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Aug 9, 2007 6:58 pm US/Eastern
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Dems Fight To Protect Spitzer At Senate Hearing
'Troopergate' Scandal Is Not Going Away Any Time Soon
by Marcia Kramer
ALBANY (CBS) ―
It was the information the Democrats fought desperately to keep private -- embarrassing new details about Gov. Eliot Spitzer and the "troopergate" scandal.
Democrats tried to stonewall, tried to prevent info embarrassing to Spitzer from being made public at a State Senate hearing Monday.
"I object to going down this road," state Sen. Thomas Duane, D-Manhattan, said.
Responded Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira: "I am frankly flabbergasted that you don't want to know more of the details."
Republicans demanded to press forward, grilling a member of the governor's own Inspector General Office about the administration's attempt to damage Republican Senate Leader Joe Bruno. The partisan fight then got ugly.
"This does not relate to what the committee is charged with doing today," Duane said.
Replied Winner: "Sen. Duane, do not interrupt me anymore."
Democrats were apparently so concerned about protecting the governor that they engaged the help of Joe Sandler, a special council from the Democratic National Committee, but they couldn't plug all the holes
"Senators, I can't emphasize enough how unique this case is," said Nelson Sheingold of the Inspector General's Office.
How unique? The governor's probers had to stop when they discovered the man they report to, Spitzer's chief of staff, Rich Baum, may have been involved.
"There's never been a substantially similar matter to the extent that the very person we report to is alleged to have played a roll in any alleged misconduct," Sheingold said.
If Monday's hearing is any indication there is still plenty more to come in the so-called "troopergate" scandal.
The Albany County DA and State Ethics Commission are conducting their own probes of the case.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)