Huntley pol pal on hot seat
A city councilman with close ties to crooked expol Shirley Huntley is under intense scrutiny in a kickback probe involving a charity whose president was busted yesterday, The Post has learned.
Councilman Ruben Wills (DQueens) — who formerly served as Huntley’s chief of staff — is one of four lawmakers under probe for steering taxpayer funds to the nonprofit Young Leaders Institute, according to a source close to the investigation.
The group’s head, Van Holmes, was charged yesterday with grand larceny, forgery and other crimes in what authorities described as a scam that looted more than $85,0000 in public money.
The allegations by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman were first reported by The Post yesterday.
Schneiderman is also looking into whether Holmes paid off Wills and the other officials to help finance his nonprofit, the source said.
The other council members being eyed are Queens Democrats Leroy Comrie and Mark Weprin, along with state Sen. James Sanders (DQueens), an excouncilman.
Wills said, “My office has not been contacted by the Attorney General’s Office pertaining to this matter, but if and when we are, we plan to fully cooperate.”
A Sanders aide, Greg Shapiro, said Sanders “funded the program after full vetting by the City Council.”
Weprin said he didn’t know Holmes, and last year “rescinded funding for the group when I was informed that there was a problem with its finances.”
Comrie said the probe was “not something for me to be concerned about.”
Sally Goldenberg