s problems if he did it, and the evidence seems overwhelming ... he’s going to have his day in court, right?” Ragusa said.

“I am the chairman of Queens,” he said. “They should’ve run the campaign through the different counties, not through political operatives. We never saw any of Bloomberg’s people out on the street. He should have come to us and let the Haggertys go someplace else.”