Ethics Panel Says Spitzers Aides Broke Law

The State Commission on Public Integrity found that four Spitzer administrations officials broke the law as they tried to smear Spitzer's rival, former State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. However there were no charges for former Governor Spitzer.

Spitzer's former chief of staff Richard Baum, homeland security adviser William Howard, former acting State Police superintendent Preston Felton and former Spitzer communications director Darren Dopp were accused of misusing the State Police, by trying to catch Bruno abusing use of state aircraft--aka the Troopergate scandal. The Spitzer administration was also criticized for not turning over records earlier.

Dopp and Howard asked the State Police to "re-create travel itineraries for Mr. Bruno," while Felton went along with and Baum, aware of what was going on, never intervened. Baum and Howard admitted wrongdoing, while Dopp and Felton did not. Dopp and Felon face fines of $10,000; Dopp has repeatedly said he has been made a scapegoat.

In its investigation, the NY State Commission on Public Integrity amassed many documents, including emails from Spitzer, who would write to his staff under his middle name "Laurence"; the Times writes, "On e-mail he was 'Laurence,' a sloppy typist who often dashed off messages in fits, riddling them with typos, misspellings and terse abbreviations." An example of that email is after the jump.