Paterson Fined $62K for Freebie Series Tickets

David Paterson had better save his pennies: New York's soon-to-be unemployed governor has been slapped with a $62,125 fine for taking five free tickets to last year's World Series. Paterson maintains he always intended to pay for the tickets—though he didn't quite get around to it until the New York Post started snooping around—but the state's Commission on Public Integrity wasn't buying, reports the New York Times. The Yanks, the commission notes, have “myriad and continuing” issues in front of Albany, creating one of those pesky conflicts of interest.

“The moral and ethical tone of any organization is set at the top,” said the commission’s chairman. “Unfortunately, the governor set a totally inappropriate tone by his dishonest and unethical conduct. Such conduct cannot be tolerated by any New York State employee, particularly our governor.” (More David Paterson corruption stories.)