The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched its latest ad in the 20th district special election Monday, alleging that state Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco (R) has ties to a convicted felon.

The 30-second spot charges that Tedisco voted against middle-class property tax relief during his 26 years in the state Legislature.

“But Tedisco DID help a wealthy mortgage executive convicted of millions in fraud … asking the judge to go easy on him,— an announcer in the spot says. “Then the convicted felon’s company became one of Tedisco’s top campaign contributors. That’s Jim Tedisco. Just another Albany politician.—

Meanwhile, the National Republican Congressional Committee released a new Web ad hitting Democratic nominee Scott Murphy, a venture capitalist, for saying he would have supported the stimulus bill that passed Congress, despite the fact that it contained a loophole that allowed for millions in bonuses to be paid to executives of insurance giant American International Group.

“No, I don’t have any regrets about saying I would vote for the stimulus,— the ad features Murphy saying.

The stimulus legislation has played a starring role in the closely watched and hard-fought battle to succeed now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in the House. Voters go to the polls one week from today to decide the contest, which is viewed as a tossup despite the fact that Republicans enjoy a voter registration advantage.

Also on Monday, Tedisco received the endorsement of Freda Solomon, the widow of former Rep. Jerry Solomon (R-N.Y.). Solomon represented what was then the 22nd district for 20 years until retiring in 1998.

As of the end of last week, the DCCC had spent $352,000 while the NRCC had dropped $553,000 in independent expenditures on the race.