We Still Have Eliot Spitzer to Kick Around

The cesspool that is the New York Democratic Party seems to be engaged in one massive cover-up, and thanks to endless stonewalling, it appears we'll never get to full truth on the Troopergate scandal that engulfed the Spitzer administration long before Spitzer was forced from office over his dalliances with a prostitute.

Papers now released via a Freedom of Information request expose Albany DA David Soares as a total hack unwilling to seriously probe Spitzer and his goon squad that tried to set up State Senate GOP leader Joseph Bruno.

More than 8,500 pages of Dirty Tricks Scandal documents released yesterday by the Albany district attorney reveal kid-gloves treatment for then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer and little interest in aggressively pursuing criminal charges against any of his aides.

The documents, forced into the open by Freedom of Information requests filed by The Post and other news organizations, confirm earlier reports that Albany DA David Soares was reluctant to probe the explosive plot in which Spitzer's top aides used the State Police to gather purportedly damaging information against then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer.)

Spitzer received light and friendly questions with little, if any, follow up by Soares' office in September with his nonsworn testimony running only 22 pages, according to the documents.

Criminal investigator Linda Griggs warmly welcomed Spitzer to the questioning, saying, "Governor, we do appreciate your willingness and cooperation in helping us with our inquiry."

Spitzer responded, "It's my pleasure" to be there.

The tone of the interview was also sympathetic and unquestioning, as when Spitzer was asked, "Did you ever direct any type of surveillance by anyone on Senator Bruno?"

Spitzer responded, "Absolutely not," and there was no follow-up questioning.

But Darren Dopp, Spitzer's communications director, has repeatedly insisted, both publicly and in sworn testimony to the state Public Integrity Commission, that Spitzer was aware that his own top aides were using the State Police to orchestrate a campaign against Bruno.

In contrast to Soares' treatment of Spitzer, the commission - which last month accused four top Spitzer aides including Dopp of breaking the law - aggressively grilled the now-former governor under oath in May in testimony running 277 pages.

The commission also revealed that a top Soares aide secretly sought prior approval from Spitzer's office before releasing a statement on its supposed investigation.

Read the rest. Soares should be booted from office, at the very least.

Knowing New York State, he'll probably wind up as Attorney General some day.

What a joke.

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