The Republican strategist who filed a challenge to Eliot Spitzer’s petitions for comptroller has withdrawn his objection due to financial reasons, New York Daily News reports.
Donors who could help pay for the legal challenge that could remove Spitzer from the race are hesitant to do so, E. O’Brien Murray said.
“As of right now, we can’t continue the challenge. Because people are afraid of retribution, Spitzer gets a free pass on this,” he said.
Murray said he filed the challenge because he believes Spitzer’s political comeback following his 2008 prostitution scandal should not be so easy.
“I’ve been talking to many others across the city and they’re extremely put off by the idea that Eliot Spitzer thinks he can come back in after what he put the people of New York through,” Murray said last week.
Spitzer announced on July 7 that he is running for comptroller. He needed to collect 3,750 signatures in just four days to qualify. After reportedly paying canvassers $800 per day, Spitzer managed to turn in 27,000 signatures on deadline day.