Spitzer Totally Involved with Troopergate

Former Governor Eliot Spitzer was deeply involved with the plot to smear rival State Senator Joseph Bruno to the point of being so mad he would spit his coffee, according to NY Times sources.

Troopergate investigation insiders described testimony Spitzer's former communications director Darren Dopp gave, indicating the former governor's extreme interest in taking Bruno down, by way of leaking state police records on Bruno to Albany newspaper The Times Union. (The Times Union wrote a story in early July):

Around June 25 or June 26, Mr. Dopp told prosecutors, he first met with Richard Baum, the governor’s chief of staff, who told Mr. Dopp that the governor wanted the records on Mr. Bruno released to the media. “Eliot wants you to release the records,” Mr. Baum told him.

But Mr. Dopp, mindful of the political war that would erupt between the governor’s office and Mr. Bruno, hesitated and decided to check with the governor.

He told the governor that Mr. Bruno would be furious, according to people familiar with his account. Mr. Spitzer responded with expletives about Mr. Bruno and belligerently dismissed the warning.

The governor was so angry, Mr. Dopp recalled, that he turned red and spit out coffee he was sipping as he directed him to release the records immediately. “As he was saying it, he was spitting a little bit,” Mr. Dopp said. “He was spitting mad.”

Of course, this contradicts Spitzer's statements he knew nothing about Troopergate. Dopp's wife added that Spitzer called their home a lot during this time, seemingly to check in on the plan.

In late July, Attorney General Cuomo criticized Spitzer's administration for attacking Bruno dirty-trick style. Albany DA David Soares originally found that Spitzer's aides broke no laws, but when Dopp, who essentially took the fall and resigned his position, made a statement that seemed to conflict with earlier statements, Soares opened up another investigation.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 24, 2008 9:13 AM

Comments [rss]

eyekantspel

I guess this is relevant to those who covered for Spitzer-

A lawsuit filed by two police officers allegedly terminated for investigating claims that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs has led to Kilpatrick being charged with perjury. Sexually explicit text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide.

eyekantspel

what's disgusting about this story isn't the fact that Spitzer was involved - no surprise there - but that he was able to get away with saying he wasn't involved.

An earlier Gothamist article says:

State Senator George Winner, the Republican who heads the Senate Investigation Committee, told the Post, "I'm not totally surprised [Soares] didn't bring criminal charges, but to thoroughly whitewash this is over the top." (Soares is a Democrat, like Spitzer.)

Looks like he was right. I just don't get it. Spitzer has a face that makes him immediately recognizable, is involved in prostitution for years, and no one sees a thing. He boldly lies he wasn't involved in the lame "troopergate" scandal, and even though a bunch of people must have have known better, no one says anything.

We laugh at the ghetto don't snitch code, but the people covering for our politicians are just as bad.

Leon Freilich

GUBERNATORIAL GYRATIONS

Spitzer's a john,

Paterson a Don Juan

And as for Bruno

This much I do know:

The FBI

Says watch this guy.

So who is next

In the seat that's hexed?

r_friend

Now I'm picturing him spitting coffee anytime he heard something he didn't like.

"$4,300 for a hooker?!" *spits coffee*

Snoopy

Hold on here! Was that a state paid for coffee? If so then it would be wanton waste of taxpayer's money. This needs to be investigated further and the guilty should be made to pay.