Spitzer Administration Used Police to Spy on Political Rival

By TChris, Section Misconduct
Posted on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 09:52:21 AM EST
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Eliot Spitzer's downfall was his involvement in a prostitution ring, but this allegation is much more troubling:

Four Spitzer administration officials violated the state’s ethics law when they used the State Police last summer to gather travel documents they hoped would tarnish Joseph L. Bruno, then the State Senate majority leader, according to a report released on Thursday by the State Commission on Public Integrity.
The report drew on 3,000 pages of testimony and thousands of internal documents, and depicts an administration on a war footing, with Gov. Eliot Spitzer seething over attacks from Mr. Bruno and eager to strike back.

Spitzer always postured himself as being all about law and order. His administration's misuse of the state police "to gather and publicize sensitive information about Senator Bruno’s travel" further tarnishes that image.

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Spitzer Administration Used Police to Spy on Political Rival | 8 comments (8 topical)

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Let's stop electing career prosecutors (5.00 / 2) (#6)
by Ben Masel on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:23:29 AM EST

to higher executive offices.

And politicians and people in powerful (none / 0) (#1)
by PssttCmere08 on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 09:57:00 AM EST

positions, in general, wonder why we don't trust them. This news about Spitzer is very disappointing...I liked him.

: I put a sign up in the yard (5.00 / 0) (#2)
by kredwyn on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:14:28 AM EST

for Spitzer. If this is true...wow...very very bad move.

: Yeah.... (5.00 / 0) (#5)
by kdog on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:23:20 AM EST

I am always more disappointed in so-called liberals when they pull this authoritarian power trip garbage.
It's enough to turn you on to anarchy.

typo in title (none / 0) (#3)
by Josey on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:15:49 AM EST

: thanks for catching it (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by TChris on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:19:12 AM EST

This is like (none / 0) (#7)
by Steve M on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:24:56 AM EST

the oldest story ever. In fact, I think this was the very first Spitzer scandal that wrecked his mandate after the election.

My recollection is that Spitzer claimed the police were not spying on Bruno, but rather, they were just compiling the log entries that get made in the ordinary course of events when a lawmaker uses the state police for transportation. His belief was that Bruno was improperly using taxpayer funds to take political trips.

I think there are two sides to the story. It's not like he was secretly wiretapping Bruno or something. I think going through the cops' regular logbook to see if the trips being taken are legitimate isn't necessarily that awful.

Can't Wait To Read (none / 0) (#8)
by squeaky on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:37:53 AM EST

The book when it comes out. I can only imagine what Bruno was doing to Spitzer. The antics, described by Robert Caro between LaGuardia and Robert Moses in the Powerbrokers, comes to mind.