Stringer accused of groping an intern

 

PIX News

 A former intern for New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer accused the politician of sexual abuse and harassment on Tuesday. 

The woman, who was not named in a press release from attorney Patricia Pastor, said Stringer repeatedly groped her when he was a member of the New York Assembly and running for Public Advocate of NYC. He’d allegedly offered to get the woman a role as district leader. The woman, then an unpaid intern, accused him of telling her to keep the alleged sexual misconduct a secret.

“It’s unfortunately all too common that women report having been touched sexually without consent, and often men who engage this way are in a position of power and influence over the woman,” Pastor said. “I have great respect for women who choose to say, ‘enough is enough.’”

A spokesperson for Stringer’s mayoral campaign declined to comment on the accusations against him.

Impunity City

It took a while, considering how low he’s polling in the mayor’s race, but Comptroller Scott Stringer finally got the dough to put out his first campaign ad.

At a cost of one million dollars, which is derived from taxpayers dollars because of the very bad matching funds law, Stringer’s ad touts his past accomplishments in big font letters as he dramatically walks in an apartment hallway and on the street. It climaxes with the candidate doing an aw shucks shrug.

As with Stringer’s struggling campaign and platform which looks to continue de Blasio’s horrendous policies (and which also is not distinguishable from the other 6 or 7 candidates), the ad contains a very obvious and hilarious flaw...

Christine Quinn: the education candidate

From the NY Post:

Christine Quinn’s mayoral campaign is encouraging her interns to skip the first days of school so they’ll be available for the critical get-out-the-vote drive before the Democratic primary, The Post has learned.

In an e-mail blast to all the campaign’s summer volunteers, Quinn staffer Ross Adair said he was “pretty sure” that teachers wouldn’t mind if their students miss class on primary day, Tuesday, Sept. 10, “or even Monday and Tuesday” — a reference to the day before the primary.

“Thinking about election day: ALL INTERNS WHO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTION DAY WILL RECEIVE BOTH A LETTER EXCUSING THEM FROM CLASS IN ADDITION TO A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CAMPAIGN AND CHRIS,” Adair wrote, adding the capital letters for emphasis.

He told the high school- and college-age workers that the rewards of working for Quinn would be paid back big-time when they move on to careers.

“If you want me to be real for a second, a letter coming from the next mayor of New York City saying that you helped her on election day is something you can definitely put on your resume or application, and I’m pretty sure your teacher will be ok with you missing Tuesday, or even Monday and Tuesday,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, 2 recent polls have her in 3rd place, not even qualifying for a primary. Let's hope this lasts until primary day.

Oh, Danny Boy!

From CBS New York:

He’s already facing trial on corruption charges — and now there are new troubles for City Councilman Dan Halloran.

The latest allegations involve sexual misconduct, CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer reported Monday.

What really went on inside Councilman Halloran’s office? If he turned it into match.com, and dated two of his staffers, it could turn into Ilostmyjob.com.

“Let me be clear: if these new allegations against Council member Halloran are true we will throw the book at him,” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said.

Quinn was furious about reports that Halloran is dating a 23-year-old intern and previously dated a $30,000-a-year aide, vowing to kick him out of the council if the reports are true. She said dating a staffer could create a hostile work place.

“We have zero tolerance for sexual harassment and that type of behavior in the council. Zero tolerance,” Quinn said.

Quinn said she ordered her counsel and the Ethics Committee to investigate. In fact, the council speaker didn’t waste any time. She ordered the Ethics Committee to take up the Halloran matter this week.

From the NY Post:

He threw away his marriage for a co-ed staffer half his age, and now Dan Halloran, the city councilman already under indictment in an alleged plot to rig the mayoral race, could lose his seat after another seamy office romp.

Halloran, 41, a cocky Queens Republican and a practicing pagan, has been carrying on with 23-year-old Denise Batista since she was an intern in his council office, sources told The Post.

The brunette beauty was seen covering her face at Halloran’s Flushing home when FBI agents led him out in handcuffs during his predawn arrest April 2, when he was charged in Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith’s alleged plot to bribe his way onto the GOP mayoral ticket.

Halloran could be hit with disorderly-conduct sanctions — including dismissal — if found to have violated the council’s ethics policy with Batista or a previous deputy chief of staff with whom he had a relationship.

Batista, a student and tennis player at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, first hooked up with Halloran while she was working for him, an “absolute no-no” under city and council rules, a council source said. Batista has since quit her intern gig.

It became clear to other staffers last fall that Batista, who filed and answered phones, was dating her boss.

“There was this ‘here we go again’ ” feeling among staff, said a source close to Halloran.

Accused Israeli spy was Ackerman intern

From the Times Ledger:

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) said Tuesday he had been in contact with all possible parties concerning his former intern, Ilan Grapel, who was arrested late last week in Egypt on charges of being an Israeli spy.

“I have been assured from the highest levels in Israel... this kid had nothing to do with espionage,” Ackerman said during a conference call with reporters. “It’s an unfortunate mistake we’re trying to straighten out.”

According to the congressman, Grapel was using his own name while wearing his Israeli army uniform and posting pictures of himself to his Facebook account when he was arrested and detained for a period of 15 days. The New York Post said Grapel is 27.

“I guess that’s what you do when you’re in college,” Ackerman said with a slight laugh. “That’s not what a spy does. He may have been too cute by half by exhibiting a liberal sense of humor.” Ackerman did say he had been told by Egyptian officials that Grapel was asking questions and claiming to be a journalist for a foreign country.

Without going into specifics, the congressman said he had “a lot of friends over there” and was working with the Egyptian embassy and with the ambassador personally. “I’ve agreed to make my case in person if that would be helpful,” he said.