Results tagged “chriscallaghan”

The polls in New York close in a half hour, so the media won't be reporting returns until then. But it's still exciting and heartbreaking to watch the other states' elections returns. For starters, Bob Casey ousting Rick Santorum for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania? That's exciting. Heartbreaking would be reports of bugs and intimidation at the polls.

The polls are open and it's time for you to cast your votes for the various races. Find your voting place here or call 311; report concerns about voting fraud to 1-866-VOTE NYC. Here's the Guide for the Last Minute Voter from Gotham Gazette.

Governor Pataki's office released a report saying there's enough evidence to recommend the removal of State Comptroller Alan Hevesi. Lawyer David Kelley wrote, "I do not feel that I am now in a position to advise you to proceed with a recommendation to the senate for the comptroller's removal...Considering the record as a whole, I believe there is a preponderance of evidence that the comptroller knowingly and intentionally violated New York's public officers law."

Have you seen Alan Hevesi's new ad where he's sitting against a somber blackground, apologizing for the "stupid mistake" he made to have a state driver chauffeur his wife? He humbly asks for voters to consider his 35 years of experience and says he'll fight for New Yorkers. And yet it's hard to listen to it and not be disappointed and upset, knowing that comptrollers are supposed to monitor this kind of behavior in the first place.

As expected, Attorney General and gubernatorial front runner Eliot Spitzer withdrew his support of State Comptroller Alan Hevesi. Spitzer acknowledged the State Ethics Commission's findings about Hevesi's use of a state driver to chauffeur his wife, saying it did present "information that compromises Alan Hevesi’s ability to fulfill his responsibilities.” Additionally, Spitzer doesn't think Hevesi should continue as comptroller, even if he is re-elected! But it doesn't mean that Spitzer is endorsing Republican Chris Callaghan.

During an election debate, State Comptroller Alan Hevesi said he would not resign after the State Ethics Commission found he violated state law by having a state driver chauffeur his wife. Hevesi made what the NY Times called "a spirited and at times emotional defense tha was alternately apologetic and defiant." He also continued to claim there were security threats against his wife - hence the need for a driver - threats the State Ethics Commission found to be non-existent.

A number of politicians are calling for State Comptroller Alan Hevesi's resignation in the wake of the State Ethics Commission's report that asserted Hevesi lied about using a state driver for his wife's personal use. Naturally the Republicans are leading the chorus for resignation, but Attorney General and gubernatorial frontrunner Eliot Spitzer said he was evaluating whether to continue his support for Hevesi (who is running for re-election in less than two weeks). And if Spitzer rescinds his support, that could open the floodgates for other Democrats to do that same. State Democrats have been trying to figure out if they can remove him from the ballot, but to no avail.

The NY State Ethics Commission said that State Comtroller Alan Hevesi did violate state law by having a state driver chauffeur his wife. And now it seems that Hevesi is more likely to resign now with this finding. The ethics panel report also found that Hevesi underestimated how much he owed back for the driver and lied about his wife needing a driver because of security concerns - and that the state driver Hevesi hired wasn't even part of his security team.