By ANGELA MONTEFINISE

The Republican candidate for District 20’s City Council seat will be on the general election ballot this November despite a State Supreme Court special referee’s suggestion that he be removed because his petitions were permeated with fraud.

On Aug. 20, the State Supreme Court dismissed an attempt by District 20 Green Party candidate Paul Graziano to throw Ryan Walsh off the ballot for fraud — fraud which Graziano called, "absolutely and unquestionably clear." Graziano claimed that there were several signatures in Walsh’s petitions written with the same handwriting, including petitions for which Walsh himself was the witness.

Walsh has not returned Tribune calls for comment.

Despite this report, the court ruled not to throw Walsh off the ballot because he was not served with court papers properly, and therefore could not prepare a defense against Graziano’s allegations of fraud. Justice Martin Schoenfeld, Jr. called the case "rather disturbing," and acknowledged that there were "numerous instances of forged signatures and other irregularities" in Walsh’s petitions. Still, Schoenfeld required that Graziano’s campaign team serve Walsh personally with court papers by July 27, and they were unable to do so.

Graziano believes that his campaign could not serve the papers because Walsh does not live at his address.

In addition to the problem of serving, Graziano’s lawyer Ray Dowd also filed papers which said Walsh was a candidate in assembly district 62, the result of "his haste," according to Graziano. Last year, Dowd threw Republican Leonard Wertheim off the ballot in assembly district 62, and used the same papers to serve Walsh, making only a few changes. He forgot to change the district and office.

Tom Ognibene, Walsh’s election lawyer, said during the proceedings, "We believe [Graziano’s notice] creates jurisdiction in the court to invalidate [Walsh] as a candidate to run in the 62nd District, Assembly District in Manhattan . . . and we believe that the petition should be dismissed on that basis."

Graziano appealed the Supreme Court’s decision, but the original decision stood. Graziano said, "It could have been worse. I think we’re making a key statement here. Even if he is on the ballot, now everyone knows that his petitions are fradulent. That’s a victory for us."

Tom Ognibene, Walsh’s lawyer, was unavailable for further comment on the case.

By ARLENE LEWIS

A complaint has reportedly been filed with the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) charging Council Candidate John Liu of ethical improprieties.

The DOI has no comment on the whether they have or have not received any complaint about Liu.

But at a press conference this week, District 20 Councilwoman Julia Harrison and Liu’s rival District 20 Council Candidate Ethel Chen announced that they filed a complaint on Aug. 24 charging that Liu received $7,000 in campaign contributions between 1997 and 2000, from F&T International Group, developers of the Prince Street Center in Flushing.

F&T asked Community Board 7 for a variance to reduce the number of parking spots required at the proposed center claiming they didn’t have enough land for the 206 spaces mandated by zoning law. In unanimous vote – which included the vote of Board member Liu – F&T got their variance. The complaint states that Liu should have abstained from the vote due to conflict of interest.

While Ethel Chen was not available for comment, her advisor Darryl Fox, said, "Even though there was a majority vote, his instinct should have been to recuse himself."

Liu was not available for comment however, his spokesperson, Evan Stavisky, issued a statement saying, "This is nothing but a desperate, last minute smear from two people with a political agenda."

Bena James, campaign manager for another rival District 20 council candidate Terance Park, commented"Maybe he should have abstained, but it was a majority vote. Terance voted for the variance also."

By ANGELA MONTEFINISE

Two New York City legislators and a Queens city council candidate took their voices to the steps of Borough Hall this week to speak out for equal pay for equal work legislation for women that they believe is long overdo.

Councilmember Margarita Lopez, council candidate Hiram Monserrate, and Assembly Labor Chair Catherine Nolan speak out for women’s right to equal pay. Tribune Photo by Angela Montefinise

The legislation is being crafted by City Councilman Bill Perkins and was supported in this week’s press conference by Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, chair of the Stamping Committee on Labor, Manhattan Councilwoman Margarita Lopez, and Queens City Council Candidate Hiram Monserrate.

According to the 1999 statistics mentioned at the press conference, Caucasian women are only paid 72 cents for every dollar a man earns, while African-American women are only paid 65 cents and Hispanics only 52 cents.

In addition, on August 1 of this year, the Giuliani administration announced that an all-time high number of families — 6,252 — are currently living in the city shelter system, a fact that Lopez, Nolan and Monserrate attribute to single women being unable to earn enough money to live.

Lopez, a women’s activist, said, "There is a bill already in council that will help women earn equal wages. It really should have been passed already. But I’m happy that it’s in the council." She added, "Women have to eat dirt in this city. We have so many working women with children who have to struggle to make ends meet. That’s unfair."