Hevesi's Security Detail Twice the Size of Spitzer's

ALBANY (1010 WINS)  -- State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who is already accused of misusing a staffer to chauffeur his ailing wife, has twice as many staffers assigned to driving and personal security than a comparable office, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

The state civil service records show that the comptroller's office has seven people on staff listed as "confidential aides." They provide security and transportation for Hevesi and others in the office. Two are assigned to Hevesi at a time, a driver and a bodyguard, Hevesi spokesman Jeffrey Gordon told Newsday, who first reported the disparity in its Saturday editions. They are retired police officers and detectives.

Their salaries, including the staffer who drove Hevesi's wife, added up to $486,903 last year, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request.

Hevesi spokesman David Neustadt had no comment on the disparity between Hevesi and Spitzer's detail.

"Alan Hevesi has said repeatedly that he has received a number of threats over the years and thinks his security level is appropriate, given those threats and the world we live in," Neustadt said Saturday.

"Alan Hevesi is not Donald Trump. He is not a movie star," said state Republican Party chairman Stephen Minarik on Saturday. "He is not the crown prince of New York State. He is a comptroller, and he's supposed to be protecting taxpayers, not ripping them off to pay for his own personal lifestyle."

Last month, Hevesi, a Queens Democrat, acknowledged he used one of the confidential aides as a chauffeur for his ailing wife since 2003. Hevesi apologized for what he termed a "very serious error" and repaid the state almost $83,000. He said the driver/security guard was needed and approved by the state Ethics Commission because of threats he's received in past years.

The state Ethics Commission last week accused Hevesi of violating state law, concluding he never intended to reimburse the state for his wife's driver. Albany County District Attorney David Soares is conducting a criminal investigation into the matter.

The candidates for attorney general who could be involved in any Hevesi prosecution come January also weighed in Saturday.

Democratic front-runner Andrew Cuomo called on his Republican opponent, Jeanine Pirro, to stop her latest television ad that says Cuomo "refused to say he'd prosecute Hevesi. In fact, Cuomo still endorsed his re-election."

"From the get-go, I said, `Yes, I would prosecute the case,'" Cuomo said Saturday. His campaign released several news items and the press releases of Republican leaders who noted that Cuomo said he would prosecute Hevesi. "It's not just her word against mine, it's everyone in her own party reiterating it," Cuomo said. "This is a false statement."

Cuomo also said he never endorsed Hevesi so there was nothing to withdraw.

Told this, Pirro spokesman John Gallagher said he stands by the ad because Cuomo in the recent debate said he would wait for a referral from the state Ethics Commission before deciding to act.

Pirro wouldn't wait for a referral, Gallagher said. She would seek the referral and also start her own civil investigation under the state's anti-corruption Tweed law.

"He doesn't understand the law and he won't be able to reform Albany," Gallagher said.

Hevesi, seeking a second four-year term, faces Republican J. Christopher Callaghan in the November election.