Sheldon Silver Piles On David Paterson in Aqueduct Scandal

By Roy Edroso Thu., Feb. 11 2010 at 5:12 PM

Categories: Albany, Featured, Politics

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver piles on Governor Paterson in the Aqueduct Video Lotto mess, sending a letter to state inspector general Joseph Fisch asking the IG to conduct a review to determine "whether the Division of the Lottery and relevant state agencies followed all applicable statutory provisions," and to "inquire how the Division of the Lottery will assure that the conditions I conveyed to the Governor on January 29, and restated in my February 3rd letter to him, are met."

The February 3rd letter to which Silver refers was excerpted in the New York Post immediately after dispatch, and described by them as "unusually blunt and threatening." (See, that's the way friends treat friends!)

Among the letter's conditions: $300 million up front from Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG), whose selection by the Governor for the Aqueduct video lottery contract, which Tom Robbins calls "deeply bizarre," is now under investigation.

Paterson had previously announced he expected to get $200 million out of the proposed "racino" at Aqueduct. It may be that by requiring the shady AEG to come up with so much cash up front, Silver thinks he can sink the deal. If nothing else he's just increased the headache of a governor with whom he has no love lost.

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