Regulator Says She Was Bullied By Spitzer Aide
ALBANY — A commissioner on the state panel that regulates utilities said yesterday she was threatened by a Spitzer administration official to back off her efforts to investigate Consolidated Edison over last summer's blackout.
The accusation came from Public Service Commission member Cheryl Buley, who was appointed last year by Governor Pataki. She announced during the commission's meeting that Spitzer appointee Steven Mitnick had threatened her career five or six times since the Democratic governor took office January 1.
"I felt threatened," she told reporters. Asked if she felt the comments were meant to stave off an Assembly push for a quicker investigation of Con Edison, Ms. Buley said: "That's a good inference."
During the meeting, Ms. Buley said Mr. Mitnick advised her not to continue pressing the panel to start its "prudence investigation" of the blackout in New York City and not to support the effort by Democratic Assembly members months ago to force an investigation into whether Con Edison's actions were reasonable and appropriate.
Mr. Spitzer appointed Mr. Mitnick, then a lawyer in Washington who specialized in energy issues, to his administration in January.
"We are at a loss to explain Ms. Buley's comments," a Spitzer spokesman, Marc Violette, said. He said no one in the administration, including Mr. Mitnick, spoke to Ms. Buley to delay or avoid an investigation of the utility.
"In fact, we support such an action." Mr. Violette said.
Mr. Mitnick didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
