By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Gov. David Paterson skipped out on a hearing Tuesday morning into whether he violated the state’s gifts ban by accepting five free tickets to the Yankees World Series games last fall, according to reports.
At the New York State Commission on Public Integrity hearing, which began Tuesday, associate lawyer for the commission Bridget Holohan said that, by using testimony from former Paterson aides and Yankees officials, they will prove that the governor accepted the tickets without the intention of paying for them, the Associated Press reported.
Lawyers for the Commission said that Paterson violated the ethics law and should pay the maximum $93,000 penalty for doing so, the New York Post reported.
Paterson has denied the charges, saying that he received his ticket lawfully and did not lie under oath when he said he planned to pay for them.
The Yankees were reimbursed for four of the five tickets, except for Paterson’s, which he said is because he attended the game on official business, NY 1 reported.
New York State law prohibits elected officials from receiving gifts from lobbyists, which the Yankees are considered to be with regards to stadium financing.
