NY1 today ripped its top political reporter, Dominic Carter, for brazenly dropping the names of New York government big-shots and bragging about being a “very high-profile journalist” when he tried to win leniency from a judge in his domestic violence case last winter.
“Clearly, that kind of behavior is a violation of every principle of journalism and is something we would not tolerate,” said NY1 General Manager Steve Paulus, who added that he did not know if Carter would ever return to the Time Warner station.
Paulus said the station had not previously known that during a Dec. 11 hearing, Carter had dropped the names of former state Chief Judge Judith Kaye and Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau to a local Rockland County judge overseeing his assault case. The accused wife beater called them “personal” friends.
Judge Arnold Etelson snapped back, “Don’t start dropping names. You know better than that.”
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Carter also had noted that his wife, Marilyn, was featured in Oprah Winfrey’s magazine, and that he had been on the “cover of the New York Times and T.V. Guide.”
NY1 today gave strong signals that Carter – who is on “indefinite leave” because of his wife’s assault allegation – will not reappear on the airways.
“He’s off the air. His status as a NY1 employee is up in the air,” Paulus said. “Is he coming back? I could not answer that question.”
“He’s got his own personal issues.”
Carter said today at his house, “I wasn’t trying to drop names. I was trying to explain to the judge the sensitivity of the situation given that I have to cover these people.”
“My wish was I wanted it to go away. I covered those people and I couldn’t afford to have these sensitive matters out there.”
Of NY1, Carter said, “My colleagues have been extremely supportive. I’m embarrassed and apologetic for putting them through this.”
“Domestic violence is a serious issue. With this type of situation out there, I shouldn’t be on the air. But after this is all over, I hope I could go back on the air. But my career is greatly damaged. My character has been assassinated. All of my work for 25 years has gone out the window.”
Carter, 45, went on trial on a third-degree assault charge yesterday. Judge Etelson, who oversaw the bench trial, will issue a verdict next month.
The Post exclusively first revealed yesterday that Carter had been charged in October 2008 with beating his wife, Marilyn, in their Rockland County home.
In addition to that case, police were previously called multiple times to the Carter family residence, including for on instance in which Dominic was accused of choking Marilyn, and another time in which he allegedly pushed her.
But last Dec. 11 – at a time when those cases had not yet come to public attention – Carter desperately tried to get a Ramapo Justice Court judge to not order him to undergo counseling as part of a proposed resolution of the assault charge.
At that hearing, Marilyn told Etelson that she had lied in the police report detailing the assault. She said that the truth was what she had laid out in a prior letter to authorities: that she actually had been assaulted by a day laborer.
Etelson was willing to resolve the case that day by adjourning “in contemplation of dismissal” – which would have put the case on hold for one year. If Carter stayed out of trouble during that time, and complied with court-ordered counseling, the case then would be dismissed.
But Carter strenuously objected to mandated counseling.
“Your honor, my schedule does not permit for that [mandated counseling]. I didn’t do anything wrong, so I shouldn’t be mandate by the court to do anything.”
When Etelson asked, “What is your schedule?” Carter replied, “I’m a political journalist. I’m often off. For example I will be at the inauguration next month. I travel constantly.”
Carter told the judge that, as his wife had offered to do, he was willing to enter therapy, but he objected to being forced to go by the judge.
And when a prosecutor indicated that she wanted a filing made with the court that would allow her to force Carter to comply with the therapy before the case would be dismissed a year later, Carter got even more desperate.
“Your honor, with all due respect to the court, the nature of what I do for a living, my political enemies, if they get nature of this, it will end up in the Daily News.”
Etelson asked, “What do you think I’m going to do, put this in the Journal News?”
Carter replied, “You won’t, your honor, but I’m a very high-profile journalist.”
“My wife was profiled last month in Oprah Winfrey’s magazine. I’ve appeared on the cover of the New York Times and T.V. Guide. This is not fair.”
“I’ve covered the state attorney general and the chief judge of the court of the state of New York. [That judge] Judith Kaye is a personal friend. This is not fair. [Manhattan DA] Bob Morgenthau is a personal friend of mine.”
Etelson fired back, “Don’t start dropping names. You know better than that.”