Among those that have filed, according to a source who watches this sort of thing closely, is Allan Jennings Jr., the former City Councilman from Jamaica, Queens whose tenure was marked by a string of odd behavior and allegations of sexual harassment. He lost his 2005 re-election to his predecessor, Tom White.

This source said Jennings filed petitions yesterday to run for his old Council seat, in the 28th district, currently held by White. Messages left at the city Board of Elections were not immediately returned. Attempts to reach Jennings were not successful.

If Jennings filed petitions, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be on the ballot to run for office (as Robert Jereski can tell you). But his return to the political arena will probably keep a few reporters busy. Gotham Gazette has a great rundown of Jennings' career highlights, written when he was contemplating a run for state senate last year.

While in office, his wages were garnished for unpaid fines levied by the city Campaign Finance Board. He once threw a piece of metal at a television reporter, and he was accused of sexually harassing female staffers.

City Councilman Tom White said today he didn’t think the Sean Bell case is “black against white,” citing the racial diversity of two of the officers on trial (two were black, one was white).

Some, like State Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., think otherwise.

When asked, State Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith seemed to disagree with White, and quickly moved on to the next question.

Bloomberg said he doesn’t expect any violence in response to today's verdict, and added that there is room for peaceful dissent and possibly legal action.

Also there were Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Council members Leroy Comrie and Tom White, and State Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith.

Quinn said the city now has to "peacefully move on" and "do more work" to make sure this never happens again.

Nussbaum doesn’t have a campaign committee registered with the city Campaign Finance Board, but her candidacy is interesting for a few reasons.

First, Nussbaum’s husband Michael is the executive vice president and associate publisher of the Queens Tribune (my old employer), which will presumably cover the race closely. Michael Nussbaum and the newspaper have been intimately involved in the local political scene for years, including helping elect Tom White to the City Council.

Second is Dale Nussbaum’s resume, which she alludes to on the invitation by noting that she worked as “Director of Community Assistance for the New York City Central Labor Council,” and as the “Chief of Staff in a New York State Legislative Office.”

The unnamed person she worked for, in both instances, is Brian McLaughlin, who recently pleaded guilty to various corruption charges.

UPDATE: The editor of the Queens Tribune, Michael Schenkler, emailed to say: "Azi, I have a lot of friends in and running for office. It doesn't affect our coverage. Mike won't be involved editorially and on opinion pieces, the relationship will be disclosed."

I asked him how he would have voted if he was there.

"You don't want to ask me that," he responded.

He said he was at a doctor's appointment and hadn't taken a position on it yet.

Why, I asked?

"Because I don't live in Brooklyn," he said.

But after hearing all about it, how would he have voted?

"I don't know," he said, and walked away.

According to the massive indictment [pdf] against McLaughlin, here's how the plan worked: McLauglin got his friends and their wives to send $250 contributions which would qualify for the city's 4-to-1 matching fund program. Then, McLaughlin reimbursed the donors from a union-controlled back account.

One Council member who said they unknowingly got money from this scheme was Tony Avella of Queens, who came out of the McLaughlin's political club. But the indictment said there was a second Council member who - in all likelihood unknowingly - got contributions from this scheme too.

The contributions in question were made in the reporting period of 10/1/2005 and 01/12/2006. Thanks to the Campaign Finance Board's website, you can search for $250 contributions for 2005 Council candidates during that time period.

Councilman James Gennaro, whose district overlaps with McLaughlin's Assembly district, had 17 contributions that fit the search, but a lawyer for his campaign said Gennaro personally knows all those donors, and they're not connected to McLaughlin in any way.

Tom White, whose campaign advisor (and my old boss) worked closely with McLaughlin, got ten $250 contributions during that time. Including one from the Central Labor Council PAC. White's office said they would get back to me, and so far hasn't.

One person floated Dennis Gallagher's name, but he received 0 contributions that fit the description.

So, who is that other Council member?

-- Azi Paybarah

A quick look at City Council candidates' disclosures, available on the same page, show that Weprin and his fellow Speaker hopeful Melinda Katz, have in recent days, been spreading money around among their future colleagues (Tom White in Weprin's case; Darlene Mealy in Katz's).

Nussbaum is now the associate publisher of the Queens Tribune. He's also the owner of a company, Multi-Media Advertising, which does work for political candidates.

Among those candidates was City Councilman-elect (yes, I know, it was only a primary) Tom White, best known during his previous run in elected office for not showing up to meetings before being ousted by term limits. Nussbaum's company took $31,195 in fees from White this year, the bulk for "campaign consulting." And the Tribune endorsed White in the bizarre local race:

"The only viable alternative - the only serious opponent not arrested during a campaign that has shamed the district - is former Councilman Thomas White who has delivered in the past for his community. "

The close relationship between Nussbaum and White raised eyebrows in Queens, though Tribune publisher Michael Shenkler tells The Politicker there's nothing to it:

"There's nothing unusual about it," he said. "It's no different from a newspaper taking advertisements from companies it covers. It doesn't effect our coverage."

It does seem likely that the paper would have endorsed White in any case. Who else? But the apparent conflict is, if nothing else, a glimpse into the small, overlapping worlds that are local politics and community newspapers, particularly in parts of the city where the Manhattan-based media seldom ventures.

White is the longtime head of a drug treatment program in Jamaica, and was forced out by term limits. But back in his City Council days, White earned a bit of reputation. Namely, for not showing up.

Jennings attendance has been an issue as well, though we haven't heard his colleagues complaining about his absences.