Integrity Commission Imposes Maximum $10K Fine On Dopp
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- October
- 7
The Troopergate saga, started in the summer of 2007, continued today as the state Commission on Public Integrity said it has assessed its maximum civil penalty of $10,000 against Darren Dopp, Eliot Spitzer’s former communications who was accused of leaking documents on former Senate Republican Leader Joseph Bruno’s use of state aircraft.
The commission, which the state Inspector General’s Office found botched the Troopergate investigation, says that Dopp “knowingly and intentionally” used his official position to obtain an unlawful benefit.
In fact, the report states that the hearing officer in the case recommended a $5,000 fine, but the commissioner overruled the officer and imposed the maximum $10,000 fine.
“This case is about Mr. Dopp, as part of a scheme to discredit a political opponent, violating the State Code of Ethics by misusing the resources of the State Police to create official-looking documents, which otherwise would not have existed, so that he could have them reproduced in a newspaper,” said Michael Cherkasky, the commission’s chairman.
“Such misconduct erodes public confidence in both the integrity and the independence of our State Police. To assess him anything less than the maximum penalty would send the wrong signal to those who might consider similar actions in the future.”
Dopp put out a statement this morning saying he plans to sue the commission.
“With this decision, I become the first public information officer in history to be sanctioned for releasing public records in response to a media request. This decision is unfounded, erroneous and tainted,” he said. “I intend to sue the commission. I am looking forward to a review by an independent judge and I am very confident that I will prevail.”
In July 2008, Dopp was among four former Spitzer aides charged civily by the commission with conspiring to release travel records that showed Bruno—who has his own legal troubles—was using state aircraft for political purposes.
The commission said it rejected Dopp’s appeal that a report of the Inspector General’s Office showed their investigation was “tainted.”
In May, Inspector General Joseph Fisch found that former Integrity Commission Chairman Herbert Teitlebaum leaked information about the investigation into Troopergate to Spitzer and his staff. Teitlebaum has since resigned and Gov. David Paterson has asked the commission members to resign, which they haven’t done.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 at 12:01 pm by Joseph Spector.
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