The city’s Republican Party was reeling yesterday after the arrests of GOP officials in a corruption scandal that exploded right in the middle of the mayor’s race.
“It’s like a nuclear bomb being blown up in the Republican Party,” declared one GOP insider.
The political bombshell fell uncomfortably close to Republican mayoral contender John Catsimatidis, who employed one of the accused officials as both a political consultant and as general counsel for his private conglomerate, Red Apple Group.
At an Asian-American Federation forum in Midtown last night, Catsimatidis insisted his association with Queens GOP vice-chairman Vincent Tabone, one of four local Republicans snagged by the feds, would have “no impact” on his campaign.
“What’s the divorce rate in this country?” Catsimatidis asked. “Forty-nine percent. When we found out about it, we took measures.”
Tabone was fired from the campaign and suspended without pay from the company.
Trying to turn the tables on GOP rival Joe Lhota, Catsimatidis pointed out that Tabone once worked in the Giuliani administration, where Lhota served in several high-level posts.
Catsimatidis charged it was Lhota who would be harmed by the arrests, since two of the suspects had endorsed him.
“This is going to become a brutal Republican primary,” predicted a consultant to another campaign.
A third Republican mayoral contender warned that the scandal could further lower voter turnout.
»Feds nab state Sen. Smith, NYC Councilman Halloran in pay-to-play bribe scheme
»How the plot hatched: Alleged corruption scheme hatched in Rockland County town of Spring Valley
»Halloran had mountain of debt before going on alleged bribery spree in Malcolm Smith scandal
»Dem’s shot at Smith as City Councilman Leroy Comrie eyed as possible replacement in State Senate
»Power outage: Malcolm Smith stripped of his leadership posts and urged to resign
»Mayoral wannabe Malcolm Smith done in by his ambitions
»Tales of the tape: Quotable quotes from Malcolm Smith scandal
»Since 2007, 11 New York state senators have been arrested including Malcolm Smith
“These are the kinds of things that make people throw up their hands and say on Election Day, it doesn’t matter,” said George McDonald.
Insiders said they expect as few as 70,000 of the 470,000 registered Republicans to go to the polls on Primary Day, Sept. 10, a worrisome sign when the GOP nominee will need every vote he can muster to defeat whoever emerges as the heavily favored Democrat in the mayoral race.
GOP faithful were demoralized.
“It’s like you’re in mourning,” said one Queens Republican activist. “Tabone was someone I believed in. What was he even doing talking to a shady guy like Malcolm Smith? I’m shocked. It’s pretty bad. I just don’t understand it.”
Also charged yesterday was Republican Dan Halloran, a first-term city councilman from Queens.
“What does the Republican Party do now?” wondered one veteran political consultant. “This a major black eye for Republicans.”
The five GOP county committees have been struggling for years, even though Mayor Bloomberg ran on the Republican line three times and became a major benefactor.
Political consultant Jerry Skurnik pointed out that a decade ago the Republican county chairmen were also elected officials who had the ability to raise money from interest groups trying to curry their favor.
“Why give money to the organization today?” Skurnik said. “The only time people come to them is in a mayoral election. As the party becomes weaker, they need to find the money elsewhere.”
A source who has had dealings with party leaders agreed.
“These guys don’t know what it’s like to be chairmen post-Bloomberg,” the source said.
Many political observers believe the scandal will mushroom, possibly extending to Democratic elected officials as well.
“No one thinks this is the end of it,” said one Republican operative.
Catsimatidis, who said he has been cooperating with federal investigators for months, agreed.
“I don’t know when the next shoe may fall,” he said.