January 24, 2008 -- A longtime Bronx political operative has agreed to pay a $15,000 fine to settle charges that he used government resources for his private law practice while serving as chairman of the Civil Service Commission, officials said yesterday.

The settlement with Stanley Schlein, a behind-the-scenes fixture in city politics since the 1970s, was the largest ever recorded by the Conflicts of Interest Board.

Schlein admitted that he made more than 2,000 phone calls at his city office from January 2004 to September 2006 on matters unrelated to his part-time commission post.

People like this jerk are what is wrong with New York City's government. How is someone like Stanley even allowed to be appointed to a city position? This man is a disgrace. Knowing the type of person Stanley is, I'm sure he settled quickly because there was something more that had not been uncovered by the investigation. The $15,000 was probably a blessing.