With the primaries in four months, this is probably a good idea.

By now, the controversy over John Liu's run for comptroller in 2010 is an old wives' tale in recent New York City scandal history. His campaign's treasurer and one of its fundraisers set up straw donors--which is when a person illegally taps into another person's cash funds and makes donations in their name. By doing so, they paid themselves thousands in fraudulent kickbacks. But don't worry: Kustice was served earlier this month when the two were found guilty of campaign fraud in federal court.

As damage control, Liu has been trying to distance himself from that story since it happened, stating time and time again that he had no part in the scheme and could not have known about it. Naturally, the mayoral race has kicked that PR effort into high gear. According to his most recent campaign filings, it's been discovered that Liu refunded every cent in his fundraising treasure chest left over from the scandal.

More »

Who knew the Comptroller would come somewhat close (read: nowhere near) to Bloombergian levels with his finances for City Hall?

After only announcing his official candidacy two weeks ago, the New York Post has reported that John Liu is in line for $3.4 million in public matching funds from the Campaign Finance Board for his campaign. Regardless of the fact that the agency is still investigating Mr. Liu's comptroller campaign in 2009 - it is uncertain whether this will harm his public funding efforts in the future.

More »

Looks like we have another candidate to keep in mind come November.

The New York Observer's Colin Campbell reports that multiple sources have told the publication that Comptroller John Liu will announce his bid for City Hall this Sunday. Like with Christine Quinn's official video released a few days ago, the Democratic candidate's announcement is no surprise for most spectators, as Mr. Liu has been making appearances at debates and talks for the coveted position.

And, akin to Ms. Quinn, this will be his first time running for Mayor. Also, the two will both have ground-breaking campaigns: Ms. Quinn's as the first woman and openly gay individual and Mr. Liu's as the first Asian-American. So many similarities.

More »

City Comptroller John Liu says Mayor Bloomberg should reopen a sweetheart deal struck in 1998 by the Giuliani administration with the Marriott hotels corporation that, he claims, will end up costing the city $345 million.

"This is one of worst deals since Manhattan was sold for $24," Liu said.

The back story: in 1982, when Times Square wasn't in such good shape, the city agreed to lease land in along Broadway to Marriott on which the company would build the big hotel that now sits on the parcel, the Marriott Marquis. In the deal, Marriott agreed to pay rent equivalent to a percentage of the hotel's annual revenue. After 70 years, or in 2057, Marriott could buy the land for fair market value.

In 1998, the Giuliani administration cut the original 70-year lease in half to 35 years, meaning that the deal ends in 2017. The deal also deleted the payments based on a percentage of revenue in favor of straight property tax, and gave Marriott a decade rent-free. In 2017, Marriott could then buy the parcel for $19.9 million.

That may seem like a lot of money, but today, the parcel is worth $193 million. So, Marriott will get it for a relative pittance in four years, Liu says.

More »

City Comptroller John Liu is claiming that the city's Consumer Affairs Department stonewalled his attempts to audit a technology contract, and wants investigators to look into it. A DCA spokeswoman called Liu's broadside an "irresponsible misrepresentation."

Liu refered the circumstances surrounding an audit of the agency's contract with Gartner Inc. to the city Department of Investigation, his office said, because his auditors "encountered unprecedented interference" from DCA officials. The Gartner contract was originally for $2.7 million over two years, but the contract ballooned, Liu says, to $11.5 million, and the project still isn't done after more than five years.

More »

While regular New Yorkers get waxed with ever-increasing parking fines, big corporations often get a pass from the city, Comptroller John Liu says in a report released today. The city has failed to collect more than $9 million in fines from these companies.

A Department of Finance official disputed the accuracy of the audit.

Under two program called "Delivery Solutions," and the Commercial Abatement Program, the city gives discounts on parking tix. To get into the programs, the firms are supposed to pay all outstanding tickets, give up their right to challenge summonses, and pay their fines within 15 days.

But Liu found that the city failed to penalize companies which didn't live up to the agreement, and let them continue to remain in the discount programs.

More »

John Liu, who has spent more than half of his campaign expenses on legal fees, has issued a statement condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Bulgaria.

Recall that a suicide bomber -- reportedly using a fake U.S. ID -- killed five Israelis and the driver of their tour bus, as well as injuring dozens more.

Of course, cynics might wonder: Is Liu commenting on the attacks just to make himself seem more...mayoral and leader-like, or to get the support of pro-Israel primary voters?

More »

During yesterday's Silent March to End Stop and Frisk, the Voice caught up with Comptroller (and mayoral hopeful) John Liu. Liu, who was marching with a small contingent at the midway point of the assembled, took a break from the silence to speak (very quietly) with us.

Being Father's Day, we asked him how he explained the point of the march to his young son, Joey, who was gleefully marching with his dad. Liu told us about why he thought anyone was out there marching, and told us about the ways stop and frisk, usually considered in terms of Black and Hispanic New Yorkers, specifically affects Asian, South Asian, and Muslim New Yorkers, too.

More »

Sam Levin

Mayor Mike Bloomberg takes questions today at Google's headquarters in Manhattan.

Today, City Comptroller John Liu and Mayor Mike Bloomberg talked about the actual one percent of New York City. And unsurprisingly, they differ in their views on how the wealthiest top percent of New Yorkers impact the city's economy.

Liu, who is expected to run for mayor in 2013, released a report today on income disparity in the city, finding that the top one percent of income tax filers receive one-third of all city personal income -- a share which his office says is nearly twice the national average. The report, called "Income Inequality in New York City," -- drawing on Occupy Wall Street rhetoric -- found that nationally, the top one percent accounts for 16.9 percent of income, while in New York, the richest percent account for 32.5 percent of reported income in 2009 (which is the most recent data available from the state).

More »

City Comptroller/embattled mayoral candidate John Liu has taken the time to step away from releasing audit, after audit, after audit to speak about May Day.

In a statement released this afternoon, Liu makes mention of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, when cops fired on workers striking for an eight-hour day. Liu says Americans "owe" a lot to these workers who "fought with their very lives to get us decent wages and working conditions, weekends off, and to end child labor. "

More »