Some in GOP May Want Spitzer Scandal To End

Some Senate Republicans are privately questioning if they've gone too far in pursuing the scandal they affectionately call "Troopergate" against Governor Spitzer and trying to force information out of an embattled administration.

For Senate Republicans, the scandal has been an endless gift. With an assist from Attorney General Cuomo's office, whose July report critical of the Spitzer administration triggered the controversy, Republicans were able to deflect charges that their leader, Joseph Bruno, had abused state aircraft privileges. They instead turned public attention to what they said was the governor's own ethical shortcomings.

After spending three months accusing the Spitzer administration of covering up a plot to smear Mr. Bruno, a Senate investigative committee on Friday escalated the conflict by subpoenaing two of the governor's aides and demanding that his office turn over a wide range of internal documents and e-mails that Republicans hope will shed light on the executive chamber's actions.

While the consensus among Senate Republicans is that Mr. Spitzer and his aides haven't told the whole story about their effort to gather private records concerning Mr. Bruno from state police, Republicans say opinion is divided as to whether the conference is making a mistake by risking a backlash from New Yorkers eager for other news to come out of Albany.

"I think you could pick up the phone and call a dozen Senate Republicans, and I think privately they'll all tell you it's time to move on and get something done," a Senate Republican who wished not to be identified said in an interview. "At the same time, we all think the governor lied. We're waiting to see if one more shoe will drop."

The senator said that Republicans wonder whether they're beating an empty piñata, especially in the wake of a report by Albany County's district attorney, clearing the governor's office of any wrongdoing.

"It reaches a point … where you have done all the damage you could do to him on this issue, and you have to move on," the senator said, referring to Mr. Spitzer. "And we're very close to that point."

Recent polls have shown that most New Yorkers say they would like Mr. Spitzer to testify under oath about his knowledge of "Troopergate." Only a small fraction — according to one poll, 12% — say getting to the bottom of the controversy ought to be a top priority for state government. The governor's approval ratings, which in July sank below 50%, have appeared to level off.

Meanwhile, state Democrats have responded to the subpoenas by accusing Mr. Bruno of engaging in a partisan fishing expedition and have renewed their criticism of the Senate leader's past usage of the state's executive air fleet for business trips to New York City that coincided with fund-raisers and meetings with lobbyists.

Senator Martin Golden of Brooklyn said he and his fellow Republicans have an obligation to find out the facts about what happened between the governor's office and the state police. "We should get to the bottom of it, and after we get to the bottom of it, we should move on," he said. "Whether you hit a wall or don't, you have to strive for what's right."