ALBANY — The inspector general’s scathing report on the Aqueduct corruption scandal could hand control of the Senate back to the Republicans and take down Democratic Sen. Eric Schneiderman’s front-running campaign for attorney general, political insiders said yesterday.
Republicans could barely contain their glee as Inspector General Joseph Fisch, a lifelong Democrat appointed by Gov. Paterson, issued a shocking report on the unethical and possibly criminal conduct of some of the state’s most important Democratic officials — including the two top leaders of the Senate.
“This is a game changer for the entire election cycle,” crowed John McArdle, communications director for Senate Republican Minority Leader Dean Skelos.
“There is no question that this will be used in all our campaigns around the state. The commercials, in fact, are being prepared as we speak.”
One of the state’s most prominent Democrats told The Post, “Coming less than two weeks before Election Day, this report will kill the Senate Democrats, and it could take down Schneiderman.”
The IG ripped Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson (Brooklyn) and Senate President Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) for working behind the scenes with lobbyists and friends on behalf of their favored Aqueduct slot-machine vendor, Aqueduct Entertainment Group, even while insisting that all six bidders were being given a fair hearing.
Democrat Schneiderman, a self-proclaimed champion of reform, is politically joined at the hip with Sampson and Smith, holding the title of deputy majority leader for policy.
“Schneiderman voted for Malcolm Smith to be the leader. He has taken campaign contributions from Smith and John Sampson,” Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, Schneiderman’s opponent in the race for attorney general, told The Post.
“I don’t know how, as attorney general, people could still have faith that he could investigate and root out corruption because of the political favors he has received,” Donovan continued.