By: Chuck Miller
history, Uncategorized

The top New York Governor Scandals of all-time

I’m telling you… I can’t wait for the big bombshell the New York Times plans to drop on Governor David Paterson.  I’ve heard every sort of rumor about what the big bombshell will be – does the Governor have another woman on the side, is he and his wife into “the lifestyle,” is this all a smear campaign orchestrated by the Republicans or the Tea Party or by the Illuminati…  Heck, for all we know, he could have illegally torn the tags off of a mattress.  For shame.

Pshaw.  Whatever it is, it can’t be as bad as what previous New York State governors have done in the past.

So with over 200 years of history in the New York State Legislature, let’s see what some of the biggest scandals that were caused, influenced by, or have been attached to governors of New York.

Let’s assume, first of all, that whatever David Paterson is involved with will be on the list.  We just don’t know what the scandal might be.

  1. John Tayler (acting Governor, 1817-1817).  It was at Tayler’s dinner party in 1804 that Alexander Hamilton had some choice words about this fellow named Aaron Burr.  This of course led to a very famous duel.
  2. Martin Van Buren (Governor, 1829-1829) Began the Albany Regency, one of the early political machines.  It lasted from 1822 to 1838, when another member of the Albany Regency, Governor William L. Marcy, lost a re-election bid.
  3. John Thompson Hoffman (Governor, 1866-1868).  Worked very closely with the boss of New York City’s Tammany Hall, William Tweed.  The association with the Tweed Ring and Tammany Hall tainted Hoffman’s political career forever.
  4. William Sulzer (Governor, 1913-1913).  Diverted campaign funds.  Was impeached in 1913, the first Governor of this state to be removed from office in such a fashion.
  5. Hugh Carey (Governor, 1975-1982).  I think near the end of his career, Carey got a bit loopy.  I still recall reading a newspaper article about how would have no fear in drinking a glass of PCB’s.
  6. Eliot Spitzer (Governor, 2007-2008).  Ashley Alexandre Dupre.  Client .  Do I really need to re-hash this?

So take heart, Governor Patterson.  No matter what the New York Times has on you, at least you never threatened to drink a glass of PCB’s – and I highly doubt that any of your dinner parties were the impetus for a future duel.  Unless you had Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton over for Sunday brunch one time…