Carl Andrews is one of Governor Spitzer’s closest advisors, one of the highest-ranking African-Americans in the administration, and one of the only people on the second floor of the Capitol without a title.
That last part may not be an accident.
Mr. Andrews, a former State Senator, went to work for Mr. Spitzer in January, not long after mounting an unsuccessful bid for Congress. But their relationship goes back to 1998, when Mr. Andrews helped out Mr. Spitzer’s successful campaign for State Attorney General. Mr. Andrews subsequently went to work for Mr. Spitzer in the A.G.’s office. And Mr. Spitzer duly endorsed Mr. Andrews last year in his Congressional primary.
The catch, of course, is that Mr. Andrews used to be a key advisor to former Brooklyn Democratic County Leader Clarence Norman Jr., who has since been convicted of strong-arming judicial candidates for campaign contributions that he later pocketed.
Mr. Andrews was never charged. But he was named this year in a Daily News article by one person allegedly strong-armed by Mr. Norman, prompting Mr. Spitzer to offer the following defense of his aide:
“This is something that the D.A. is looking at. We will await their judgment.”
This week, one judgment came in: Mr. Norman was convicted by a jury of extorting a bribe of thousands of dollars from a judicial candidate. He was cleared of five other charges.
For now, Mr. Andrews exists in titular limbo. His hiring still hasn’t been officially announced, but his name is listed just a few inches away from other key figures in the directory of Governor Spitzer’s employees—it’s shortly after the Marlene Turner (chief of staff) and Rich Baum (secretary to the Governor), and right before Lila Kirton (director of community affairs). Between his name and office phone number is a giant blank space.
Mr. Andrews is now on a salary of $145,000 a year, a gubernatorial spokesperson said. He works in the office of intergovernmental affairs.
All five positions in that department have been filled. Only Mr. Andrews is missing a title.
