Dec 5, 2005 6:30 pm US/Eastern
Family Drama In Pirro-For-Senate Campaign
by Tony Aiello
WHITE PLAINS (AP) ―
The Jeanine Pirro saga turned more bizarre Monday as a New York City tabloid reported that her husband, without her knowledge, was pushing an effort to get her out of the U.S. Senate race and into a run for state attorney general.
Albert Pirro issued a statement late Monday afternoon that did not deny the report, but said "any private conversations I have had were solely intended to support Jeanine's political aspirations."
Last week, the state Senate's Republican majority leader, Joseph Bruno, stunned the GOP establishment by publicly calling on Pirro to give up her quest for the party's 2006 nomination to challenge Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and run instead for attorney general.
That led to a two-hour private session between Pirro and Republican Gov. George Pataki on Friday after which the Westchester County district attorney said she remained a Senate candidate, "right now."
The New York Post on Monday, citing unidentified sources close to Pataki and Bruno, said the effort to get Pirro out of the Senate race began after her lawyer-lobbyist husband reached out to a top Bruno aide and asked that the Senate leader encourage the switch.
The Post said the effort eventually involved Albert Pirro, Bruno and even Pataki.
On Monday, Bruno spokesman John McArdle confirmed that Albert Pirro, who has served time in federal prison on tax fraud charges, had discussed his wife's candidacy with a top aide to the Senate leader. But McArdle refused to provide specifics about the discussion.
"My wife made it very clear on Friday that she is a candidate for U.S. Senate, and I fully support her decision," Albert Pirro's statement said.
His wife issued her own statement that said: "Any discussions my husband may have had were with my best interest at heart. Any other suggestion is ridiculous."
Pirro did not say if she knew beforehand about any discussions her husband may have had on the subject.
Pataki spokesman David Catalfamo said the governor "is not part of any cabal."
"The governor has endorsed her for the Senate and enthusiastically supports her," Catalfamo said before adding what has become a standard response to questions about Pirro's future.
"He thinks she is a great candidate for any statewide office."
Pirro's Senate campaign has struggled since she announced her candidacy on Aug. 8 and has had trouble raising money.
Polls show Clinton far ahead of Pirro and other potential GOP challengers.
The state's 62 county chairmen are scheduled to meet in Albany next week, a session that is expected to focus heavily on whether Pirro should switch races. The GOP leaders are also still debating who they should back for governor given Pataki's decision not to seek a fourth term next year.
Clinton, asked during a stop in Syracuse about the latest twist in the Pirro campaign, demurred.
"I will wait for the Republicans to sort out their own political situation," said the former first lady. "I have more than I can say grace over on my own side of the campaign ledger
(© 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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