New York City Controller John Liu jokes his nickname is “embattled candidate.” Even though he hasn’t officially declared his candidacy in the New York mayoral race, he’s largely expected to run.
This week a trial begins for two key players in Liu’s camp. Liu’s ex-campaign treasurer, Jia “Jenny” Hou, and former Liu fundraiser Xing “Oliver” Wu Pan. Both face federal charges and are accused of using straw donors to bypass campaign contribution limits, reports Northwest Asian Weekly via the Associated Press.
As one political analyst puts it, the trial is “not the kind of attention that you want when your campaign is trying to get its grounding,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “The saving grace is: Presumably it ends, and maybe he’s able to turn the page and move on.”
Northwest Asian Weekly looks at whether Liu will have to testify at the trial and the impact this might have on his campaign.