US News

House ethics panel probing LI pol over fireworks display ‘favor’ for hedge-funder

WASHINGTON — Get ready for some fireworks.

The House Ethics Committee announced yesterday that it had opened an investigation into Rep. Timothy Bishop (D-LI), a year after Bishop intervened with government officials to help a wealthy hedge-funder put on a lavish fireworks display for his son’s bar mitzvah.

It was the first time the ethics panel acknowledged it was reviewing the case, though in a terse statement the panel said only that it was extending a 45-day review period for investigations of Bishop and three other lawmakers.

A Bishop aide claimed the report was related to “politically motivated allegations made against Congressman Bishop during the course of the last campaign” — meaning the fireworks fiasco.

According to a report in Politico last year, Bishop intervened in May 2012 on behalf of wealthy hedge-fund manager Eric Semler, who wanted officials to approve the seaside fireworks display near his Southampton home for his son’s bar mitzvah.

Just two days after Semler appealed to Bishop, and before a permit problem got fixed, Bishop’s daughter, Molly, hit up Semler for a $10,000 campaign contribution in a fund-raising e-mail.

Semler eventually contributed $5,000 to Bishop’s re-election campaign.

Semler met with a US Fish and Wildlife Service official to get the display approved, according to a Grucci fireworks executive, and Bishop said he was doing his job to help a constituent.

“As I have said many times, I welcome a fair-minded review of the facts because I have done nothing wrong,” Bishop declared in a statement yesterday.

During a tough reelection fight, Bishop donated the money to charity – but Republicans still blasted him over the explosive revelations.

At one point, Semler wrote an e-mail to the fireworks company, Grucci Inc., which was owned by a former Bishop congressional opponent.

Semler complained to Grucci that Bishop “didn’t hesitate to solicit me in the heat of battle.” He said the request for cash was “really gross,” according to an e-mail obtained by Politico.

A prolonged ethics inquiry could spell more trouble for Bishop, whose Long Island district is the most vulnerable of any area Democrat.

It could also drain his cash. His latest campaign filing reveals a $5,000 check to law firm Dechert LLP, which has offices on K Street in DC, an amount signaling it could be a legal retainer .

Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Reform of Ethics in Washington, said Bishop has essentially admitted in interviews “that he basically took a campaign contribution in return for a favor,” something she said could be an “illegal gratuity” violating criminal law.

Ethics also announced it was reviewing cases against retiring Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.), and Rep. Peter Roksam (R-Ill.), a member of the Republican leadership.

Incendiary charge

Rep.Tim Bishop

* Age: 63

Married, 2children, 1grandchild

* To ok office: Jan. 3, 2003

* Represents: Eastern end of Long Island

* Residence: Southampton (12th generation)