Ethics Newsline®

Had Eliot Spitzer not resigned over prostitute scandal, press reports say he could have faced probe over campaign against political foe

ALBANY, N.Y.
Yet another ethics story involving disgraced New York governor Eliot Spitzer emerged from Albany last week — this time, a claim by prosecutors that if Spitzer had not resigned in the wake of a prostitution scandal, he would have faced a grand jury probe over a political smear campaign.

According to the Reuters news agency, the district attorney’s office in Albany was investigating Spitzer’s role in the release of embarrassing information about Spitzer’s bitter rival, Senate Republican leader Joe Bruno.

Spitzer, a Democrat, repeatedly denied that he ordered an aide to release travel records that purported to show that Bruno misused state vehicles to transport him to Republican Party functions. But according to the Associated Press, a continuation of the probe has uncovered evidence that Spitzer indeed ordered the information released in an attempt to embarrass his rival.

The Albany Times Union reports that Spitzer’s former communications director, Darren Dopp, now says Spitzer sanctioned the release of the records but did so in an outburst that left no doubt that Spitzer was seeking personal and political revenge against Bruno.

New York radio station WNYC says the district attorney has declined to prosecute Spitzer, saying that the main element of the probe was malfeasance by a public official currently in office, but Bruno asserts that the case should go to court and has called on the new governor, David Paterson, to review the incident and take “appropriate action” against Spitzer and others involved.

The probe also centered on whether Spitzer inappropriately used New York State Police personnel to gather information about Bruno’s travels.

Spitzer, who resigned on March 12, had made his political reputation as a champion of ethics who prosecuted skullduggery on Wall Street.

Sources: AP, Mar. 29 — WNYC, Mar. 29 — Albany Times Union, Mar. 29 — Reuters, Mar. 28.

For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Mar. 24 — Related Newsline Commentary, Mar. 17 — Related Newsline story, Mar. 17 — Related Newsline story, Jan. 16, 2007 — Related Newsline story, Feb. 7, 2005.