J. Christopher Callaghan, the little-known Republican challenger in the race for comptroller, went after Alan Hevesi this morning over Hevesi’s failure to pay for a state employee who drove his wife around.
Addressing the fall meeting of the New York Association of Counties in Lake George, Callaghan said, "It's great to be among good honest folk and away from Albany, city of mandates, regulations, chauffeurs."
He also said Hevesi had not said whether or not he would debate him. “Procrastination seems to be a theme with him,” Callaghan said, a reference to Hevesi’s delinquency for the driving services.
It’s pretty clear that Hevesi has been coasting in his reelection bid. The comptroller has been flying so low he does not even have a campaign web site. At the rate Callaghan is issuing press releases though, Hevesi might want to build up his defenses.
Hevesi, appearing publicly for the first time since he was hit by the scandal, apologized to taxpayers and sought to reassure the representatives at the meeting that they could still trust him.
"I'm taking a pounding and it's well deserved," he said.
The pounding didn't stop after he left. Republican gubernatorial nominee John Faso told the same group that Hevesi should resign. Faso said he has never been as disappointed in a public official as he is in Hevesi. "It's an outrage," he said.
Comments (2)
What's the substantive difference between what Hevesi did and the school administrators in Roslyn did?
Why is the toothless Ethics Commission investigating him instead of a more forceful agency?
Where is the outrage from our local officials including DA Rice and County Executive Suozzi, both self proclaimed "reformers"?
Am I missing something here? Didn't Hevesi admit to comitting a felony? He took $82,000 (plus) in public money (services) without authorization. Why is anyone still talking about an investigation? Shouldn't he have been booked already?