Metro

Mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota attacks fellow candidate Christine Quinn for ‘corruption’ oversight

Albany’s corruption tidal wave washed up in the city today, with GOP mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota attacking Democratic frontrunner Christine Quinn for her oversight of member items in the city Council.

“I actually think Christine has handled member items in a way that’s quite inequitable,” Lhota said on the steps of City Hall this morning, as he unveiled proposed reforms. “You shouldn’t be using taxpayer money and … doling it out in favors to friends.”

He said Quinn should take her cues from one of her predecessors as speaker.

“Peter Vallone Sr. is the example of what a speaker should be,” Lhota said.

Lhota proposed every Council member receive the same amount in member items. Currently the amounts vary widely, and critics say Quinn uses the nearly $400 million pot to reward friends and punish enemies in the Council.

Quinn has denied that charge.

Lhota also proposed drastically reducing the amount of money – to $4,950 – that citywide candidates can give to political party committees. His GOP primary opponent, John Catsimatidis, has given $23,000 to the Queens Republican Party, which endorsed him in the race this year.

The Queens vice chairman Vince Tabone was arrested last week in connection with the federal corruption probe involving state Sen. Malcolm Smith and Councilman Dan Halloran.

Mayor Bloomberg has given millions to the state Republicans and hundreds of thousands to county GOP organizations after they allowed him to run on their ballot in 2009.

Lhota also wants term limits for state and county chairs in light of the charges, and he says those leaders should be barred from simultaneously holding elected office.

He proposed that lawmakers with felony convictions for corruption be stripped of their pensions.

“This wave of corruption, what I call this tsunami of sleaze, has to come to an end,” he said.