We’ve been hearing for some time that the likely Republican nominee in NY-25, with Walsh out of the picture, is Onondaga County DA William Fitzpatrick. I’m sure there’s a ton of articles out there about him — DA being a pretty high-profile position. To start with, here’s something on the Post-Standard political blog:

Last fall, Fitzpatrick coasted to re-election after amassing $175,000 in campaign contributions. He didn’t have to spend much of it on the conventional things described above. But he did spend $11,633 hosting 49 gatherings over the last two years at bars and eateries in Syracuse and places like Portland, Ore., and Amelia Island, Fla. Events ranged from a $2,347.84 dinner during the state DAs’ meeting in New York City to less than $110 for drinks at Rico’s Ristorante in East Syracuse.
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New York state campaign finance rules are among the most lax and unenforced in the nation. Fitzpatrick didn’t report most of this spending, as required by state law, until The Post-Standard inquired about it. Although the DA said he would disclose everything from now on, he’s not about to alter his spending practices. “Why would I change?” he asked staff writer John O’Brien. “Because you guys don’t like it?”

Readers of this blog know if there’s one thing that irritates us more than New York State’s lax campaign finance laws, it’s the open arrogance state politicians show when they take advantage of them.

I also turned up an article from the Post-Standard on December 16 (the link is now gone) about a controversy involving some of Fitzpatrick’s staffers at the DA’s office. I’ll give an excerpt here:

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick acted within the scope of his authority this week when he allowed two staffers to resign and did not pursue charges of drug possession, members of the law enforcement community said Thursday.

Fitzpatrick said Wednesday two secretaries from his office admitted using cocaine in a restroom at P.J. Dorsey’s restaurant and bar in downtown Syracuse.

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Police were not notified of the incident, which occurred either late Dec. 8 or early Dec. 9. A bar employee reported to one of the prosecution office employees at the bar that she had seen the women using cocaine in the ladies room.