Ethics panel reaches Troopergate settlement with former state cop head
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- November
- 24
  The state Commission on Public Integrity announced today that it has reached a settlement with former Acting State Police Superintendent Preston Felton over his role in the Troopergate scandal more than two years ago.
  Aides to now-former Gov. Eliot Spitzer were found to have asked the State Police to create documents regarding now-former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno’s use of state aircraft and ground transportation. The information was leaked to an Albany newspaper.
  An investigation by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo found that the aides had conspired to get the information and release it to the media. The aides wanted to show that Bruno—Spitzer’s chief political rival—had misused state aircraft, according to the report.
  Under the settlement announced today, Felton admits that he violated state Public Officers Law “by acceding to requests communicated to him by William Howard, former Assistant Secretary for Homeland security, to create documents and transmit sensitive information concerning Senate Majority leader Joseph Bruno’s use of State aircraft for trips to New York City and his ground itineraries during such trips.”
  Barry Ginsberg, executive director of the commission, said in a statement Felton received the same treatment as his boss and his boss’s boss, both of whom admitted to violating the same section of Public Officers Law.
  “This agreement sends a clear message that a State official may not simply acquiesce to an unlawful request,” Ginsberg said.
  The law doesn’t allow the commission to charge a fine for the violation.
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on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 5:01 pm by Cara Matthews.
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Not the first time, nor the last, that politicians have used the NYS Police to further political investigations. My only questions is how in the world did these guys get away with it for so long?
Pathetic. Typical of the State “Integrity” Committee – “same treatment as his boss and his bosses’ boss…” – a tsk, tsk and a disingenuous shake of the head.
The law doesn’t allow the commission to impose a fine? Did not this commission just last month fine Darren Dopp $10,000, after which he declared that he would challenge this fine and sue? Which is it?
The New York State Police are constantly used to further political investigations. For some powerful politicans, they’re just a phone call away. We just had a race in putnam county where an entire squad of investigators from the elite Major Case Unit, went around veryifying signatures of campaign workers of a candidate for sheriff. They were authorized to work 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, including overtime and holidays. The Major Case Squad only investigates murders, armed bank robberies, forcible rape, etc. They DO NOT go door to door asking if this is your signature. This is the reason why there are currently two outside law enforcement agencies investigating what the heck really happened in that case. In the very near future, the whole corrupt house of cards is going to come crashing down, and the good old boys have nobody to blame but themselves.