Caroline Kennedy Leaks May Be Probed By New York Ethics Panel

New York Times:

ALBANY -- The state's top ethics panel is reviewing a request from three government watchdog groups to investigate the Paterson administration's leaks of confidential information provided by Caroline Kennedy when she was seeking appointment to the United States Senate.

The ethics panel, the Commission on Public Integrity, is reviewing the request and has not decided whether to undertake an inquiry, its spokesman said on Thursday.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[MocksNix]

It was for the best that poor, inarticulate Caroline had enough sense to see she was being made a fool of. Patterson, with great pity, decency and kindness took her by the arm and led her away from humiliation.

[glorialovelace]

In claiming that Governor Paterson violated Kennedy's confidence in revealing material from the form she and the others were asked to fill out, the ethics folks are essentially saying that Caroline Kennedy actually had "undocumented nanny" and tax problems -- and whatever other problems were supposed leaked by Paterson's PR people.

Since she had withdrawn of her own volition, wouldn't it be better for her if the Ethics Committee left this matter alone? Nobody knew for certain what her reasons were for removing herself from consideration, but now they will know.

[NCYvonne]

For someone so invested in maligning Caroline Kennedy, your ignorance of the facts is stunning.

Caroline Kennedy did have a nanny problem, for about a month 20 years ago. She did have a tax problem for about a month 15 years ago. No one, including Paterson, considered these disclosures to be a hindrance to her candidacy since she corrected them immediately upon learning about them--instead of waiting until she was seeking public office.

So the fact that Paterson disclosed information that was (a) confidential and (b) not disqualifying in an attempt to discredit CK should make you wonder about the governor's integrity. Wait until he wants to discredit Gillibrand. I doubt you'll have the same response.

[glorialovelace]

Why should I know about Caroline's nanny and tax problems? And why should you?

I have no interest in discrediting Caroline Kennedy. She is of little interest to me. What is of interest to me is who represents me in Washington, however.

I do, however, have an interest in discrediting floons from out of state who think New York should be represented by some idle housewife whose claim to fame is that she has famous relatives.

If and when Ms. Kennedy earns her stripes, I assure you I will be her most aggressive booster.

I do not envision a scenario where Governor Paterson will want to discredit Senator Gillibrand.

[Dbos]

Wow I think she was trying to help the country . She knew there would be a fire storm as soon as the Kennedy name came up .

[Guytar]

Dbos - You are so right. Caroline Kennedy wrote an editorial for the New York Times in January 2008 with the headline " A President Like My Father". The next day, her unlce Senator Ted Kennedy gave his endorsement to Obama. From then on, senior Democrats all over the US started to give their endorsements to Obama one by one, day by day. If the Kennedys had made the expected choice to support Hillary Clinton at that time, Obama would not be President today.

Caroline realised how much she could do to help the new President. She put up her hand for nomination to Hillary's vacant NY Senate seat. Governor Paterson turned the process into a farce, for his own self-serving reasons. No wonder she walked away on her own terms.

Caroline was a hot flame in the fire storm that that helped bring Obama to the Presidency. I hope she runs for the NY Senate in 2010. I would love to eventually see her become the first woman as President or Vice-President of the US.

[glorialovelace]

"If the Kennedys had made the expected choice to support Hillary Clinton at that time, Obama would not be President today."

I think you are wrong about that. In every state where the Kennedys campaigned for Obama during the primary process -- Obama lost.

The very title of Caroline's editorial, " A President Like My Father," shows the extent to which she has been attempting to pole-vault on her father's name and reputation. His brief administration has been misremembered and thanks to PR hype, grossly overrated. Simply put, we would not WANT a President like her father.

As for Caroline becoming President some day, her lack of the personal skills that this position requires makes that wish extremely unrealistic. If she were to serve as VP, it would have to be in the honorary, "bucket of warm pi ss" version of that job.

[funkalicious]

Cringe Worthy Candidate Kennedy Squeezes Sour Grapes.

Caroline should learn how to vote in general elections, before even dreaming of the Senate.
A very kind woman competent at raising money has a public voice that is heard why dredge up the crap in her life now?
Umm ahh umm maybe umm she wants Cuomo to win the governor's seat in NY because honestly with out the royal appointment I don't think she will win over NY State Voters.

Maybe Caroline you should take the fight to the Pope and explain how birth control can and will prevent poverty through out the world. And that condoms may not prevent every incidence of AIDs but it is better option than wishful prayer. Caroline may also explain to the Pope that celibacy is a practice that most people are not good at.

[NCYvonne]

John Edwards never voted before running for the Senate. Didn't stop him. He also rarely voted for progressive issues while in the Senate. Didn't stop him from running as an uber-liberal. What a joke!

[glorialovelace]

John Edwards offers an object lesson about the sort of public servant you get when you elect somebody to the Senate who never voted.

[Independent voter]

Hillary Clinton wanted to make sure that she could get her NY senate job back after she was done with the SOS role. Hillary knew that she would be unable to dislodge Caroline, so Hillary conned Patterson into doing the dirt.

The Clintons won't allow an investigation

[ESerafina42]

And you know this how?

[Liberal2]

His tinfoil beanie came with an attachable antenna in order to receive encoded messages from Cheney's secret bunker.

[Guytar]

Clintons were devastated when Caroline and Ted Kennedy formally endorsed Obama. Up till then, most people assumed that Hillary was virtually guaranteed the nomination.
The intense anti-Caroline campaign during the Senate appontment debacle was obviously partly the work of Clinton surrogates. Clintons have a long and well-earned reputation for vindictive retaliation against their opponents.

[JakeMontero]

i thought the issue was that she was probed by someone other than her husband?

[Okieborn]

I see the Clintons involved in this Patterson deal !!!
Ted Wouldn't go with the Clinton ticket so we will just get even !!
Typical Bill and Hillary !!!

[independentjukebox]

you see clintons every where!

what the hell did they have to do w/ this- and who died and said they had to do anything to begin with. Not like a Republican was chosen to get the seat.

[hotwire]

Hey Patterson, ya learned a good lesson here, Don't PO the kennedys.

[independentjukebox]

Go way caroline! ... you were not ready nor did you have the backbone to be a senator from NY taking hillary's place. Your last name does not equate to handing you the job .

[fallout4U]

"Kennedy "and "ethics" do not belong in the same sentence.

[montecarlo408]

She is not her family. She has not been anything but generous, upstanding, and a great American citizen. My father beat my mother, never held a real job, and shot his second wife, but I certainly wouldn't want someone not giving me the benefit of the doubt.

[fallout4U]

Fair enough. Good for you if they didn't drag you down.

[glorialovelace]

If not for her family and its name, why else would she even have been considered? Would an obscure Park Avenue matron named Caroline Smith have been appointed by our Governor?

Since she was pole-vaulting on being a Kennedy, then she needs to be judged by what -- to many of us -- the Kennedy name really stands for.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Misleading headline, HuffPo.

Leaking personal information is not a good thing no matter who does it or whom the target.

Remember Plamegate? The only difference here is that the leaks weren't life threatening. OK, that's a big difference, but they did smear Kennedy's reputation and from the article they were false. Which makes it slander.

[sandals]

Well, sometimes people are just mean spirited or just jealous. Alot of Politicians have had not experience in politics and are elected into office.
She would have only been seated until the re-election in 2010, here she was judged more because of her name and not who she really is, a person who has been out behind the scenes doing things for the state of New York and for the City.
But again we judge first and worry about the facts later.
So after all of the Caroline bashing New York are you really satisfied with who you GOT!

[Prism]

YES! Gillibrand is terrific.

[glorialovelace]

We are very satisfied with Gillibrand. She is a great senator -- the best!!

[cocolola]

I'm not satisfied. She's pro-NRA and Carolyn McCarthy will make quick work of her at next REAL election.

[Martha12]

Of course Hillary Clinton WAS completely qualified to be senator of a state she had never lived in, until she wanted to qualify.

What a joke!

[swo68]

Wasn't Hillary elected by the people?

[yellowdoggie]

Let's see. She was at least 30 years old. She was a legal resident of that state. I guess she was qualified, unless you know something about the qualifications that we don't.

[yellowdoggie]

Sorry, swo. I mean't to reply to Martha, not you.

[numbnuts]

Such mean spirited negative comments.
Did we wake up on the wrong side of our personalities?

[glorialovelace]

Since when are only happy, jolly, cheerful comments are allowed on HP? If we feel negatively about Ms. Kennedy, why shouldn't we say so?

[MocksNix]

Caroline should be grateful Patterson saved her from further embarrassment..

[PalmG]

Ditto.

[Prism]

Amen to that! A lovely, meek woman totally out of her depth.