New York governor charged with breaking ethics law

[The Northerner]

Source: Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Already caught up in a scandal involving a close aide, embattled New York Governor David Paterson was charged on Wednesday by the state's ethics watchdog for unlawfully taking free baseball tickets to the 2009 World Series.

The charge came days after Paterson ditched his short-lived campaign for a new term in office following revelations that he and state police had spoken with a woman who accused a top governor's aide, David Johnson, of assault last year.

After speaking with Paterson, the woman failed to appear in court and her case was dismissed, according to The New York Times, which first reported the story.

Johnson, who has been suspended without pay, was named in the report by New York's Commission on Public Integrity as one of the recipients of the free tickets.

The ethics commission charged Paterson in a 17-page report with violating a ban on free gifts for public officials, and lying about it. He faces civil penalties of at least $40,000 if found guilty.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6225A520100304

[LiberalFighter]

1. I hope that there is a crime for whoever knowlingly gave free tickets illegally to the Governor.

If they did so freely without coercion. But of course they probably didn't think it was illegal.

[brendan120678]

2. Paterson is one of the...

biggest embarrassments that New York has ever had.

I am so glad that I do not live there anymore.

[Kingofalldems]

3. Bad things about Democrats--

Day in and day out.

[Glorfindel]

4. A Repuke governor doing the same thing wouldn't even rate a yawn...

Before long, being an elected Democrat will bring an automatic indictment, I'm afraid. :puke:

[tom_paine]

7. Bingo. Bushification of Law Enforcement, Justice, Media, and damned near everything else

has created a double-standard the Soviets or Nazis would envy and recognize.

Don't kid yourself, the Bushified NSA and Total Information Awareness means they can target Democrats with impunity because even the smallest infraction can be publicized.

There's no stopping it now. We are far past the "tipping point".

Our choicesd for the future remain The Ruthless Yet Controlled Far-Right Corporate Neofeudalist State, Inverted Totalitarianism, or the more, shall we say Classical Totalitarianism practiced by Soviets, Nazis and others of their ilk.

In the long run, my money's on the latter because the American Corporatists think they can control the demons they have awakened in our National Mind. So did the German Industrialists of the 1920s and 30s.

[NYC Liberal]

9. Very true. But the solution is to crack down on the corrupt Repukes

and not let ANYONE off.

[atreides1]

10. Great Solution

Not very realistic, but still great.

[L0oniX]

5. Big deal ...and petty. What about the war criminals? What about the bsnksters?

[nyc 4 Biden]

6. If it were the Mets in the W.S., I wouldn't have a problem....

...but for the Yankees!? What a waste.

[Psephos]

8. WTF is going on in NY? Paterson, Rangel, and Massa...and that's just one day's worth. n/t