ALBANY - New York lawmakers elected Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli on Wednesday to be state comptroller, rejecting three finalists picked by a special panel of former comptrollers and dealing a political setback to Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Spitzer pushed for involving the former comptrollers to help ensure the next comptroller has sufficient experience and integrity to replace Alan Hevesi, who was re-elected in November only to resign in December after pleading guilty to using state workers to drive and run errands for his wife.
Last month, Wall Street financier Bill Mulrow, New York City financial officer Martha Stark and Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman were named finalists for the job by the three former state and New York City comptrollers chosen by Spitzer, a Democrat, and legislative leaders.
The choices of the former comptrollers stung Democrats in the Assembly majority who wanted an assemblyman to get the job. They said the process for picking the comptroller was flawed and that they were justified in defying Spitzer and picking someone not on the list of finalists.
Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Citizen.
Last month, Wall Street financier Bill Mulrow, New York City financial officer Martha Stark and Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman were named finalists for the job by the three former state and New York City comptrollers chosen by Spitzer, a Democrat, and legislative leaders.
The choices of the former comptrollers stung Democrats in the Assembly majority who wanted an assemblyman to get the job. They said the process for picking the comptroller was flawed and that they were justified in defying Spitzer and picking someone not on the list of finalists.
Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Citizen.
