Attorney general candidates square off at debate

ALBANY - Both candidates for New York attorney general promised in a debate Monday to fight corruption and took swipes at each other for limited efforts in the past.

Democrat Eric Schneiderman and Republican Dan Donovan each claimed their respective experience makes them best qualified for the job.

With a staff of more than 600 lawyers, the attorney general's office defends the state in lawsuits, protects consumers, files civil suits, monitors charities and sometimes conducts investigations and prosecutions.

Donovan pointed to his prosecutions during seven years as district attorney in Staten Island, which he said FBI crime data show to be the safest borough in the safest big U.S. city.

"I've made fighting public corruption the platform of my campaign," he said. "We'll fight Medicaid fraud. We'll fight fraud on Wall Street, wherever fraud is in our state."

Schneiderman noted his reform efforts during 12 years as a state senator, including ousting a colleague, Sen. Hiram Monserrate, following his misdemeanor conviction in a domestic abuse case.

"The job of New York state's attorney general is to fight fraud and corruption wherever they occur," he said.

"I'm running to be the people's lawyer, to stand up to powerful interests, as I have throughout my career."

The candidates debated for an hour here at WAMC/Northeast Public Radio . Several public television stations were expected to broadcast the debate last evening.

Schneiderman accused Donovan of offering "a go along, get along approach" toward policing Wall Street, while Donovan questioned Schneiderman's role as a leader in a Legislature considered by some to be the most dysfunctional.

A Siena College poll released last week showed Schneiderman with a 7 point lead over Donovan.