Council health chair’s ‘smoke’ and mirrors

Anti-cig pol ‘lit up in office’

The City Council’s Health Committee chairman, the sponsor of several anti-tobacco laws, regularly smoked cigarettes at the city’s legislative office building, according to government sources who witnessed the smoky backroom behavior.

Councilman Corey Johnson (DManhattan) would even illegally light up inside his office on the 18th floor of 250 Broadway, said one well-placed council source who described a “fraternity-like” atmosphere.

“He’s, like, smoking with his guys in the council office, they are making jokes,” the source said, adding, “It was very upsetting to see this.”

Two other council sources said they’ve seen Johnson smoke cigarettes on a small outside balcony off to the side of a stairwell.

“He propped the door open and he would step out there,” one council source said. “You could smell whenever he was smoking because all the cigarette smoke would waft into the building . . .I used to smell cigarette smoke pretty frequently. People would be like, ‘Oh, Corey’s smoking again!’ ”

The three sources haven’t seen Johnson smoke at the building in a long while. By then, Johnson had emerged as one of the leading contenders for council speaker.

Smoking has been banned in most city workplaces since 2003, including 250 Broadway, where each council member has an office.

Smoking on the balcony is allowed.

Johnson’s office denied the smoking gun — or anything else.

“Council member Johnson has never once smoked in his office. The very notion is ridiculous,” said Johnson’s chief of staff, Erik Bottcher, said. “This was clearly made up by someone with ulterior motives.”

Johnson has previously bemoaned an up-and-down relationship with nicotine.

“I’ve quit, then I’ve gone back, and then I’ve quit, and then I’ve gone back,” Johnson said on April 19 while, alongside Mayor de Blasio, announcing new legislation to curb smoking. “It was easier for me to quit drinking and using illegal drugs than it has been for me to quit smoking.”

He added that he was up front about his problem because otherwise “that would be hypocritical and dishonest.”

Johnson has sponsored six bills signed by the mayor that regulate smoking, including one law that increased the minimum price of a pack of cigarettes in the city from $10.50 to $13.

“It’s hypocritical,” one council source said of Johnson’s behavior.