By Phil Corso
Already under federal indictment, embattled City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) denied new allegations that he was meeting clients inside his taxpayer-funded district office to conduct business — a punishable act under city law.
The councilman launched the Halloran Law P.C. firm earlier this summer via halloranlaw.org and originally listed the practice at 166-06 24th Road in Whitestone, which is actually an Allstate Insurance Co. address next door to his current district office.
The firm’s website went live two months after Halloran was arrested on federal corruption charges April 2 accusing him of using bribery in an attempt to get state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Hollis) into the mayoral race as a Republican.
Spokesman Victor Mimoni said Halloran is of counsel to the firm Palmieri, Castiglione & Nightingale, which leased office space at the Whitestone address before he was a candidate for office.
“The law firm did not fully end its presence at that address, which shares an entryway and backyard with the district office address, until July of this year,” the spokesman said. “The Council member admits that he neglected to update a stale address on his website for a matter of days, until it was brought to his attention.”
Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) said she would be looking into the allegations and referring the case to the city Conflict of Interest Board, District Attorney Richard Brown and city Department of Investigation, piling on to a growing list of Halloran investigations.
Because taxpayers fund Halloran’s district office, he is prohibited from using it to make any personal or professional profits, Quinn said.
Halloran’s website was updated after published reports said Allstate workers were redirecting some confused clients next door to the councilman’s district office. The site was changed to say his practice was formerly at the Whitestone address and could be reached only by mail via 250 Mineola Blvd. in Mineola, L.I., where the Palmieri, Castiglione & Nightingale practice is located.
“Because he is from the neighborhood, the law firm chose to locate an office there, he chose to locate his district office there and numerous constituents chose to seek his legal representation,” Mimoni said. “Constituents do not lose their right to be represented in the City Council because they hire a Council member as an attorney. Council member Halloran arranged his affairs to make it simple and easy to keep his legal and Council activities separate, as required by law.”
A client of Halloran’s told the New York Post he had been meeting with the lawyer at his district office, but changed his story after published reports went viral. The councilman denied he was conducting business meetings in his district office and proclaimed his innocence — just as he did with his federal charges as well.
“This scurrilous allegation is based on half-truths and the exploitation of well-meaning private citizens who don’t have to be aware of legal technicalities which bind attorneys and elected officials,” Mimoni said.
Aside from his federal corruption charges, Halloran was also accused earlier this year of having affairs with former members of his Council staff, which also prompted an ongoing ethics probe.
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
