Former Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari, and an ally of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will throw his political weight behind a lawsuit to overturn a new city law that extends term limits, a published report said.
Molinari, a Republican, said he will be the lead plaintiff in the civil action against Mayor Bloomberg, who sought to extend term limits from two four-year terms to three, the Staten Island Advance said. The lawsuit is expected to be filed in Brooklyn Federal Court Tuesday.
The lawsuit has more than a dozen plaintiffs who oppose the term limits bill, including Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum; and the New York Public Interest Research Group.
Last week, Bloomberg signed into law the controversial bill that will allow him to run for a third term in office.
The bill-signing ceremony at City Hall drew dozens of New Yorkers who disagree with the way Bloomberg and the City Council quickly approved the law change.
The critics say voters should decided the issue through a referendum. Voters twice approved term limits in the 1990s.
Bloomberg announced just weeks ago that he wanted another four years, arguing that the city needs him to stay on and manage its finances through the economic downturn. The council held two hearings and narrowly passed the law.
