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Paterson Faces a $96,375 Fine for Allegedly Accepting Free World Series Tickets

By Ben Fractenberg | August 18, 2010 8:20am
Gov. David Paterson faces a $96,375 fine for allegedly accepting free Yankees tickets.
Gov. David Paterson faces a $96,375 fine for allegedly accepting free Yankees tickets.
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Governor's Office

By Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — New York’s Public Integrity Commission is calling for a maximum fine of $96,375 against David Paterson for allegedly requesting five free world series tickets last year, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

The request came at a Tuesday administrative hearing into whether Paterson broke state law in accepting free tickets to game one of the series at Yankee Stadium.

"The governor is supposed to set the ethical standard by which all state employees should conduct themselves," the Daily News reported special counsel Jeff Schlanger as saying at the hearing. "I submit that he has sadly and widely missed the mark."

Paterson did not attend the hearing, but has recently claimed he didn't have to pay for his ticket because he was at the game on official state business.

Gov. David Paterson is under investigation for accepting free Yankees tickets for himself and four other people, including aide David Johnson, pictured right.
Gov. David Paterson is under investigation for accepting free Yankees tickets for himself and four other people, including aide David Johnson, pictured right.
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AP Photo/Mike Groll

The governor is also being investigated in a separate probe by the attorney general’s office into whether he perjured himself when he testified at an earlier hearing about the incident.

It is illegal for public officials in New York to accept gifts of more than a “nominal” value from lobbyists.

Paterson reportedly paid for the tickets once the issue was made public.

It is expected to take several weeks for a ruling in the administrative case.