In May 1993, Hevesi began his second campaign for city comptroller. The primary election again featured a three-way race, with Holtzman, Hevesi, and Herman Badillo. Hevesi defeated Holtzman to secure the Democratic nomination, then Badillo, who contested the general election as fusion candidate of the Republican Party and Liberal Party. By December 1997, Hevesi enlisted the weight and soundness of his city's finances in the cause of forcing Swiss banks to meet the demands of the World Jewish Congress and other organizations then suing Swiss banks over Nazi-era bank balances the WJC said were owed to the heirs of victims of the Holocaust, joined eventually by both then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and then-Governor George Pataki. In his book on the subject, Norman Finkelstein called Hevesi "the godfather of Holocaust restitution sanctions." Hevesi recruited many other states' and municipalities' financial officers to put their powers in the service of this cause, at one point calling them to a conference in New York at which they discussed ways to coordinate their actions for maximum effect. Sanctions against Switzerland having seemed successful in securing the $1.25 billion (1999) settlement, Hevesi then brought the power of the ad hoc network he had constructed to bear on subsequent actions against Germany, Austria, and other countries, where its use was deemed successful in raising the amounts of the settlements. Hevesi served as New York City Comptroller from 1994 to 2002, when he was term-limited out of the office. He won his second term with a Liberal Party endorsement, after which former mayor David Dinkins declined to support him. State Comptroller In 2001, Hevesi sought the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York, running on the platform of "Most Experienced, Best Qualified". He finished fourth, behind Public Advocate Mark J. Green, Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, and New York City Council Speaker Peter Vallone. Hevesi was the Liberal Party nominee for mayor in the general election, but did not campaign, instead endorsing Green. Following his defeat in the mayor's race, Hevesi started his campaign for state comptroller, defeating William Mulrow in a primary, followed by Republican John Faso in the 2002 election. In November 2006, Hevesi was reelected as New York State Comptroller. On December 23, 2006, Hevesi pleaded guilty to a single felony, agreed to pay a fine of $5,000, and immediately resigned as comptroller. Controversies Commencement comments At a commencement address he delivered at Queens College