Joe Bruno Guilty on Two Felony Counts

He's a Republican, so it'll be big news. No need to play name that party.

Former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, the Republican kingpin who became a symbol of New York's clubby political culture, was convicted Monday on two of eight felony federal corruption counts.

The long-awaited verdict sends an ominous warning to the entire Albany establishment.

An upstate jury of seven women and five men found Bruno guilty on two counts, acquitted him on five, and did not come to agreement on an eight.

Bruno was convicted of taking 11 payments from companies for consulting work he never performed.

He was also convicted on of failing to disclose his participation in a partnership involving thoroughbred race horses.

He faces up to 20 years in jail on each count when sentenced March 31.

Leaving the courthouse, a shaken Bruno promised an appeal.

"It goes without saying that I'm very very disappointed in the verdict that I just heard and the legal process is going to continue," Bruno said. "In my mind and in my heart, it is not over until it's over. And I think it's far from over."

Bruno was arch-enemy of Client No. 9, Eliot Spitzer, who unleashed the state police and his goons against Bruno in the Troopergate scandal. Spitzer was never held accountable for that egregious indiscretion and now spends his time giving ethics lectures at Harvard.

Now 80, it seems unlikely Bruno will be seeing any substantial jailtime, if any.

Mr. Bruno was released on his own recognizance. U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe declined requests by prosecutors that Mr. Bruno turn in his passport.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Pericak declined immediate comment.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 31. Defense lawyer William Dreyer said he would file a motion to dismiss the conviction and, if that fails, would appeal.

Prosecutors have said they want restitution but haven't calculated the precise amount, or the potential prison term. Authorities initially said he could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

Last week Democrat State Senator Hiram Monserratte was given probation and a minor fine for the beating of his girlfriend so considering Bruno's offenses and age, a fine seems likely.

No Need to Name That Party: Top NY GOPer Indicted

If Joseph Bruno were a Democrat, you'd probably have to scour around to find his party affiliation. No need here. Eliot Spitzer was hot to destroy Bruno before he destroyed his own career, so somewhere he's probably smiling a bit today, in between bouts of remorse and heavy drinking. Spitzer somehow doesn't merit a mention in the story.

A federal grand jury today indicted former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, accusing him of eight counts of public corruption.

Bruno is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate at 1:30 p.m. today. Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew T. Baxter has scheduled a press conference for 2:30 p.m.

The 35-page indictment of Bruno was unsealed and filed in federal court sometime after noon.

Bruno, who reigned for years as one of the most powerful lawmakers in New York, is charged with using his office to deprive the public of the honest services of government.

Today's indictment marks the culmination of a three-year FBI investigation into the shadowy public and private dealings of the Brunswick Republican who rose through the ranks of state government and became one of the Capital Region's most iconic political leaders.

Bruno, 79, retired from his state Senate seat in July after 32 years in the post.

The investigation had dogged Bruno during the last two years of his political career as information surfaced publicly about the FBI's deep foray into his real-estate dealings, investments, political decisions and his ownership and breeding of thoroughbred horses. Bruno's ties to labor unions, and his secretive work as a private business consultant for an unknown number of private clients, including a Connecticut investment firm, were at the heart of the probe.

Read the rest.

The New York GOP has virtually ceased to exist, but you can be sure this merits plenty of attention from the media.

Via Ace's headlines.

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.

Instapundit links. Thanks!

Spitzer Goons Face Ethics Charges

After noting earlier today how Eliot Spitzer's hooker was back in the news, I was wondering what Eliot and his former henchpersons were up to.

Well, what do you know, we now find out four of his goons are now facing ethics charges for trying to railroad GOP Senate Leader Joe Bruno. Sure, it's all basically slap on the wrist stuff and these punks should be staring at jail time; maybe they'll roll over and rat out the big cheese, though I won't hold my breath on that.

Four former officials of the Spitzer administration violated the state’s Public Officers Law when they sought to have the state police gather damaging information about State Senator Joseph L. Bruno’s travels on state aircraft last summer, according to a report released today by the State Commission on Public Integrity.

Two of the officials, Richard Baum, the former top aide to Gov. Eliot Spitzer, and William Howard, a former public safety adviser to the governor, have already reached settlements with the commission.

The other two officials, former communications director Darren Dopp and former state police superintendent Preston Felton, are contesting the charges. If the commission’s findings are upheld, Mr. Dopp could be subject to a $10,000 fine and Mr. Felton to fines totaling $20,000.

The Albany DA David Soares and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo are both Democrat hacks, so don't expect them to work overtime pursuing Spitzer.

It's likely his public humiliation is his ultimate punishment.

More here, which notes this gem from Spitzer during his testimony before the commission.

"I'm giving you my best recollection, which is that I have no recollection of it happening," Spitzer said in testimony before the commission, denying any memory of receiving updates from his staff on the monitoring of Bruno by state police.

Spitzer Hooker: Hey, I'm Still Here!

Apparently unaware her 15 minutes are up, Eliot Spitzer's high-priced prostitute has checked her email and updated her MySpace page. The media dutifully complies by presenting this as news.

Somehow she's still reaping the benefits as some knuckleheads are still buying her "music" online.

Whatever.

Speaking of Spitzer, the man he tried to ruin, Joseph Bruno, has announced his retirement.

Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, the state's most powerful Republican, announced last night that he won't seek re-election in November - and will step down as leader as soon as today.

Bruno, 79, of upstate Rensselaer County, who has been under federal investigation for two years in connection with his outside business dealings, first made the announcement at a closed-door meeting of Republican senators, many of whom appeared stunned.

Bruno, a senator for the past 32 years, the majority leader since 1995, a successful businessman and a former Army boxing champion, said he had decided not to seek re-election because, "It is time to move on with my life and to give my constituents an opportunity for new representation, and my colleagues in the Senate who have supported me an opportunity for new leadership.

Bruno has some possible legal issues and some consider this a way to gracefully exit and avoid indictment.

Some political insiders said they suspect Bruno, whose party holds just a one-seat majority in the Senate, decided not to seek re-election as part of an arrangement to avoid indictment by the Northern District US Attorney's Office.

His aides strongly denied that.

The feds have been probing his private business dealings, including his representation of a Connecticut-based investment company that did business with major New York unions.

The Stonewall Comes Crumbling Down: Secret Spitzer Testimony to Be Revealed

Well, it's about time. Only took about a year, the downfall of his administration and a pathetic attempt at covering up by the Albany County District Attorney. Now we may just get to the bottom of the Dirty Tricks Scandal.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares, threatened with the prospect of legal action by The Post and other newspapers, flip-flopped yesterday and agreed to release thousands of Dirty Tricks Scandal documents.

The hapless Soares was embarrassed last month when an Albany County official overruled his initial refusal of The Post's request for the records. Soares had insisted that releasing the documents could harm investigations of last summer's plot by then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer to use the State Police to damage Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.

Soares' refusal to comply with the Freedom of Information Law shocked officials of the state Committee on Open Government. The Post then began a proceeding aimed at forcing the district attorney to comply with state law.

More here. Still sounds like the timeframe is muddy. No doubt Soares will try and stall.

Soares had initially refused to release the documents but was overruled by Bryan Clenahan, the county's appeals officer on Freedom on Information cases. His office said it will now release thousands of pages of documents sought by several news organizations, including the Times Union, after the material is reviewed.

A Soares spokeswoman could not say when that would occur, but said it would take some time.

Soares' investigation into the matter concluded Spitzer was directly involved in his office's release of travel records on Senate Majority Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, contrary to the former governor's numerous public assertions that he'd been in the dark on what his aides were doing. Soares' probe found that aides to the governor sought to release the records to expose Bruno's use of state aircraft and State Police drivers on days he attended political fund-raisers in New York City.

An earlier probe by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo found that Spitzer's aides had improperly used State Police to assemble the travel records from memory and involved the police agency in a political matter. The governor's chief spokesman, Darren Dopp, a key figure in the scandal, was suspended and later resigned. His testimony to Soares revealed that the governor had lied about his involvement.

This pathetic saga never would have occurred has Spitzer not been so outrageously power hungry and threatened to "steamroll" people who got in his way.

Hopefully, we get to the bottom of this sordid mess and he pays the price for his actions.

Nobody should feel sorry for this man.

Previously.

Dirty Tricks Cover-Up Continues

If you figured the Dirty Tricks scandal involving Eliot Spitzer would be resolved with his resignation a few months back, then you were hopelessly wrong.

The Albany County DA, David Soares, who particpated in a bogus investigation last year, has now gone so far as to block Freedon of Information requests in violation os state law.

We've now seen a governor resign (granted, there were other factors) and two State Police employees commit suicide in the wake of this scandal, yet the cover-up continues.

An absolute disgrace.

What's worse is the current governor is nowhere to be found on this issue.

Hapless Albany County District Attorney David Soares, who tried to hide Gov. Eliot Spitzer's Dirty Tricks Scandal last year with a half-baked "investigation," is now breaking the state's Freedom of Information Law by refusing to release dozens of scandal-related records.

Soares has blocked an official, legally binding ruling by the Albany County public-information appeals officer - and at the same time rejected the finding of the state's top Freedom of Information official - that transcripts of highly questionable scandal-related testimony by Spitzer, fired acting State Police Superintendent Preston Felton, former top Spitzer aide Darren Dopp and others be provided to The Post.

The potentially explosive ruling was issued nearly two weeks ago, and Soares, in a blatant and possibly unprecedented violation of the Freedom of Information Law, has refused to make the documents available, much less say whether he will honor what is a legally binding ruling.

"I am disturbed by this," Robert Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, told The Post.

"The appeals authority is supposed to be able to make a binding ruling."

The still-secret testimony formed the basis of Soares' September whitewash "report" on Spitzer's involvement in the Dirty Tricks Scandal, in which the then-governor and his top aides used the State Police to gather purportedly damaging information on Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer).

The testimony would likely provide further proof that Spitzer, Dopp and others lied to Soares in an effort to get the Democratic DA, a strong Spitzer political ally, to issue a report challenging Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's earlier finding that top aides to the governor had blatantly misused the State Police in the anti-Bruno plot.

At the very least, Soares should resign. Clearly, he's covering his own backside.

Sadly, Fred Dicker appears to be the only one following the case. The rest of the media is silent.

Spitzer Dirty Tricks, Part 7,946

It just never ends with this crew.

A top aide to Gov. Spitzer used his official e-mail to distribute an attack on Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno to "interested New Yorkers" including local officials across the state, The Post learned yesterday.

The action by Marty Mack, a longtime Democratic activist and Spitzer's deputy for intergovernmental affairs, brought a new round of charges that Spitzer was again using the government in an effort to defeat his political opponents.

Mack sent the e-mail Sunday from his official Executive Chamber account, attaching a copy of an anti-Bruno newspaper editorial and saying, "I thought the editorial below might be of interest to you."

The editorial was from the Albany Times Union, a newspaper Spitzer's aides used last summer in the Dirty Tricks Scandal.

Monroe County (Rochester) Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo told The Post she was shocked when she received the e-mail.

"I don't think it's appropriate for a high-ranking member of the governor's staff to use his government e-mails to make a political statement against a political official," said Dinolfo, a Republican.

Shocking, isn't it?

Of course, nothing will come of this.

They're Democrats, after all.

Shocker! Spitzer Dirty Tricks Campaign Began Earlier Than Thought

Actually, there's nothing to be shocked about. What would be stunning is if the rest of the media outside of Fred Dicker actually got around to investigating this thug.

Gov. Spitzer'S office has turned over "damaging" documents to the Albany County District Attorney's Office revealing that the Dirty Tricks plot against his chief GOP opponent began much earlier than suspected, The Post has learned.

Law-enforcement sources said Dirty Tricks Scandal material subpoenaed weeks ago by DA David Soares from Spitzer's office suggests that the effort to damage or destroy the career of state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer) began as early as January 2007, the month Spitzer took office.

"The documents, which include e-mails, are damaging and embarrassing, and the press will have a field day if the material ever becomes public," said a source close to Spitzer.

I beg to differ. How would the press have a field day when most of them aren't even interested?

You think the New York Times is going to put any of their valuable resources into this when they're busy going after Bruno and editorializing about it?

Please.

Meanwhile, two sources said Spitzer's chief counsel, David Nocenti, testified under oath for several hours on the scandal Thursday before the state Public Integrity Commission, which is conducting its own probe.

A day later, members of the Spitzer-controlled commission - which is believed to be focusing on the actions of former top Spitzer aide Darren Dopp - were told at a secret "executive session" that action in the case, most likely a charge against Dopp, is expected within weeks.

Until now, Spitzer - who has yet to testify under oath about the scandal - has maintained that the use of the State Police by his aides to gather supposedly damaging information on Bruno began only weeks before The Post disclosed the existence of the plot last July 5.

Spitzer, in response to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's bombshell July 23 report on the plot, also insisted he became aware of the effort to gather evidence on Bruno only shortly before The Post's disclosure.

That, my friends, is a damnable lie and Spitzer knows it.

I suspect Dopp is being set up as the fall guy here; Spitzer will magically avoid ever testifying under oath and will be on his merry way. Although Dopp may have had enough of this and is ready to roll over on Spitzer.

Dopp, a longtime Spitzer loyalist now working for Spitzer-connected lobbyist Pat Lynch, has sent signals to several political figures that he "won't remain silent" if he is legally charged.

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.

Instapundit links. Thanks!

Mr. Clean's E-Mail Files Scrubbed Free

It's difficult to believe the levels of incompetence coming out of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's office in his first year and to cap things off we now learn the computers in his office have been scrubbed free of possibly incriminating email files surrounding the dirty tricks campaign against State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.

Can you imagine the howls coming from the mostly left-leaning New York media if a Republican did this?

Yes, so can I.

Computers in Gov. Spitzer's office were intentionally "purged and scrubbed" of potentially crucial records involving the Dirty Tricks Scandal - while others have simply disappeared, investigators have been told.

The blockbuster charges - which could involve the illegal destruction of public records - have been made by at least four current and former state computer experts, including some who worked directly in Spitzer's office, The Post has been told.

The allegations, recently outlined to investigators from the Senate Investigations Committee, could explain Spitzer's repeated refusal to allow committee probers, as well as those from the state Public Integrity Commission and the Albany County District Attorney's Office, to examine computer hard drives, BlackBerrys and other e-mail communications devices used by Spitzer and his staff, investigators say.

The charges, it was learned, are expected to trigger a new round of public hearings by the Senate Investigations Committee in mid-January, focusing on how electronic data are collected, retained and destroyed in the governor's office.

"We've been told that whole hard drives were purged and scrubbed and that key files that were once there dealing with the scandal are gone," said a source close to the Senate probe.

"We believe this explains why Spitzer is fighting so hard to resist the Senate subpoena for the computers and the computer records because the evidence may show they've purged the governor's computers to get rid of whatever was there," the source continued.

The source's claims were confirmed by Senate Investigations Committee Chairman George Winner (R-Elmira), who told The Post, "We've been told about purged records from a number of different sources.

"We have received information that there has been widespread purging of computers in the governor's office," Winner said.

"Other allegations involve the suspicious moving around of computers.

"These allegations come to us from state workers who are involved in information technology, including persons who have worked in the Executive Chamber [the governor's office]," Winner continued.

Spitzer spokesman Errol Cockfield strenuously denied that any computerized scandal-related records had been destroyed.

"Nothing could be farther from the truth," Cockfield insisted.

Sure.

Why don't I believe him?

Meanwhile, Spitzer receives the dubious honor of No. 1 loser in today's NY Post, and it wasn't even close.

'TIS the season to name the winners and losers of New York politics for 2007, a year-end listing annually assembled with the help of elected officials, political operatives, lobbyists and journalists.

Unlike in past years, when the No. 1 loser was often in dispute, the choice this year was unanimous.

Never in modern times has a prominent politician fallen as quickly from public esteem as has Gov. Spitzer, and Democrats and Republicans agree he's the Big Loser of 2007.

Spitzer came into office with a near-70 percent approval rating and ended his first year on the job with nearly the exact opposite rating because of the excesses of the Dirty Tricks Scandal, his effort to give driver's licenses to illegal aliens, and the intractable gridlock that grips state government.

To think we have three more years left with this guy in office.

Meanwhile, Spitzer is cozying up to lobbyists, already looking ahead to his next election (via Instapundit).

UPDATE: Instapundit links. Thanks!

Spitzer Probe 'A Joke' (Update) Latest Poll: Can It Get Any Worse?

You get the feeling if a Republican governor were up to his ears in scandal, there would be more coverage. Seems like Fred Dicker from the New York Post is the only reporter on the scene who's thoroughly detailing the dirty tricks scandal that threatens to submarine New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's career.

PANELIST RIPS 'DIRTY TRICKS' SECRECY

THE state Public Integrity Commission gives the appearance of being "involved in a cover-up" of Gov. Spitzer's role in the Dirty Tricks Scandal because its probe has been slow and secretive, a member of the group has told The Post.

"Many of us are getting frustrated at the glacial pace and the secrecy within the secrecy that has come to define our investigation, not to mention the growing perception that we're involved in a cover-up," said the commission member, who has ties to Spitzer.

"I took this job to serve the state, not to help cover up for the governor or anyone else," added the member, who insisted on anonymity.

The unprecedented comment by one of the 13 unpaid commission members comes after months of confused and ineffective investigative efforts by the Spitzer-controlled panel into the use of the State Police by top gubernatorial aides to gather purportedly damaging information on Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer).

It also follows Spitzer's claim to the Buffalo News that his long-expected commission testimony won't be made public because of a supposed prohibition in the panel's "rules."

Legal experts told The Post that while state law bars the commission from disclosing certain investigative information, the law does not bar Spitzer from disclosing his own testimony.

"I don't know of anything that would bar the commission from allowing the governor to record his own comments, which he could then make public," said a well-known expert on state ethics laws.

"At the very least, the governor could agree to step outside and answer questions from the press the way he says he's prepared to answer questions from the commission," the expert said.

Spitzer has publicly claimed he wants to testify in public, but privately, he and his aides are fighting efforts by the commission and the Senate Investigations Committee to obtain scandal-related documents and testimony.

Read the rest.

Meanwhile, the New York Sun offers some tips for the beleaguered Spitzer.

UPDATE: Latest Poll: Can It Get Any Worse for Spitzer?We can hope, can't we?

A new poll by the Siena Research Institute finds that for the first time, a majority of New York State voters — 51 percent, up from 46 percent in November — view Gov. Eliot Spitzer unfavorably and that most voters — including a plurality of Democrats — would favor “someone else” over re-electing the governor.

The new poll, released this morning, shows the extent to which Mr. Spitzer’s first year in office has been damaged by his administration’s botched effort to discredit State Senator Joseph L. Bruno, his constant feuding with the Senate Republicans and his ill-fated proposal to grant driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

“Voters are continuing to lose faith in their governor,” said Steven Greenberg, a spokesman for the poll, part of Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. “Today, a majority of voters have an unfavorable view of Spitzer. More than two-thirds give him a negative job performance rating. More voters think he’s doing a ‘poor’ job than think he’s doing an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ job combined. Even 61 percent of Democrats view his job performance negatively.”

The telephone poll was conducted Dec. 3-6 with 625 registered New York State voters. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The poll found that 36 percent of voters viewed the governor favorably, and 51 percent unfavorably, compared with respective margins of 41 percent to 46 percent in November and 64 percent to 22 percent in June. Most New York City voters still view the governor favorably, while upstate voters overwhelmingly do not, the poll found.

More here and here..

Spitzer's 'Bully' Issues Threats

The hijinx just never ends with New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and his band of bullies.

The notoriously hot-tempered rookie governor has found himself plagued with scandals, idiotic legislative proposals, dirty tricks campaigns and now one of his top aides is alleged to have threatened a utility executive during a screaming match.

Some folks at the New York Times obsess over Rudy Giuliani supposedly being a bully, yet remain oddly silent over the behavior of Spitzer and his henchmen.

That 'D' after your name sure does come in handy.

'ELIOT'S BULLY' MADE THREAT: INSIDER

A TOP aide to Gov. Spitzer involved in the Dirty Tricks Scandal angrily threatened to "professionally kill" a top utility executive for opposing the governor's energy policies, sources have told The Post.

Spitzer Policy Director Peter Pope said he was "going to kill" Gavin Donohue, the head of the Independent Power Producers of New York, an association of private energy companies, in a bitter clash early last summer over the governor's efforts to block the construction of nuclear-power plants and more than two "clean coal" plants in the state, the sources said.

"He was really threatening Gavin. It was unbelievable. It was shocking," said one of the state's best-known lobbyists.

Shocking perhaps, but not surprising, considering Pope works for a guy who claims to be a "f---ing steamroller" and is a notorious bully.

"Pope was screaming and threatening to get him fired with his bosses and jabbing his finger in Donohue's face," added another source, who claimed Pope had also threatened several lobbyists over policy disagreements.

"He was yelling at Gavin, 'You're working against us! You're trying to hurt us! You have to pressure [Senate Majority Leader Joseph] Bruno to get with us on this!'

"When Gavin tried to explain why he opposed the governor's plan, Pope said he didn't want to know about the substance of the issue. He just wanted to close down [pass] the governor's bill," the source continued.

Donohue, former deputy chief of staff to Gov. George Pataki and a one-time state Environmental Conservation Department executive deputy commissioner, wasn't intimidated by the confrontation, telling associates, "I told Pope, in so many words, to go f - - - himself."

"I have never been treated so unprofessionally in my whole life," he told associates.

Donohue kept detailed, written notes of the clash, one associate said. Contacted by The Post, Donohue said he'd had "intense negotiations" with Pope.

But when asked whether he had been threatened, he responded, "I have no comment."

Pope, meanwhile, declined to be interviewed for this column but called the information obtained by The Post "inaccurate," according to Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Anderson.

The sources, meanwhile, compared Pope's alleged behavior to the repeated charges that Spitzer - a self-described "f- - - -ng steamroller" - has repeatedly threatened or sought to intimidate political enemies and policy opponents, both as governor and as attorney general.

Pope, a longtime Spitzer friend, was known as "Eliot's bully" because of his aggressiveness as a high-level deputy to Attorney General Spitzer, said a source in the AG's Office.

Pope is one of three Spitzer lawyers who helped prepare a controversial sworn statement for the governor's former communications director, Darren Dopp, in which Dopp gave details of his role in the effort to use the State Police to gather purportedly damaging information on Bruno (R-Rensselaer).

Meanwhile, before he was governor, Spitzer was the New York Attorney General, and really made a lot of friends in that role.

A Park Slope dentist has filed a $75 million lawsuit, claiming Eliot Spitzer used the Attorney General's Office to trump up politically convenient charges of Medicaid fraud against him in 2006.

The lawsuit, filed last week in Brooklyn federal court, charges that Spitzer, who in 2006 was the attorney general and the Democratic front-runner in the primary battle for governor, was getting slammed as being soft on Medicaid fraud - and found a convenient fall guy.

"I had it all, and overnight I lost it all for no good reason, other than for the governor to have a nice headline," said the dentist, Leonard Morse. "If that's what they'll do to a professional, imagine what they could do to the everyday citizen."

Previous posts on Spitzer here.

UPDATE: Hot Air and Suitably Flip link. Thanks!

All the Governor's Men

After some new revelations came to light in the dirty tricks campaign run by New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and his henchmen, the Albany DA will now be interviewing a top aide of Spitzer.

DA WILL PUT SPITZ MAN ON THE GRILL

Albany District Attorney David Soares will interview a top aide to Gov. Spitzer later this week about the circumstances under which the aide and two officials helped prepare a sworn statement by former Spitzer communications director Darren Dopp, who is under investigation for possible perjury, it was learned last night.

Peter Pope, Spitzer's policy director, will be questioned about the role he played with Spitzer counsel David Nocenti and Sean Patrick Maloney, the governor's first deputy secretary, in the statement signed by Dopp on July 22, one day before Attorney General Andrew Cuomo issued a blockbuster reporter on the Dirty Tricks Scandal.

The Commission on Public Integrity, which is probing the scandal, asked Soares late last week to investigate Dopp after determining that his testimony to the commission appeared to contradict the sworn statement.

A source in the governor's office said Pope had been assured by Soares that neither he, Nocenti nor Maloney were "targets" of the DA.

"We were told that Soares' inquiry at this point is solely and exclusively about whether or not Darren testified falsely before the Ethics Commission," said the source.

The source insisted Dopp himself had the final say as to what was in the sworn statement and no effort was made to encourage him to tell anything but the truth.

Word of Soares' widening new probe came as The Post learned that several aides to Spitzer - not just Dopp - gave conflicting testimony on the scandal to the Public Integrity Commission.

"There clearly have been absolutely contradictory sworn statements between witnesses from the governor's office, and I think very few people realize how serious this is," a source close to the commission told The Post.

Read the rest.

I don't exactly hold much faith this probe will get very far, as Democrats control every top position in New York State, but be assured Joe Bruno will be keeping this issue alive.

Meanwhile, it appears more likely Spitzer will abandon his cockamamie plan to grant driver's licenses to illegals. There is much hand wringing going on in Democrat circles, especially after Mrs. Clinton's inept attempt defense of this ridiculous plan.

What won't help is for Mr. Spitzer to stay on the fence over the volatile issue. He has to make a decision, and soon. The issue has morphed from a state matter to a national one, and may well have done serious damage to the presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has been lambasted by her primary rivals for trying to have it both ways by sympathizing with the Spitzer plan, while at the same time distancing herself from it.

UPDATE: Instapundit links. Thanks!

UPDATE II: John in Carolina has some questions about Governor Nifong.

UPDATE III: My, isn't this news just delicious?

Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to provide illegal immigrants with driver’s licenses has sunk his favorability rating to an all-time low of 41 percent, and has left only 25 percent of voters planning to re-elect him, according to a poll the Siena Research Institute released Tuesday.

More again from Instapundit, as well as Lawhawk.

Damaging Revelations in Spitzer Dirty Tricks Scandal

Giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens may be the least of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's problems, as a New York Post report today reveals his former communications director, Darren Dopp, asked another aide to lie about the origins of a smear campaign against Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.

If true, this would contradict Spitzer's weak claim he had no knowledge of the plot, which first came to light several months ago.

The governor has some explaining to do.

Gov. Spitzer's former communications director, Darren Dopp, asked another Spitzer aide to lie about the origins of the Dirty Tricks Scandal - including the governor's own allegedly extensive knowledge of the plot to smear the Senate's GOP leader, a well-placed source told The Post yesterday.

Dopp wanted now-demoted Spitzer homeland-security aide William Howard to join him in denying there was anything unusual in their months-long effort to use the State Police to gather evidence purporting to show Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer) misused state aircraft for political purposes, said the source, who knows many of those involved in the scandal.

Dopp sought to have Howard, whose job involved overseeing the State Police, back up his initial public claim that the information gathered on Bruno was merely the result of a "change in State Police policy" designed to keep better track of the use of state aircraft, and was not part of a complex conspiracy aimed at damaging or destroying Spitzer's chief Republican opponent, the source continued.

The state Public Integrity Commission last week asked Albany District Attorney David Soares to examine possible perjury by Dopp before the commission.

UPDATE: Instapundit links. Thanks!