City Comptroller Bill Thompson just released an audit that found the City Council under its previous speaker, Gifford Miller, violated the City Charter and its own internal regulations when it came to mailings, "spending $1.67 million for printing without entering into formal contracts,"

The report, which I haven't read yet in its entirety, is here.

This may be a quiet time when it comes to campaigning, but may also be the best time to get a new political company off the ground.

Earlier this month, 26-year-old lobbyist George Fontas founded New Gotham Strategies, LLC. Fontas said his campaign consulting gig will be completely separate from his current job at the lobbying firm, Capalino + Company.

Fontas managed Vinny Gentile’s general election in 2003, ran Gifford Miller’s field operation in South Brooklyn in 2005, and did some work on behalf of a 527 group trying to unseat a state Senator congressman upstate in 2006. So, what’s in store for 2009?

“The biggest concern is switching seats because a lot of that hasn’t shaken out yet,” Fontas told me. Which means plenty of behind-the-scenes work for consultants like him right now.

UPDATE: Fontas prefers to say he was "educating voters" during that 2006 race, rather than trying to"unseat" an elected official. There's more on that race over here.

Bill Thomson and Adolfo Carrion had a friendly chat during last night’s dinner for the Bronx Democratic County Organization at the Marina Del Rey.

At one point, I and two other reporters ran into Denny Farrell, who was hanging out with his daughter. He cheerily noted that earlier in the day he’d gotten another pro-congestion price mailing, making it three so far. “It must be good to be a billionaire,” he said. (The mayor, about whom Farrell was referring, has denied that he's providing any direct funding for the effort.) Then, Farrell rhetorically asked how many phone calls he’s gotten, smiled, and made a big zero with his fingers.

In introducing Christine Quinn, Assemblyman Jose Rivera, the county leader, said, “If I decide to go back to the City Council in ‘09, I want her to be my speaker again.”

Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz told me he won’t be in town when Sheldon Silver convenes his conference meeting in Manhattan on July 16.

Non-Bronx officials who made their way to the dinner include David Weprin, Melinda Katz and Simcha Felder - all comptroller candidates in 2009, Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, and state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Also floating around the room were former City Council Speaker Gifford Miller (no tie!) and Democratic Mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer.

And state Senator Efrain Gonzalez, who was indicted last year for misusing public money, was at the dinner before I arrived and stayed after I left, seemingly having a good time.  read more »

A reader passed on these fliers that were handed out over at the Gay Pride Parade this weekend. The fliers, which don't indicate who paid for them, highlight Christine Quinn's accomplishments in the LGBT community. I asked the Speaker's office where the fliers came from, and a spokesperson responded by telling me that they're given out every year.

Just for context -- and not to suggest a perfect analogy here -- it's worth remembering the controversy that ensnared Quinn's predecessor, Gifford Miller, in 2005 when he sent thinly-veiled campaign material into almost every Council district using taxpayer money. (It turned out to be a massive gift to his opponents.)

UPDATE: A Quinn spokesman tells Liz the fliers cost $54. The spokesman also notes that unlike the Gifford Miller fliers, these were relatively small in number and handed out in a non-election year. Which makes my comparing this to Miller’s mailing far-fetched, according to Liz.

She's an accomplished fund-raiser who most recently worked for one of Weiner's 2005 opponents, Gifford Miller. Of the many criticisms one could have made of Miller's mayoral run that year, the campaign's ability to raise money wasn't one of them. [link fixed]

Council members are said to have paid $35 a head for their staffers to attend the party, while lobbyists had to shell out $50.

If anyone has pictures of the festivities--lampshade shots would be great--please forward them on.

Hicks's recent New York stint ended somewhat unhappily: she was in charge of gathering petitions for Miller's 2005 mayoral campaign, allowing them to omit the salary and the cost of her operation from the list of expenditures that counted towards the campaign's overall spending limit. But when the Miller campaign publicly pointed out the campaign benefits of what she had done -- "We knocked on more than 150,000 doors of targeted primary voters to get their signatures and introduce them to Gifford" -- her role became one of a number of negative story lines that helped doom the campaign.

It sounds like Gioia's embracing the ideals (and cash) of Generation Engage, a non-profit co-founded by the young Rockefeller, and self-described as "a non-partisan effort aimed at raising the political profile of young adults."

Elizabeth Fine, General Counsel -worked in the Clinton White House

Maura Keaney, Deputy Chief of Staff -ran GOTV operations for Mike's re-election

Rob Newman, Legislative Director -Council staffer since 1999

Maria Alvarado, Press Secretary -council staffer since 2003 and worked on Miller's campaign