A day after getting praise (but not an endorsement) from the NY Times, Eric Dinallo has received the Daily News editorial board's endorsement for the Democratic nomination for NY State Attorney General. A former prosecutor in the Manhattan DA's office as well as State AG's office (under Spitzer), Dinallo is described by the News as having a "blend of first-rate legal, executive and regulatory experience that is unique among the contenders and equips him best to lead New York's top law office amid rising challenges."
The News' endorsement also says, "During a stint as a bureau chief in the attorney general's office, Dinallo devised the legal strategies that thrust the agency to the forefront of cracking down on financial industry conflicts of interest. In the process, he won a $1.4 billion settlement from 10 big banks. Later, serving as state insurance superintendent, Dinallo played a critical role in stabilizing AIG when the company's exposure to subprime mortgage securities threatened the economy. Bottom line: Dinallo has gotten the job done across a career that also included prosecuting violent and white-collar crime for the Manhattan district attorney, advising financial firms on following the rules and, now, serving as a professor of business ethics at New York University."
As for the other four candidates: The News' runner-up praise is for Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice (she's "brought professionalism and dynamism to an office that had grown sleepy"); State Senator Eric Schneiderman, the Times' endorsed candidate, and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, are faulted for being too close to Albany's dysfunction; and Sean Coffey has the baggage of donating to "pension fund powerbrokers."
The primary is September 14; the Republican candidate is already set—Staten Island DA Daniel Donovan.
