Dan Halloran

Daniel J. Halloran III (born March 16, 1971) is a former member of the New York City Council. He was the first adherent of Theodism ever elected to the council and one of the first neo-Pagans to hold an elected office in the US.

Personal life Halloran was raised in a "traditional Irish household" and was a karaoke host and an attorney prior to running for office. He earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from St. John's University Law School and a B.A. in history and anthropology from the City University of New York. He worked in the New York City Police Department and several District Attorneys' offices before entering private practice as a lawyer in a firm with offices in Queens and Long Island.

City Council service Halloran was elected to the New York City Council from the 19th district, in Queens, on November 3, 2009, succeeding Tony Avella, who made a failed bid to become the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City. He was endorsed by the Republican, Libertarian, Independence and Conservative parties. He represented nearly 200,000 residents. In September 2010, he was named one of City Hall'''s "40 under 40" for being a young influential member of New York City politics.

Halloran sat on the Fire & Criminal Justice, Public Safety, Land Use (including Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses sub-committee), Public Housing, and Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services committees.

Political views Halloran is a registered Republican, a fiscal conservative and libertarian. He opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ObamaCare"). where he discussed matters ranging from healthcare reform to government spending, off-shore oil exploration, and other conservative and libertarian principles.

He was purportedly asked to run for U.S. Congress in the 2010 election cycle in the 5th District of New York by Republican, Libertarian, and Conservative leaders. Despite being courted by the NRCC and Representative Peter T. King to run, he withdrew from consideration, citing the economic crisis in the New York City and state budgets and the need to set the city's finances in order before he could consider taking on a run for any other office.

Dan Halloran became the first elected official in New York City to publicly criticize the Park51 (Cordoba House) project near Ground Zero of the World Trade Center site, stating, "If we want a nation of peace... then peace comes with understanding. And they need to understand that this is sacred ground to New Yorkers." "New York City is the greatest city in the world [a place of religious tolerance, but that tolerance] starts when you say 'I understand your pain, and I am not going to inflict more on you.'

Allegation of work slowdown Halloran attracted widespread attention when he stated that five municipal employees had told him of a slowdown in clearing snow following the December 2010 North American blizzard in New York City. The slowdown was allegedly organized to put Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a bad light. His comments precipitated multiple investigations.

In its final report on the alleged slowdown, the New York City Department of Investigation said During the days following the December 26th blizzard, Councilman Daniel Halloran alleged in the newspapers and on television that DSNY personnel had staged and executed a slowdown. His allegations about a slowdown became a City, national and international story; investigations and hearings ensued. However, the statements given to DOI by Mr. Halloran were strongly disputed by the two DOT personnel Mr. Halloran said he spoke with about a slowdown, and Mr. Halloran asserted attorney-client privilege as to three other workers he said he spoke with from DSNY. In toto, Mr. Halloran’s information about City employee statements contributed no actual evidence about a possible slowdown. The Village Voice described Halloran as "America's First Elected Heathen"; another Reconstructionist Neopagan adherent, Jessica Orsini (who is Hellenic), had previously been elected to the city council of Centralia, Missouri in 2006.

Halloran's religion became an issue during his campaign for a City Council seat after it was revealed that he was an adherent of Theodism. On his group's website, Halloran offered the following descriptions of his beliefs: "We believe in and honor the Gods and Goddesses of the North, spirits of the land, and the memories of our ancestors" Odin, Tyr and Freyr are among the deities worshipped by the group. Halloran also stated that "It is our hope to reconstruct the pre-Christian religion of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European peoples, within a cultural framework and community environment." When asked about his beliefs, Halloran said, "I was raised a Roman Catholic The Village Voice'' reported on Halloran's two years in office in the paper's November 30 – December 6, 2011 edition in a report entitled "America's Top Heathen". The report pointed out that when Halloran was elected in an off-year campaign, he was the "'First Atheling' or prince, of his own Theodish tribe, called New Normandy. He had 'thralls' who swore their allegiance to him... he led his flock, about 100 people at its height, in their polytheistic celebration of the gods". However, on election night, November 4, 2009, Halloran thanked his law partner, promising, "The next time you give me advice to take a website down, I'll do it", referring to the now defunct New Normandy website, which had contained "images of Halloran in medieval garb, hoisting drinking horns and other regalia that he [Halloran] had apparently found embarrassing." He was also designated by the Libertarian Party at their state convention in April 2012.

In the November 2012 general election, he lost to the Democratic candidate, Grace Meng.

In September 2014 the Federal Election Commission notified the Halloran 2012 committee of its decision to seek administrative termination of the dormant committee.

Conviction for political corruption On April 2, 2013, Halloran was arrested along with Democratic New York State Senator Malcolm Smith, Bronx Republican Party Chairman Joseph J. Savino, Queens Republican Party Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin, and Spring Valley Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret, on federal corruption charges. The complaint by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the New York FBI field office alleged that Smith attempted to secure a spot on the Republican ballot in the 2013 New York City mayoral election through a complex scheme involving the bribery of several county Republican Party leaders in New York City. As part of the scheme, Halloran allegedly facilitated the Smith bribes and also accepted over $18,000 in cash from an undercover agent and a cooperating witness. On May 1, 2013, Halloran announced that he would not seek re-election for his City Council seat.

On July 29, 2014, Halloran was convicted of taking bribes, orchestrating payoffs, and participating in the scheme to help Democrat Smith to run for mayor on the 2013 ballot as a Republican. He was convicted both of acting as a liaison between Smith and Republican Party officials and of taking at least $15,000 in bribes for designating about $80,000 in New York City funds to a nonprofit entity, allowing the money to be embezzled through a no-show job.

On March 4, 2015, Halloran was sentenced to ten years in prison for the bribery conviction and automatically disbarred from the practice of law.

His convictions have been upheld by both the Southern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

In 2020 the Federal Bureau of Prisons granted an early release to Halloran amid concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

2025 arrest for Child Sexual Abuse Material possession According to an affidavit by a Homeland Security Investigations agent, a customs inspection of Halloran's iPhone at Miami International Airport revealed a folder with over a thousand files that including several videos depicting sexual abuse of prepubescent children. Searches also discovered his conversations on Telegram messenger with an individual selling files. The affidavit states that Halloran confessed to ownership of the iPhone and the child sexual abuse material on it. A grand jury later indicted Halloran on charges of possession and transportation of child pornography.