"Valid Legal Basis" To Remove Hevesi
November 4th, 2006
Former federal prosecutor David Kelly, an adviser to Govenor George Pataki, released his report this morning on New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, finding that there was a “valid legal basis” to seek Hevesis removal from office for using a state employee to chauffeur his wife.
Link to the text of the report, courtesy of the New York Times, which also selected this excerpt from it:
As set forth below, it is my view that there is a valid legal basis for a recommendation to the Senate that the Comptroller be removed and that aggravating circumstances of his conduct may well warrant his removal from office. Nevertheless, without knowing the procedures the Senate will employ to hear the evidence, and until I have the opportunity to personally assess the witnesses and evidence rather than rely solely on the Commission Report, and thus be confident that evidence can withstand the most rigorous standards that the Senate could impose, I do not feel that I am in a position to advise you to proceed with a recommendation to the Senate for the Comptrollers removal.
Hevesis reaction in a statement: “The Governor’s special counsel declined to recommend removal. Now, five million voters can choose their next comptroller based on the records, performance, and qualifications of the two candidates.”
Comments on this development (so far):
On The Daily Politics:
Ari: Alan Hevesi is an embarrassment and has to go
QueensPoliticalJunkie: Agreed…he has to go. But please, don’t elect the Republican guy…he comes across as dumb and eerily creepy..
Dave: Actually, Callaghan isn’t all that badHe is a accountant with 35 years experience in government finance.there is no Republican or Democrat way to audit books or to hire money managers to invest a pension. But there is an honest and dishonest way.
On Gothamist:
NYC Voter: It’s important to note that the report also states that “a decision to seek removal would be premature at this time, “and that “the statutory provisions that the Comptroller is alleged to have violated are not criminal”
Darrin: Did Hevesi do wrong? Yes. Compared with the billions the republicans have stolen from us, the thousands their meaningless war has cost us, the freedoms they’ve taken from us… I’m voting for Hevesi
On Capitol Confidential, a blog of the Albany Times-Union: I would believe that the recent Hevesi investigations by Republicans have a shred of integrity had similar investigations been conducted on Patakis much more lucrative schemes this whole thing has been extremely partisan and intensely hypocritical from the get-go.
By Jonathan Mandell on November 4, 2006, 2:50 pmIn category: Albany, Electoral Politics, Governing, Public Finance | 2 Comments »

November 4th, 2006 at 11:08 pm
[...] – Valid Legal Basis To Remove HevesiGotham Gazette, NY - 7 hours ago… to Govenor George Pataki, released his report this morning on New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, finding that there was a valid legal basis to seek … [...]
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