Friday, December 22, 2006
NY comptroller resigns after pleading guilty to felony
Hevesi "Mug" shot courtesy of Liz Benjamin(Capitol Confidential)Finally the Hevesi Saga ends........what a tragic end to a wonderful career......."stupid" "stupid" "stupid" ...........this is what he must be muttering to himself now......................I took a few of the hundreds of stories and listed them below........now it is time......to find Hevesi's replacement...whatever your opinion of this mess....one thing everybody seems to agree on..Alan was a damn good comptroller...his skills will be missed.................andy
Reuters
"ALBANY, New York (Reuters) - New York state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, the state's top fiscal officer, resigned on Friday after pleading guilty to a felony charge of defrauding the government, state authorities said.
The guilty plea before Albany County Judge Stephen Herrick stemmed from a criminal probe into Hevesi's use of state workers to chauffeur his wife and his failure to immediately reimburse the state.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 9.
The felony charge carries a sentence of up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine but a spokeswoman for Albany County District Attorney David Soares told reporters that under the plea agreement, Hevesi is not likely to serve any prison time."
AP has NY Official Resigns Over Driver Scandal ..................
""I want to apologize to the people of New York state who have given me the opportunity to serve them," Hevesi said after a court appearance. "I want to apologize to the 2,400 professionals who work in the comptroller's office and I want to apologize to my family who have been so strong and loving during this process."
In court, Hevesi acknowledged that he used a state employee to provide services for his wife that "could not be properly characterized as security" during 2005 and 2006.
Hevesi admitted to defrauding the government, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 1 1/3 to four years in prison. He must submit DNA for the state's databank and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 9."
The NY Times comments In This Election for Comptroller, Just 107 Votes Needed to Win
"ALBANY, Dec. 31 — The expected resignation of the state comptroller, Alan G. Hevesi, means that just weeks after his re-election, a new comptroller will be chosen not by the voters but by the 212 members of the State Legislature. The strange campaign to succeed him has already begun, just barely under the radar screen.
Math dictates that Democrats, and particularly the Assembly Democrats, will play the deciding role in choosing Mr. Hevesi’s successor. Winning the post requires the votes of 107 lawmakers, and there are 108 Democrats in the incoming Assembly, essentially giving them, and primarily Speaker Sheldon Silver, the power to replace Mr. Hevesi.
But several Democrats said that they expect the Assembly to consult the incoming Democratic governor, Eliot Spitzer, on the choice, and give weight to his views."
The Politicker has Details of Hevesi's Plea Deal and Elizabeth Benjamin(Capitol Confidential) has
Hevesi’s Ride Ends. and The Pension Question (Updated) and Soares: There’s More Where That Came From. .........................andy
