ALBANY

GOP LEADERS TO DECIDE DEC. 12 ON GOVERNOR, SENATE CANDIDATES

Senior New York Republican Party leaders, coming off local setbacks in this month’s elections, met behind closed doors yesterday and decided to endorse 2006 candidates for governor and the U.S. Senate in just three weeks. The state GOP chairman, Stephen Minarik, said New York’s 62 county chairmen would be called together December 12 for a meeting in Albany to debate the merits of their favorite candidates. “At the end of the day, we’re going to endorse a candidate for U.S. Senate and for governor. That’s for sure going to happen,” Mr. Minarik told reporters outside state GOP headquarters, where he met privately with the party’s vice chairmen from across the state. Mr. Minarik is favoring the gubernatorial candidacy of the former Massachusetts governor, Bill Weld, a native New Yorker, and the Senate candidacy of the Westchester County district attorney, Jeanine Pirro.

– Associated Press

POLICE BLOTTER

CUSTOMER ATTACKS EMPLOYEE IN STORE

A man spent a few hours mulling over items to purchase in a Chelsea pet store before allegedly robbing and then sexually abusing an employee yesterday, police said. At around 1 p.m. a man in his 20s entered Spot on Seventh Avenue, on the corner of15th Street, law enforcement officials said. He spent two hours picking up merchandise and putting it back, police said. He finally settled on four items and wanted to pay with a $50 bill. The sales clerk, who is about 23 years old, said she did not have enough change to complete the sale. She called a co-worker who lives nearby and he came to the store and inspected the bill. One of the employees went to get change, police said, but it was not immediately clear which one. After the sale was finalized, the co-worker left, and the sales clerk and the customer were left alone in the store. The assailant pulled out a knife, which police did not recover, demanded the money from the cash register, and stole the clerk’s iPod. The man allegedly forced the woman into the back room, where he instructed her to take off her blouse and bra. He molested her for about 15 minutes, law enforcement officials said. The suspect told the woman to remain in the back of the store. When she returned to the front of the store, the man had fled. The woman went next door to tell a neighbor what had happened. They called 911,police arrived, and the woman was taken to an area hospital for treatment. Police were searching for the assailant last night.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

STATEWIDE

FORMER NONPROFIT OFFICIALS SETTLE CASE FOR $790,000

Three former officials of a nonprofit housing program for people with AIDS and HIV settled an investigation into allegations they used agency funds to create and operate competing homeless shelters. The state attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, said $790,000 will be returned to the housing program, the Praxis Housing Initiative based in Manhattan. Mr. Spitzer accused the former executive director, Gordon Duggins, and the former president, Sterling Zinsmeyer, of using Praxis’s funds, staff, and reputation to expand “their portfolio of properties” into Brooklyn and elsewhere in Manhattan. Also settling the case was lawyer Dwight Kinsey, who served as a director and corporate counsel of Praxis.

– Associated Press