The City Council will vote next week to strip Councilman Dan Halloran of all his committee assignments after he was charged today with taking part in a bribery scheme.
“These allegations represent a reprehensible abuse of the public’s trust,” Council Speaker Christine Quinn said in a statement earlier this afternooon. “If true, then the full weight of the legal system should be brought to bear on all parties implicated. The matter will be immediately referred to the Council’s Standards and Ethics Committee.”
Jamie McShane, a spokesman for Council Speaker Christine Quinn, confirmed that the City Council rules committee, as well as council members, will vote to strip Mr. Halloran of his numerous committee assignments. Mr. Halloran will also no longer be able to making funding allocation decisions for his district, which will instead be made by Ms. Quinn’s office in consultation with the Queens Delegation Chair, Councilman Leroy Comrie.
Mr. Halloran was charged, along with Democratic State Sen. Malcolm Smith, Bronx Republin Party Chair Jay Savino and Queens Republican Party Executive Vice Chair Vince Tabone, with taking part in an alleged bribery scheme to help Mr. Smith run in the Republican mayoral primary. Mr. Smith has already been stripped of his leadership position and all committee assignments in Albany.
A Halloran spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment.