The state's top ethics watchdog has slapped former Spitzer aide Darren Dopp with the maximum $10,000 fine for his role in orchestrating in disgraced governor's Dirty Tricks plot.The action by the state Commission on Public Integrity comes more than a year after it released a blistering report detailing the effort in 2007 to discredit then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, a Republican, by leaking confidential police information to the Albany Times Union newspaper.
Two other former Spitzer aides were spared fines after pleading guilty to civil charges in 2008, but Dopp, the governor's former communications director, decided to fight. A hearing officer who reviewed the case issued a report in August supporting the commission's action.
In a statement, Commission Chairman Michael Cherkasky slammed Dopp for misusing Bruno's state police security detail to spy on the former Senate leader.
"Such misconduct erodes public confidence in both the integrity and the independence of our state police," Cherkasky said. "To assess him anything other than the maximum penalty would send the wrong signal to those who might consider similar actions in the future."
Dopp, who said he learned about the fine from The Post, said he intended to sue the commission.
"With this decision, I become the first public information officer in history to be sanctioned for releasing public records in response to a media request," Dopp said. "This decision is unfounded, erroneous and tainted."