VIV’S BAD END
On last day as speaker, judge hits crony pick
ON THE last day Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito oversaw a session of City Council, a judge slammed her for flouting transparency laws in an attempt to install a pal on the Board of Elections.
Justice Alexander Tisch ruled Tuesday that Mark-Viverito had blatantly tried to appoint political ally Andrew Praschak as a Manhattan elections commissioner without the required public notice.
“It would appear the City Council is not adhering to the tradition, spirit and the letter of the process for designating a commissioner as contemplated by the Constitution and the election law,” Tisch wrote.
“Any appointment for the office of commissioner must be made . . . in an open and transparent manner and not in a secret private meeting of which the public lacks knowledge.”
The Manhattan Democratic Party sued Mark-Viverito and the City Council earlier this month, seeking to stop her from appointing Praschak. The Manhattan Dems, led by former Assemblyman Keith Wright, favored candidate Sylvia DiPietro.
“I am glad that this marks the final chapter in this sad saga of cronyism and overreach by the City Council speaker,” Manhattan Democratic Party Executive Director Barry Weinberg said. “It was clear that the speaker was blatantly overstepping her authority.”
The commissioner post wields significant patronage power. “She would have control over about 100 jobs,” said attorney Arthur Schwartz, who represented the Manhattan Democrats. The fight over the seat — which began last year — became more contentious last month when the Manhattan delegation of the City Council signed off on Praschak following several meetings behind closed doors, without any notice to the public. That did not sit well with Tisch — who noted that the only way the public knew about the meetings was thanks to the Daily News. “Astonishingly, the only public record of these meetings having occurred and what transpired therein are afterthe-fact newspaper articles,” he wrote.
Mark-Viverito indicated she would continue fighting the case — and questioned Tisch’s motivation.
“Who are these judges selected by? Judge Tisch is someone whose name was put forward by Keith Wright . . . This was not about the letter of the law, but politics,” Mark-Viverito said.
The ruling said the Council cannot vote on the commissioner post until it complies with open meetings laws and considers DiPietro.
Tuesday is that last day the Council is in session this year. Mark-Viverito will leave office at the end of the year due to term limits. She was expected to address the decision at a press conference.
Schwartz said the move by Mark-Viverito — a self-proclaimed reformer — had too many echoes of old party boss politics.
“It’s not the usual thing you expect from her,” Schwartz said.