Johnny gets away with it

From the NY Post:

A judge has tossed nearly $400,000 worth of viola tions slapped on Comptroller John Liu's campaign for illegal postering because of a minor -- but critical -- goof by a Sanitation Department enforcement agent.

There's no question that thousands of "Liu for Comptroller" posters were plastered around the city during the election campaign last year, violating the law that prohibits such signs from being attached to city property.

Each violation is punishable by a $75 fine.

Facing an enormous penalty, Liu hired one of the savviest election lawyers in town, Marty Connor, to defend what seemed like an open-and-shut case.

Connor earned his fee.

He discovered that instead of sending more than 5,000 summonses to Liu's campaign office by certified mail, the Sanitation Department had a campaign field worker pick them up.

Connor dug into the legal books and argued that only Liu's treasurer, Mei Hua Ru, could accept such personal service.

Administrative Law Judge Neil Tolciss read the law the same way. He ordered the 5,330 violations thrown out.

Liu, the city's chief fiscal watchdog, had just saved his own campaign committee $399,750.