8 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 18, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com hall of shame The Courier takes a look at Queens’ Political This New York City election season features not one, but two formerly disgraced politicians asking voters to give them a second chance. Former Congressmember Anthony Weiner, who announced he is running for mayor in May, and former Governor Eliot Spitzer, who launched his bid for city comptroller last week, were both forced to resign after sexual scandals. They’re not the only ones in the political hall of shame. Here’s a recap of some recent Queens electeds who have been caught in their own scandals. State Senator Malcolm Smith and Councilmember Dan Halloran State Senator Malcolm Smith and Councilmember Dan Halloran are still fi ghting off bombshell accusations they had an elaborate scheme to rig the 2013 mayoral election. The two were among six offi cials arrested by the FBI on April 2. Smith, a registered Democrat, needed consent from three of the city’s fi ve GOP chairmen to run for mayor as a Republican. He allegedly bribed GOP offi cials to get on the ticket. Feds say Halloran pocketed nearly $21,000 in cash for setting up meetings between Smith and GOP offi cials. He also offered up councilmember item cash in exchange for bribes, prosecutors said. Smith, elected to the State Senate in 2000, was the chair of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) before his power was revoked shortly after the arrest. Halloran has been the Republican incumbent in Council District 19 since 2009. He was stripped of his committee assignments and ability to allocate funds. He said he would not seek reelection this year. The two have denied wrongdoing. Their cases are ongoing. Shirley Huntley Former State Senator Shirley Huntley was arrested and charged last August with two felonies and a misdemeanor for drafting a fake letter to show that a sham nonprofit group, the Parents Information Network, used a $30,000 state grant for “workshops.” Despite calls for her to resign following the arrest, Huntley continued with her reelection campaign, but lost her seat to then-Councilmember James Sanders in the 2012 Democratic Primary. She had held the seat since 2007. Though she initially pleaded not guilty, she pleaded guilty to the charges almost six months after her arrest. In May, she was sentenced to one year and one day in jail plus three years probation. The same month, it was revealed that Huntley secretly recorded the conversations of elected officials while she was still in office at the request of federal authorities. Several of them included Queens politicians, State Senators Jose Peralta and Malcolm Smith and Councilmember Ruben Wills. Jimmy Meng F o r m e r Assemblymember Jimmy Meng was arrested by the FBI in July 2012 and charged with bribery. Meng, 69, was the first Asian- American to serve in the New York State legislature. He represented Flushing from 2005 to 2006 and is the father to Congressmember Grace Meng. Feds said Meng solicited $80,000 in bribes from a state court defendant who had been charged with state tax crimes and sought Meng’s help to reduce the sentence. Meng was caught red-handed at his Flushing lumber yard accepting a fruit basket filled with cash from the defendant, who was cooperating with FBI agents. He pleaded guilty last November and served his one month jail sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey. He was released on April 18. Meng is currently serving four months of house arrest and two years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $30,000 in fines and serve 750 hours of com- munity service. hall of shame State Senator Malcolm Smith pocketed Councilmember Dan Halloran Shirley Huntley Jimmy Meng
QC07182013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above