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Spitzer <i>Totally</i> Involved with Troopergate

Jen Chung

Published Mar 24, 2008

Modified Mar 30, 2008

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Jen Chung

Published Mar 24, 2008

Modified Mar 30, 2008

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Former Governor Eliot Spitzer was deeply involved with the plot to smear rival State Senator Joseph Bruno to the point of being so mad he would spit his coffee, according to NY Times sources.

Troopergate investigation insiders described testimony Spitzer's former communications director Darren Dopp gave, indicating the former governor's extreme interest in taking Bruno down, by way of leaking state police records on Bruno to Albany newspaper The Times Union. (The Times Union wrote a story in early July):

Around June 25 or June 26, Mr. Dopp told prosecutors, he first met with Richard Baum, the governor’s chief of staff, who told Mr. Dopp that the governor wanted the records on Mr. Bruno released to the media. “Eliot wants you to release the records,” Mr. Baum told him.

But Mr. Dopp, mindful of the political war that would erupt between the governor’s office and Mr. Bruno, hesitated and decided to check with the governor.

He told the governor that Mr. Bruno would be furious, according to people familiar with his account. Mr. Spitzer responded with expletives about Mr. Bruno and belligerently dismissed the warning.

The governor was so angry, Mr. Dopp recalled, that he turned red and spit out coffee he was sipping as he directed him to release the records immediately. “As he was saying it, he was spitting a little bit,” Mr. Dopp said. “He was spitting mad.”

Of course, this contradicts Spitzer's statements he knew nothing about Troopergate. Dopp's wife added that Spitzer called their home a lot during this time, seemingly to check in on the plan.

In late July, Attorney General Cuomo criticized Spitzer's administration for attacking Bruno dirty-trick style. Albany DA David Soares originally found that Spitzer's aides broke no laws, but when Dopp, who essentially took the fall and resigned his position, made a statement that seemed to conflict with earlier statements, Soares opened up another investigation.

Tagged

Albany

Darren Dopp

eliot spitzer

Joseph Bruno

Troopergate

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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