We may need a scorecard for this

From the Daily News:

Last week's indictment of one of Mayor Bloomberg's top reelection operatives has set the political rumor mill on fire, putting scrutiny on both the prosecutor and the prosecuted - all seen through the prism of everyone's particular biases.

John Haggerty was charged with stealing $1.1 million of Bloomberg's money by planning an Election Day poll-watching effort but never actually doing it.

It's a case with slam-dunk elements, like the $833,000 that ended up in Haggerty's hands right before he bought out his brother's share of the family home.

It's also a case with shades of gray, like whether Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. can prove that Haggerty didn't just do a sloppy job on a handshake deal, especially since the Bloomberg campaign never complained.

People on Team Bloomberg insist the mayor was ripped off, and would rather not have it show up in court - especially with Bloomberg likely to be called to testify.

They have grumbled for months that Vance is pursuing the case hard because he's a pal of legendary former DA Robert Morgenthau - who left office nursing grudges against the mayor.

Among Haggerty's friends, though, the suspicion is that Vance is cracking down on him to curry favor with a powerful mayor while their relationship is still new - and to satisfy Haggerty's enemies in the Queens Republican Party.

Haggerty and his brother Bart have battled for control of the party for years against another faction that includes Chairman Phil Ragusa and Vice Chairman Vince Tabone.

Here's where it gets complicated: Tabone - who wouldn't comment - has a day job as an attorney for John Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner of Gristede's supermarkets and many other businesses.

Catsimatidis gave $17,500 to Vance's campaign and is hosting a fund-raiser Tuesday to pay off Vance's outstanding $227,176 campaign debt.

The Haggerty theory holds that Vance is cracking down on Tabone's enemy to win donations from Catsimatidis.