'My Time Is Precious, Judge. What Is Your Question?'

His time is precious? It's not as if this joker has a real job.

A rude, testy Eliot Spitzer blasted his successor's administration while being grilled about the Troopergate scandal, newly released records show.

Spitzer was terse, combative - and seemingly forgetful - in his October sitdown with Inspector General Joseph Fisch to discuss leaks about the Public Integrity Commission's probe of his administration.

Fisch has accused commission Executive Director Herbert Teitelbaum of violating state ethics law by leaking information about the Troopergate probe to a Spitzer aide.

Troopergate refers to accusations that Spitzer aides used the state police to try to smear former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno.

Four Spitzer aides were cited for ethics violations. Some investigators believe Spitzer was aware of the smear attempt.

Spitzer, a former attorney general and the self-proclaimed "Sheriff of Wall Street," answered a lot of questions with "I don't recall" or "I don't remember."

He also seemed to lose his patience with his interrogator. At one point, the disgraced governor cut Fisch off, complaining, "My time is precious, judge. What is your question?"

Spitzer, who accused the Paterson administration of leaking personal e-mails, said he was considering filing an ethics violation against the Paterson administration "for whom you work."

For a guy who unleashed the dogs of war upon Joe Bruno to be complaining about leaks takes a special set of stones.

Spitzer should consider himself fortunate to not be in prison for what he's done.

Slinking off into obscurity would be a good idea.

How Convenient: Demoted Figure in Spitzer Dirty Tricks Scandal Gets Mystery Promotion

We won't yet call this witness tampering, but it sure stinks to high heaven.

We will, however, call it business as usual with the ethically-challenged Spitzer administration.

TOP aides to Gov. Spitzer have secretly promoted a central figure in the Dirty Tricks Scandal who was demoted last summer after his involvement was revealed, The Post has learned.

The unannounced promotion of William Howard, Spitzer's former homeland-security advisor and liaison to the State Police, occurred this month, although Howard is expected to testify in connection with several scandal-related investigations.

The promotion, to acting chief of staff of the Homeland Security Office, was approved around the same time a top scandal investigator with ties to Spitzer was secretly granted a hefty pay raise after only a few months on the job.

"Howard's promotion is startling, because it looks like it is part of a pattern designed to influence the [scandal] investigation," said a Spitzer-administration source.

Howard was demoted from his $175,900-a-year post last July after Attorney General Andrew Cuomo confirmed The Post's disclosure that top Spitzer aides had used the State Police in a plot to damage Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, the governor's chief Republican opponent.

Howard's pay was cut to $155,000 a year, and he was transferred from the Governor's Office at the state Capitol to a secondary post at the Homeland Security Office.

He is expected to receive "a significant raise," a source added.

News of the promotion was all "the buzz" at a homeland-security forum held last week by the state's Business Council. His new title appeared on the list of speakers.

Howard could not be reached for comment.

Naturally. Though I'm sure he could easily be reached when Spitzer needs a favor.

With Democrats running the show in New York, expect them to simply try and milk the clock on this. If only some other media outlets outside of the New York Post would pay any attention (looking at you, NY Times), this might get somewhere.

His promotion comes just weeks after Herbert Teitelbaum, executive director of the Spitzer-controlled Public Integrity Commission, which is probing the scandal, was granted a $15,000-a-year raise and time to take a 21/2-week South American vacation after only a few months on the job.

Last October, Darren Dopp, a key scandal figure suspended in the wake of the Cuomo report, was hired at increased pay and, according to sources, with Spitzer's approval, by lobbyist Patricia Lynch.

A few weeks later, Teitelbaum's commission said Dopp, the governor's former communications director, may have committed perjury when he released what Spitzer claimed was a sworn statement about the scandal.

It must be great to have that D after your name.

Spitzer Investigator Leaves for Argentina

The Eliot Spitzer follies continue, as the man appointed to head the investigation into the Dirty Tricks Scandal has headed south for a few weeks, this after getting a secret pay raise.

How convenient.

THE man supposedly leading a key state probe of Gov. Spitzer and the Dirty Tricks Scandal has abruptly taken a 21/2-week vacation in South America - after secretly receiving a $15,000 pay raise, The Post has learned.

Recently hired Public Integrity Commission Executive Director Herbert Teitelbaum's extended vacation in Argentina has left stunned commission employees questioning his commitment to a probe aimed at determining if Spitzer and his aides broke the law by using the State Police in an effort to politically damage Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer.)

"People can't believe Teitelbaum just took off in the middle of the investigation," said a source close to the commission.

"This is the biggest scandal in a generation, and he leaves in the middle of the investigation, before the governor has undergone questioning?"

Teitelbaum, a longtime Manhattan lawyer with close ties to Spitzer's aides, was named in mid-July by another Spitzer appointee, commission Chairman John Feerick, as the $140,000-a-year head of the Ethics Commission.

He was then appointed to head the Public Integrity Commission in October, after the Ethics and Lobbying commissions merged into the new entity, with Feerick again as chair.

It's unclear if Teitelbaum has earned enough vacation and personal leave days to have 2½ weeks' paid time off.

Commission spokesman Walter Ayres contended that Teitelbaum was hired with the understanding that he would take a long vacation in December and said he would take unpaid leave, if necessary.

Ayres also claimed Teitelbaum was able to do his job from Argentina since "he's in contact almost on a daily basis."

But a second commission source insisted, "The whole place is adrift."

Massive conflict of interest anyone?

Not only is there a conflict of interest, there's also a curious lack of interest in this story outside of the New York Post, other than a passing mention here.

We're certainly not hinting there's anything nefarious about Teitelbaum taking a vacation supposedly planned long in advance, but this does add to the ever-growing suspicion of a cover-up in this case and that nothing will ever come of the investigation, especially since Spitzer and his aides have been stonewalling from day one.

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