Every lawmaker needs allies - except when those allies threaten to drag you down with stunning misdeeds.
The arrest of Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio on federal corruption charges Wednesday could weaken the campaign of the Democrat's longtime friend and Albany ally, state Sen. Serphin Maltese, political observers said.
Seminerio - who was nabbed peddling influence for cash in an undercover FBI probe - has long been known in political circles for rallying Democratic votes for Maltese, a GOP veteran locked in a fierce race against Democratic City Councilman Joseph Addabbo.
Seminerio even boasted of his support for Maltese in an interview with the Daily News last month, during which he claimed to head an ad hoc group known as Democrats for Maltese.
Seminerio's politicking prowess has been valuable to Maltese because Seminerio's 38th Assembly District includes parts of Richmond Hill, Glendale and Ozone Park - neighborhoods also in Maltese's 15th Senate District.
As word of Seminerio's arrest spread this week, Team Addabbo was quick to point out the significance to its campaign to unseat Maltese, who is playing defense in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2 to 1.
"Seminerio was a pretty influential Democrat who Maltese needed to deliver Democratic votes," Addabbo spokeswoman Alexis Grenell told the Daily News. "So if Maltese needs Democratic votes to win, this is going to hurt."
Maltese blasted the Addabbo camp for discussing the Seminerio arrest with The News on the anniversary of 9/11, though Grenell was responding to an inquiry made the day before.
"I'd be critical...of them engaging in what I consider dirty politics and throwing their friend and fellow Democrat Tony Seminerio under the bus," Maltese said.
Maltese downplayed Seminerio's ability to secure Democratic votes for him, arguing that he has crossover appeal.
"The average Democrat in this Senate District is a traditional, family moral-values Democrat," he said. "Ultimately, that's why they're comfortable with me as a Republican/Conservative and they were comfortable with Tony Seminerio."
Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf challenged Maltese's logic.
"This is about raw political power and who can deliver votes," Sheinkopf said. "If it's about family values, then Maltese really is in trouble because one of his major endorsers is under federal [charges]."
Other political pundits agreed that Seminerio's arrest hurts Maltese but disagreed on whether the impact will be far-reaching.
"Not having Seminerio will hurt him, but I don't think to the extent predicted by his opponent," said Democratic consultant George Arzt.
He reasoned that Seminerio's arrest deprives Maltese of an asset in attracting votes from newcomers to the district, a potentially decisive voting block that is largely ethnic and more likely to vote Democrat.
"It will have some effect in a very, very close race," Arzt added, noting that in 2006, Maltese came within some 800 votes of losing to Albert Baldeo, a Democratic insurgent who ran without party backing.
