US News

Conservatives stand by GOP candidate groping woman who’s not his fiancee

The influential New York Conservative Party is standing by “hands on” upstate congressional candidate Matt Doheny.

State Conservative Chairman Mike Long said yesterday the party intends to nominate Republican Doheny as its standard-bearer for the north-country House seat, despite the release of racy photos and videos showing the candidate cavorting with a woman who is not his fiancée.

But Long warned Doheny to clean up his act.

“Hopefully, this incident will not lead to anything else,” Long said. “I would hope it ends here.”

The Post published a video yesterday of Doheny with his arms around two women at a DC bar after last week’s GOP candidates retreat in DC.

Doheny’s hand can be seen sliding over the backside of Monica Notzon, a fund-raising consultant to his campaign. Doheny and Notzon appear to leave the bar together.

A photo posted on gawker.com shows the two smooching on the patio of the bar.

“He’s got to straighten this out with his future wife,” Long said.

The Doheny campaign spokesman declined comment on Long’s support or the controversy surrounding the candidate’s frisky activity.

The campaign previously insisted Doheny did nothing improper and was just enjoying an evening with old friends. They brushed off the photo as political dirty tricks instigated by Democratic operatives.

But that was before The Post posted the video.

One GOP insider who knows Doheny well said, “I’m happy I’m not working for him. The campaign is concerned about what else is out there.

“His fiancée needs to be warned.”

But Doheny’s fiancée, Mary Reidy, is backing her man — for now. They are to be wed in June.

He’s running in a rematch against Democratic incumbent Bill Owens. Owens defeated Doheny in a squeaker in 2010.