Metro

Anti-Gropez push

(
)

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio yesterday demanded that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn reject an “insider political deal” to help embattled Assemblyman Vito Lopez in his potential bid for a council seat by moving him into a new district.

“New Yorkers are sick of backroom deals, and it’s a lot worse when the guy being taken care of is a sexual harasser,” fumed de Blasio, referring to charges that Lopez harassed at least four female employees on his Assembly staff.

“Michael Bloomberg and Chris Quinn have to take responsibility for this,” de Blasio continued. “Speaker Quinn needs to use her influence to get this reversed now.”

The Post reported Monday that the city’s Districting Commission — responsible for drawing council district lines this year — sneaked in a last-minute change: moving Lopez’s block on Stanhope Street in the 37th Council District in Brooklyn into the neighboring 34th, where the bulk of his power base lies.

Commission spokeswoman Shirley Limongi admitted the alteration was based on a private conversation Executive Director Carl Hum had with Councilman Erik Dilan, a Lopez ally. By comparison, many of Dilan’s council colleagues submitted written or verbal testimony — all of which are online.

“It’s not unheard of,” Limongi said of the closed-door conversation.

Dilan initially said he could not recall whether he requested the change. A day later he admitted to it in a written statement, but refused to answer questions or explain his rationale.

Limongi defended the commission, saying, “Any suggestions that a favor was granted to accommodate the electability of any individual is not only false but meaningless. . . . In a redistricting year, anyone running for local office can do so regardless of the district they reside in until the time they are elected into office.”

This move clears the residency hurdle for Lopez, were he to win the seat.

“Certainly it’s a favor for him,” said de Blasio, who plans to challenge Quinn for mayor next year.

Susan Lerner of good-government group Common Cause blasted the redistricting.

“This seems to be, ‘Let’s do a favor for a discredited individual. Let’s give them a place to fall back on once he leaves the Assembly in disgrace,’ ” she said. “That’s disgraceful.”

Quinn has denied any involvement in the change and insists the commission is independent of her, though she made five of the 15 appointments and sent her staff to man the operation.

She denied that she is helping Lopez, even saying she would campaign against him if he runs for council.

Still, she refuses to say whether she will reject the new council map based on this change.

The council can vote on the map or take no action, which is tantamount to approval. It then must be approved by the federal Justice Department.