NYC councilman claims ‘disgraced’ ex-Queens GOP honchos plotting to help Dem win his seat

A term-limited Queens pol claims a political operative is conspiring with “disgraced” ex-honchos of the borough’s Republican machine to help a Democrat win his City Council seat — at the expense of two candidates he’s backing.

Councilman Robert Holden‘s hackles were raised when Paul Pogozelski, a Democrat running for the Middle Village seat, tapped Robert Hornak, the former executive director of the Queens County Republican Party, to work as a campaign consultant. 

Holden, a moderate Dem, is backing two staffers from his district office in the race — Republican Alicia Vaichunas and Democrat Phil Wong — but he claimed Pogozelski is telling voters that Holden endorsed him.

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“Paul Pogozelski is clearly operating from the dirty playbook crafted by the disgraced former members of the Queens Republican machine — lying about endorsements, attacking the character of residents, and taking credit for accomplishments he had nothing to do with,” Holden said.

“Now he’s brought one of its chief architects, Robert Hornak, directly into his campaign — an operative closely tied to former public officials with corruption issues and some who served prison time.”  

Hornak was a top Queens GOP honcho more than decade ago when then-vice chairman Vincent Tabone and then-City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens) were nabbed by the feds for masterminding a failed $200,000 bribery scheme to get then-Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith the Republican line in 2013 mayoral election. 

Hornak was never charged with wrongdoing, but the three other pols did jail time after a White Plains federal jury found Halloran guilty of bribery charges in 2014 and Tabone and Smith guilty a year later.

Halloran now faces additional prison time after authorities at Miami International Airport busted him Monday with hundreds of child sex abuse videos on his phone .

Other competitors in the race include Democrat Dermot Smyth, a longtime strategist for the United Federation of Teachers backed by Borough President Donovan Richards; and Republican Jonathan Rinaldi, a prolific “unvaccinated” sperm donor known as “The Sperminator” who has fathered at least 12 children.

Pogozelski said he paid Hornak’s consulting firm Lexington Public Affairs $3,000 in January but added they “parted ways …. less than a month” into the campaign.

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“Councilmember Holden’s statements are false and a reflection of how he has conducted business in the district,” he said.

“I’m a moderate Democrat with traditional values. I’m here to bring new leadership to the district. My grassroots campaign is gaining support in Holden’s backyard, so it’s clear people are looking for a new face in local government.

Hornak also shot back at Holden, saying he should explain his “close relationship” with former Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Queens), who resigned in disgrace as the city’s buildings commissioner in 2022 after being charged in a massive bribery-scheme case.

“Apparently, Bob Holden doesn’t understand the forewarning about not throwing stones when you live in glass houses or spinning false accusations of guilt based on past associations,” he said.

“And conspiring with members of the GOP is exactly what Bob did in 2017 when he crawled to the Queens GOP for their line after being rejected by the Democrats in his district in that year’s primary.”