The city's finance commissioner is under investigation for having a romantic relationship with a subordinate whose salary more than doubled in three years.

It's the third time in the last few weeks that Commissioner Martha Stark is at the center of an ethics controversy. In a statement, she denies having a personal relationship with any subordinate. Last month, Stark quickly resigned from the board a New York based real estate concern, when it came to light she was paid by the company. Stark and her agency also came under scrutiny when the city investigators concluded that the husband of a top Stark aid improperly billed the agency for compensation he had not earned. Investigators asked for an independent audit, but Commissioner Stark dismissed their findings and said the employee in question was cleared to work from home. It's too soon to tell if the latest allegations will be the third strike that forces out the beleaguered finance commissioner from a Bloomberg Administration that's in re-election mode.