Metro

Shady Seabrook can hand out 350G

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Indicted City Councilman Larry Seabrook will still be allowed to distribute more than $350,000 in “member item” funds to local groups next year — even though he’s under federal indictment for plundering those very same funds and faces a retrial.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn said she won’t strip Seabrook of that discretionary right as he awaits retrial on extortion and fraud charges because there’s a strict system of checks now in place that would root out any irregularities long before any government money was misspent.

“Councilmember allocations are subject to approval based on a rigorous vetting process instituted by the council in conjunction with the mayor’s Office of Contract Services, the NYC Department of Investigation, the New York state Attorney General’s Office and others,” said Quinn spokesman Jamie McShane.

Seabrook is charged with steering $1 million to nonprofits secretly under his control, with much of it ending up in the pockets of his girlfriend, brother, sisters and nephews.

A now-infamous restaurant check — allegedly altered to $177 for a bagel and beverage — is part of Seabrook’s legacy.

His first trial ended in a hung jury, meaning Seabrook will probably be in office next June when the council parcels out millions in grants to local organizations as part of the budget process.

The feds promise to try again for a conviction.

Dick Dadey, director of Citizens Union, has praised the council for instituting the new procedures to prevent further looting of the public treasury.

But when it comes to Seabrook, Dadey recommended keeping him as far away as possible from any pot of discretionary funds.

“Given that the charges involve the possible abuse of member items, he should not be given any opportunity to participate in that program,” Dadey said.

Last year, before he went to trial, Seabrook was allocated $362,000 in council funds to give away to his favored organizations.

Council officials claim that local legislators know their districts better than anyone else and should be allowed to direct funds as they see fit.

But there’s nothing that would prevent the council from funding groups in Seabrook’s Co-op City district without his participation.

It’s an open secret that member items sometimes serve as a lever to round up the votes needed to pass the city budget.

Mayor Bloomberg, who largely controls the budget, said Seabrook’s fate rests with another branch of government, and he doesn’t intend to get involved.