On page 17 of the new "Choppergate" report released Friday by Albany D.A. David Soares, we see investigators asked the governor's communications director Darren Dopp about an e-mail he wrote to press secretary Christine Anderson referring to Times Union reporter James Odato: "Can you give him a buzz? Need to be nice to him. Gonna ask a big favor of him soon." Anderson replied, "No problem."
When asked to explain this, Dopp -- according to footnote number 11 in the report -- explained that Budget Director Paul Francis had made a "handshake promise" to "legislative leaders, not to release ['personal expenditures for their members']. Dopp stated that he believed Odato was entitled to these records."
Accepting this account leads us to surmise that these leaders (Senate's Bruno? Assembly's Silver? The minority leaders Smith and Tedisco?) didn't want Spitzer releasing details of such legislators' spending as office equipment, cell phone bills, flat-screen TV's for the office, whatever -- which at least in some legislatures make for embarrassing disclosures when released every now and then. It is unclear what else 'personal expenditures' might mean but certainly allows us to kick-start our imaginations.
Dan Janison
All expenditures are clearly public info, of course. If what's reported here is true, maybe the lawmakers wanted the ability to screen, stall and redact some stuff when reporters, goo-goos, or members of the public asked them for it.
What's interesting is that Dopp's account, if true, suggests some old Albany-style dealings ("pragmatism" some will call it) between the handshakers in different branches -- in contrast to the public partisan war that's broken out between Spitzer and the Bruno Senate.
Footnote to the footnote: In this rookie administration, those who watch these things say that Francis and adviser Lloyd Constantine represent one side of a factional divide and Dopp and Spitzer secretary Rich Baum the other.