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QC07182013

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com JULY 18, 2013 • THE QUEENS COURIER 9 hall of shame Hiram Monserrate Former Councilmember and State Senator Hiram Monserrate was sentenced to 24 months in prison in December 2012 after pleading guilty to charges that he misappropriated more than $100,000 in City Council discretionary funding to fi nance his failed 2006 run for state Senate. The money was directed to the Latino Initiative for Better Resources and Empowerment (LIBRE), a nonprofi t in his council district at the time. The discretionary funds, which are drawn from city taxpayer dollars, were used to pay employees of the non-profi t to collect signatures, work on his Senate campaign and conduct a voter registration drive. Monserrate, who was elected to the state Senate in 2008 after eight years in the City Council, was expelled from the seat in 2010 after being convicted of domestic assault on his girlfriend. He lost the subsequent special election to state Senator Jose Peralta. Anthony Seminerio FBI agents arrested longtime Queens Assemblymember Anthony Seminerio in September 2008 after an investigation found that he that he took nearly $1 million from hospitals, a school and other entities for actions he undertook as a member of the State Assembly. A grand jury indicted him a month later. In June 2009, he resigned from his seat after 30 years in the Assembly and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced in February 2010 to six years in prison. Seminerio passed away in January 2011 at age 75. Brian McLaughlin In March 2008, Assemblymember Brian McLaughlin, a seven-term politician and former head of the New York City Central Labor Council (CLC), pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $2.2 million in funds from people he worked for and served along with numerous organizations. Those included the CLC, the state of New York and even a number of nonprofi ts. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Following his 2006 arrest, he left offi ce at the end of the year after serving in the Assembly since 1993. Alan Hevesi In December 2006, former Queens Assemblymember and State Comptroller Alan Hevesi pleaded guilty to a class E felony defrauding the state government by using a state employee as a personal chauffeur for his ailing wife. Hevesi, who resigned as comptroller the same month he pleaded guilty, received the maximum four-year sentence. After serving 20 months behind bars, Hevesi was released from prison. He will remain on parole until April 2015. Dennis Gallagher First elected in 2001, City Councilmember Dennis Gallagher resigned in March 2008 after he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, admitting that he sexually abused a woman in his offi ce in Middle Village in July 2007 while he was intoxicated. The victim later fi led a civil suit against him. FORGIVE AND FORGET? SCANDAL MAY NOT MEAN END OF POLITICAL CAREER BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA ctumola@queenscourier.com When Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer stood in front of the media, admitted their sexual scandals to the public and resigned from offi ce, many believed it was the end of their political careers. Not only are both men back in politics running for citywide offi ce in New York City, but, according to two recent polls, the Democratic candidates have topped the front-runners in their primary races. “None of that motivation to hold political offi ce goes away because you get caught doing something scandalous,” said Michael Krasner, an associate political science professor at Queens College and co-director of the Taft Institute for Government. Krasner added that the public tends to be more forgiving of sexual scandals than monetary ones because the former are often viewed as personal matters, compared to the misuse of public money typical of the latter. But forgiveness may not be the only factor explaining Spitzer and Weiner’s favorable ratings in the polls. Both candidates are benefi tting from name recognition, said Krasner. Yet Spitzer’s high ratings in the polls do not necessarily portend victory on Election Day. Krasner said Spitzer has made enemies of virtually every interest group in city except for unions. However, many of them have already endorsed Spitzer’s Democratic primary opponent, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. Such groups are the ones who get out the vote during primary elections, Krasner said. Though Weiner does not have the same problem as Spitzer, Krasner said the former governor’s political bid could hurt his mayoral chances. Spitzer “takes the spotlight off of Weiner,” he said. “Spitzer’s entry could hurt Weiner because too many politicians are asking for forgiveness.” Hiram Monserrate Brian McLaughlin Anthony Seminerio cal tor mies Dennis Gallagher Alan Hevesi


QC07182013
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