Spitzer administration energy adviser Steven Mitnick has resigned after seven months on the job amid an investigation of claims that he threatened a Republican on the Public Service Commission, Mitnick confirmed.
In April, PSC member Cheryl Buley, an appointee of former Republican Gov. George Pataki, said Mitnick had threatened her to try to get her to back off efforts to investigate Consolidated Edison over last summer's major blackout in New York City.
During a public PSC meeting, Buley said Mitnick had threatened her career five or six times since Gov. Eliot Spitzer took office Jan. 1.
The resignation of the former Washington-based energy industry attorney comes as Spitzer faces investigations over two aides who were found to have used state police against Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno. A state Attorney General's Office investigation said the two aides - one who has been suspended and the other transferred out of the governor's office - used state police to track the state's top Republican when he used state helicopters and state police drivers to mix state business with political fundraisers in New York City.
Democrat Gov. Eliot Spitzer is under assault from all corners these days, and this is the last thing he needs - another one of his officials going down because they issued threats to other officials. These threats stem from last summer's blackout and the PSC investigation of what led up to the blackout and how to prevent future ones.
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