SYRACUSE -- Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was in Syracuse Thursday afternoon, giving a speech at Syracuse University’s Maxwell Auditorium on the role of government in the current economic crisis.
The man once known as the “Sheriff of Wall Street” has had some of his own troubles in the past, most notably his resignation from office in 2008 after being involved in a prostitution scandal. This is the first time Spitzer has been to Syracuse since his resignation.
Before his speech, Spitzer sat down with CNY Central reporter Lisa Spitz to discuss a range of topics including his career, the economy, and reports of an alleged scandal involving his succesor, Governor David Paterson. Here are a few transcribed excerpts from that interview:
Question: There are reports you are going to run for state comptroller, could you be elected?
"I have no idea and I haven't thought about it because I'm not planning to give it a shot. I love politics, I miss it, I want to participate but there are many ways to do that beyond running for office." When asked if he's ruling it out, Spitzer responded he's "Not thinking about it."
Question: You seem to enjoy going around and talking about financial issues, it's almost like image rehab. How do you think it's going?
"I'm flattered when people ask me to speak and I've probably accepted less than 1 percent of the offers but I'm not sure I'd say rehab in the sense that I don't think people will or should forget why I'm no longer governor and I hope people appreciate that this has been enormously painful for me. I don't ask for anybody's sympathy, this was purely self inflicted so I don't see it as rehab, I'm flattered to have been asked to speak but I don't think people will or should forget."
Question: Besides the obviously, any lessons learned in the last two years?
"A sense of where joy really comes from and I think it is a painful lesson for me. It has been painful over the last two years to learn it that way but I think its something that certainly been well learned."
Question: There are reports there is going to be this article out alleging some type of scandal with Governor Paterson. What advice do you have for him?
"I know nothing about what that is or isn't other than having seen his absolute denial. His statement in fact after he met with the reporters who are supposedly writing this, saying there's nothing to it. I guess my view on that story is we have to wait and see what, if anything, it is. If it turns out not to be anything then I think in a way those who have ginned up this atmosphere here need to do some self reflection because it will then have been genuinely unfair and also damaging to him and to the public."
Click on the video link to watch Lisa’s full interview with the former governor.
