Spitzer Skirts Ethics Charges

Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (D) avoided being charged by the State's Public Integrity Commission, but four of his aides were charged.

The commission found former Spitzer aides Darren Dopp, Richard Baum and William Howard and former state police head Preston Felton conspired to smear then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno by releasing his travel records to a reporter. At issue were trips by Bruno in May and June to New York City on days he met with lobbyists and attended Republican fundraisers.

If found to have violated the code of ethics in Public Officers Law, Dopp could face a $10,000 fine. He has since left state government.

Felton, who was acting state police superintendent, faces two ethics violations that could each carry a $10,000 fine. Now retired, he was accused of working with Dopp to compile, and in some cases recreate, records of Bruno's travel on state aircraft operated by state police. Dopp was Spitzer's communications director.

Baum, Spitzer's secretary, and Howard, a top public security aide, settled their cases by accepting charges that carry no penalty. Both have left state government.

I want to know how Spitzer could get off scot free even though he was the person directing his aides to launch the investigation into Bruno. Spitzer was known as a control freak and wouldn't let his underlings operate with the kind of freedom that today's news suggests.

Indeed, Darren Dopp has insisted that they were ordered by Spitzer to pursue this avenue of attack on Bruno:

Dopp and the other aides had insisted they were following the legitimate request of a reporter for public information. Dopp has in recent months insisted Spitzer directly ordered the release of the travel data on Bruno, who has since retired.

Spitzer still has to worry about criminal charges stemming from his role as a john in a call girl ring, but that's for another day.