Judge rules against governor’s Ravitch appointment
A state Supreme Court justice issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday prohibiting Richard Ravitch from serving as Gov. David Paterson’s lieutenant governor.
Paterson made the appointment July 8, a day before the Senate’s month-long leadership stalemate was resolved. Ravitch, 76, is a former chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Senate Republicans, who sued to block Ravitch’s appointment, hailed the decision, made by Justice William LaMarca in Nassau County Supreme Court. Republicans argued that the governor’s appointment violated the state constitution.
“Tonight a court ruled on behalf of the people of this state and against a governor more concerned with his poll numbers than with governance who sought to violate the state’s constitution for his own political purposes,” Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos said in a statement.
“There clearly is no basis in the constitution or the law that gives any governor the power to appoint a lieutenant governor and the judge’s decision to restrain the governor from proceeding with this action was the right decision,” he added.
A spokesman for Paterson said the appointment is legally sound and the administration is confident the appellate courts ultimately will rule in its favor.
“We will go to the Appellate Division, Second Department, tomorrow to seek to have the preliminary injunction lifted,” said Peter Kauffmann, the spokesman Tuesday evening.
The governor announced the appointment July 8, a day before a month-long leadership stalemate was resolved in the Senate.
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