Ethics Panel Subpoenas Reporter in Scandal (SpitzerGate)

NY Times ^ | 8/18/07 | MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM

[LdSentinal]

In an extremely rare move, the State Ethics Commission issued a subpoena this week to a reporter involved in the ethics scandal surrounding Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a signal that a full investigation into actions of the governor’s staff is under way.

Mr. Odato wrote the July 1 story that broke news that Joseph L. Bruno, the Senate majority leader, had used state-owned helicopters and police cars for trips to New York City on days he attended fund-raisers.

A subsequent investigation by Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo’s office cleared Mr. Bruno and found that high-ranking aides to Mr. Spitzer had acted inappropriately by asking the State Police to gather information about the senator’s travels and providing it to Mr. Odato. The aides said they were only responding to a Freedom of Information Law request filed by the reporter.

The subpoena also asks for any documents in the reporter’s possession related to Mr. Bruno’s state-financed travel, including communications between Mr. Odato and members of Mr. Spitzer’s staff. E-mail messages, telephone logs, story notes, written minutes, calendars and diaries are all included in the request, according to Mary Fran Gleason, managing editor of The Times Union.

[LdSentinal]

Liberal media in trouble.

[JRochelle]

I hope Spritzer has to resign. He is such a power hungry freak.

[Westbrook]

You know how I can tell that Spitzer is a DemonRAT?

His party affiliation was not mentioned.

If he were a Republican, the R would have been prominently visible afer each mention of his name.

[Bernard]

Then what does that Mr. Bruno? The entire excerpt feels so...... non-partisan.

[writmeister]

Bruno is a Republican.

[Mr_Moonlight]

I was wondering when the Times Union would figure into this investigation, since it was their *story* which started this whole thing and ended up backfiring on Spitzer. Either the TU was willingly duped by Spitzer's posse into filing for FOI docs, or they were complicit in its execution. Either way it doesn't look good for the Governor or the Times Union.

Or as one FReeper put it in a previous thread (paraphrasing): "In the space of 6 months Eliot Spitzer managed to make Joe Bruno out to be a victim of political dirty tricks worthy of sympathy ... thats hard to do"

[tdewey10]

So true.

[Joe Boucher]

Spritzer is a Dem. This investigation will be a whitewash.
He’s clean, nothing to see here, move along.

NOw direct your attention to all those mean nasty conservative Republicans.