On the same day that Anthony Weiner announced his candidacy for mayor with a video, a new poll revealed that more New Yorkers believe the former congressman should not run.

When asked if Weiner should run for mayor, 49 percent said he should not and 38 percent said he should, according to the Quinnipiac University poll released early Wednesday morning. The same question last month returned slightly more favorable responses for Weiner: 44 percent said he shouldn’t run and 41 percent said he should.

Weiner still trails only City Council Speaker Christine Quinn among the Democratic candidates. Quinn leads with 25 percent of support from voters, Weiner follows with 15 percent, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and former Comptroller Bill Thompson are tied with 10 percent, Comptroller John Liu holds 6 percent of support and former Councilman Sal Albanese has 2 percent.

Twenty-seven percent are undecided, according to the poll.

While Quinn still holds a strong lead, her support has dropped from 28 percent last month.

“With former Congressman Anthony Weiner seeking the Democratic nod, it still looks like Council Speaker Christine Quinn against the guys,” said Maurice Carroll, director of Quinnipiac’s Polling Institute. “But where she once was brushing up against the magic 40 percent number that could get her past a runoff, the wear and tear of the campaign, and possibly the addition of Weiner, are taking a toll on the front-runner.

“This poll says there’s a runoff. It just doesn’t say who’s in the runoff,” Carroll said.

The poll also found that former MTA Chairman Joe Lhota would lose to any Democratic candidate by 61 to 13 percent in a general election.

There is more support for a candidate who would create an inspector general for the NYPD, the poll found. Forty-five percent said they would vote for a candidate who favors an inspector general, 18 percent said they would not, and 32 percent said it would not affect their vote.

The poll surveyed 1,082 New York City voters from May 14-20 with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

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City Comptroller John Liu’s former campaign treasurer and former fundraiser were found guilty on Thursday for their roles in a scheme to illegally funnel money into Liu’s campaign.

Liu, who was not charged, said on Thursday that he was “deeply saddened” by the verdict but that he would continue with his run for mayor, the New York Times reported.

Though the scandal has raised questions about how much Liu knew about the scheme, he said on Thursday, “I have nothing to hide. I have a clear conscience.”

His two associated were charged more than a year ago with scheming to use straw donors to raise money and obtain matching funds from the city.

Xing Wu “Oliver” Pan, a former fundraiser, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and attempted wire fraud.

Ex-campaign treasurer Jia “Jenny” Hou was acquitted of conspiracy but convicted of attempting wire fraud, obstruction of justice and lying to federal agents.

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A federal prosecutor says City Comptroller John Liu had to have known that two of his associates conducted the straw donor scheme that landed them in handcuffs.

Manhattan US Attorney Justin Anderson told jurors on Tuesday that secret recordings prove that Liu’s fundraiser Xing Wu “Oliver” Pan used code words to tell his boss that $16,000 in contributions actually came from a businessman named Richard Kong, the New York Post reports.

Kong was an undercover FBI agent.

“You know from the assurances that Mr. Pan gave ‘Richard’ that it would defeat the whole purpose of the straw-donor scheme if the candidate doesn’t know where the money’s coming from,” Anderson told the jury.

Anderson’s statements were part of the closing arguments at the trial of Pan and Liu’s campaign treasurer Jia “Jenny” Hou. The two were arrested separately more than a year ago and are accused of using straw donors to funnel money into Liu’s campaign.

The prosecutor said Liu knew that the money collected at an August 2011 fundraiser came from “Richard Kong.”

“When I say it’s your event, John Liu knows what that means. He knows that it’s your money,” Anderson read from a transcript recorded by the undercover agent.

Hou also knew the “code” and was in on the scheme, Anderson added.

Liu has not been charged in the case. A lawyer for Liu said there is no evidence that proves the comptroller knew of any wrongdoing connected to the campaign, according to the Post.

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City comptroller and mayoral candidate John Liu said he opposes the idea of an inspector general for the NYPD, reversing his position on the proposal.

“The more I think about it, the less sense it makes,” Liu told the Wall Street Journal. “I don’t support it.”

Liu has reversed his position on the issue in less than a week, the Journal reports. The comptroller’s campaign told the Journal last week in an email that he supports the proposal for an inspector general.

He said Monday that he believes an inspector general would be a “distraction” and that the real problem is the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy, which he promises to abolish.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, another candidate for mayor, endorsed the bill last week.

Liu’s new stance puts him on the side of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Republican candidates for mayor. The other major Democratic contenders – Quinn, Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio and former Comptroller Bill Thompson – support the bill.

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Comptroller John Liu announced his candidacy for mayor on the steps of City Hall on Sunday – and then announced it all over again for an overflow crowd of hundreds who had clamored to be let through the gates.

Surrounded by a multicultural coalition brandishing signs that represented all five boroughs, Liu said he would create opportunities for New Yorkers.

“I proudly announce that I am running to be mayor of the city of New York, because this is a city that makes a promise to us, that every single New Yorker has a chance to succeed,” he said. “And I’m going to make damn sure that promise is fulfilled.”

Liu said he would halt the closures of underperforming schools and the controversial NYPD practice of stop-and frisk. Rather than a mayor of the proverbial one percent, he said, he would be a “mayor of the 100 percent.”

“This can’t be a city of the rich and poor, of them and us,” he said. “New York needs to be one city. One city where we take care of the needy and take on the greedy.”

His appearance at City Hall was only one stop in a whirlwind tour that had already seen him hit four of the five boroughs by 3 p.m., with stops in the Bronx planned for later that night.

With his candidacy now official, Liu joins a field of Democrats that includes his predecessor as comptroller, Bill Thompson; City Council Speaker Christine Quinn; and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.

If elected, Liu will be the city’s first Asian-American mayor. A large contingent of Taiwanese-Americans was in attendance to cheer on his announcement.

The announcement comes amid an ongoing investigation into Liu’s campaign finances, with two of his former aides set to go on trial next month for conspiracy to commit fraud.

Follow Metro New York on Twitter @metronewyork

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City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is leading among the Democratic contenders for mayor by a huge margin, with more support than her three biggest challengers combined, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll.

Quinn has the support of 37 percent of registered Democrats, inching closer to the 40 percent she needs to avoid a runoff election.

Public Advocate Bill De Blasio follows with 14 percent, former Comptroller Bill Thompson has 11 percent and City Comptroller John Liu has 9 percent. Twenty seven percent are undecided.

The Quinnipiac survey also found that more New Yorkers are comfortable with a woman, an African-American, a Hispanic-American, an Asian-American, a gay or lesbian or someone married to a gay or lesbian as mayor than are comfortable with a business executive as mayor.

Quinn leads Republican candidate and former MTA Chairman Joe Lhota 69 percent to 19 percent, according to the poll.

Voters also said they do not know enough about the Republican candidates to form an opinion.

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City comptroller and mayoral hopeful John Liu put out a press release Thursday announcing his rejection of a contract for a homeless shelter in the Bronx.

The city reportedly only heard of the decision via the release, according to reports from the Daily News, prompting angry condemnation from Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs, who accused Liu of political opportunism.

Gibbs reportedly called Liu’s actions “an irresponsible and blatant attempt to advance his political ambitions,” the Daily News reported.

Liu’s office claimed the city was notified prior to sending the press release.

In the release, Liu criticized the Bloomberg administration, referring to “City Hall’s failed record on homeless policy” and alleging that emergency shelters have been overly concentrated in “certain neighborhoods.”

The release also quoted Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.: “This administration has worked to force this contract to completion and has used fraudulent means to reach that goal, blatantly ignoring the input of the community and its representatives,” Diaz said in the release.

The Daily News noted that Liu can only stop the contract if he can prove corruption or a lack of funds.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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