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SPIN CYCLE: Ex-LIPA chief may win this power play

DAN JANISON | dan.janison@newsday.com

June 16, 2008

The resignation of New York Power Authority's chief executive appears related, in some measure, to an uproar over the agency's former inspector general, who's the focus of a widely publicized state-police probe headed by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Insiders expect Roger Kelley's Aug. 1 departure as the authority's president to clear the way for Gov. David A. Paterson to tap Richard Kessel, the former Long Island Power Authority chairman, for the post that paid Kelley, an appointee of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, $235,000 a year.

Cuomo's office has been inquiring about NYPA's ex-inspector general, Daniel Wiese, a former top state police official once close to both Spitzer and Gov. George Pataki, and his involvement with an authority security contract. Sources believe this was the last in a series of issues with the CEO.

PARTY PICKS: As partners in the Democrats' drive to take the state Senate, the state Working Families Party has endorsed Long Island Democrats Brian Foley, Kristen McElroy and Sen. Craig Johnson. In the Assembly, the party included five Republicans among its 16 endorsements. And, the WFP backs Henry Conyers, Hempstead Village deputy mayor, against incumbent Assemb. Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead). Endorsements in other races have yet to be made. Last week the state party committee won a major Court of Appeals ruling on cross-endorsements over dissident Suffolk WFP'er Charles Pohanka, who warned that county committees may now be big-footed in all parties.

MERCY! NO COUP: Reports that former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani was plotting to take over the state Republican chairmanship through right-hand man Anthony Carbonetti appear to have been off the mark. The rumor mill always has someone ready to march on chairman Joseph Mondello, but by all accounts Giuliani assured the Nassau boss he supports his chairmanship ... Mondello has installed Gregory Peterson, former presiding supervisor of Hempstead, on the state Board of Elections.

TAX-CAP CONCURRENCE: Nassau Executive Thomas Suozzi's call as a state commission chairman for an annual 4 percent property-tax cap echoes campaign proposals in the 2006 governor's race by Republican John Faso and by Democrat Suozzi.

PENSIONS & CONNECTIONS III: As mentioned last week, some law firms with members who collected pensions and benefits from school districts despite being independent contractors have incidental ties to politicos. One is Forcelli, Curto, Mineo, Schwartz, Carlino & Cohn, where Terrence Smolev gets a $4,000-plus pension as longtime lawyer for the North Merrick School District. Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) became of counsel to the firm, which he joined long after the actions at issue.