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Jul 30, 2007 6:40 pm US/Eastern
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Spitzer Refuses Request For Special Prosecutor
Republicans Not Letting Go Of 'Troopergate' Scandal
by Marcia Kramer
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Gov. Eliot Spitzer has apologized and admitted "mistakes" in the so-called "troopergate" scandal, but Republicans on Monday said it's not enough. They want a special prosecutor with subpoena power.
"There were no violations of law," Spitzer said Thursday. "There were judgments, errors that were egregious that I have, I fully embraced."
No matter what he says, Spitzer just can't seem to close the book on the "troopergate" story.
"The Spitzer administration is facing serious and unanswered questions of integrity, propriety and trust," said state Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira.
On Monday, Winner, the head of the Senate Investigations Committee, called on Spitzer to appoint a special prosecutor to probe the dirty tricks campaign developed by his top aides to discredit Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Rensselaer.
"The appointment of a special prosecutor would authorize the interview of any individuals in the governor's executive chamber for the purpose of ascertaining the truth," Winner said.
The probe sought by Winner would include the governor's Communications Director, Darren Dopp, and Chief of Staff Richard Baum. It would reportedly also include two more staffers who according to published reports were given "special counsel" status, making them immune from questioning.
This comes as a new poll by the Siena College Research Institute found that by a margin of 58-21, New Yorkers don't believe Spitzer when he says he didn't know what his top aides were up to.
The governor's defenders say the whole thing has become political.
"The next election will be Democrats against Republicans," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan. "Republicans are trying to discredit the Democrats."
Spitzer flatly refused to name a special prosecutor.
With the governor's refusal, the Senate says its investigations committee will now do a probe.
Meanwhile, the governor is cooperating with a State Ethics Commission investigation. His office has turned over records, e-mails and other documents.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)