Five weeks into a federal probe of City Council slush funds, Mayor Bloomberg revealed yesterday that he kept his own secret taxpayer-funded cash stash - and used it to reward favored lawmakers.
The mayor's $4.5 million slush fund had never before been made public - and some council members said they weren't even aware of it.
After being doled out to selected lawmakers, the money was passed along to dozens of nonprofit groups supported by legislators - including at least one with a checkered history.
The largest chunk, $1.9 million, went to Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), one of the mayor's most ardent supporters.
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who has publicly praised Bloomberg as the greatest mayor in city history, received $900,000 to help fund two popular concert series.
Councilman Erik Dilan (D-Brooklyn) won $100,000, including $60,000 for the North Brooklyn Community Council, which has come under question because it is run by his wife.
That was on top of the $187,000 he delivered to the group through the council over the past three years.
"They recognized that the North Brooklyn Community Council has done great things over the year," said Dilan spokesman Woody Pascal.
"There was no quid pro quo," Pascal added.
One source said seven out of the eight council members who received funds endorsed Bloomberg for re-election in 2005. Only Helen Sears of Queens did not.
Bloomberg's slush funds were channeled through various city agencies to 45 groups and weren't listed on the document released each year by the council that delineates how some $50 million in discretionary spending is allocated.
The U.S. Attorney's Office and the city Department of Investigation are investigating the council's use of slush funds - first revealed by The Post to be hidden under the names of nonexistent sham organizations.
In a memo to Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler conceded the process lacks transparency and "can create a mistaken impression that the Mayor's Office is funding its own 'member items.' This should be rectified."
In the future, Skyler said, the groups receiving the mayor's funds would be made public along with the council sponsors when the budget is adopted each June.
Bloomberg aides wouldn't reveal whether special grants had been made in prior years and said they are reviewing them.
The practice dates back at least to the Giuliani administration.
"I always believed it started as a way for the then-mayor to help the minority [Republican] delegation members," said Councilman James Oddo (R-Staten Island).
A spokesman for Markowitz said the borough president never requested the funds, but they had instead been sought by a nonprofit organization.
