In perhaps what many people are calling an inevitable conclusion to the "culture of corruption" that this paper has reported on extensively, conservative and liberal lawmakers today came together in a bi-partisan effort to send a strong message to the people that the age of pay-to-play politics has ended in New York State.
Early yesterday morning, lawyers were sent to formally deliver a notice of subpoena to Governor Carter Andrews in corruption hearings that will be held in front of the State Congressional Ethics Committee.
At the heart of the matter is whether Governor Carter Andrews received financial assistance from foreign sources in order to send jobs overseas under the guise of an environmental law. Governor Andrews is expected to be the only one who has been contacted to testify.
From the State House to City Hall, the town of New Kingston has also followed suit and begun a petition drive to begin impeachment proceedings against Mayor Liam Jeffries. This follows allegations from high ranking Chinese officials that the mayor attempted to sell to a foreign government the Boltiador family commitment to build factories in New Kingston and sought to parlay that into a series of campaign contributions for a possible gubernatorial run in two years time. If impeached, the youngest Mayor in the history of this country will also be the youngest elected official to ever be removed from office.
As the accusations mount and the investigations into both men begin to gain traction, observers are noting that one person has not yet been held accountable for the sordid descent that this state’s leaders are going through. Senator Vivian Hawthorne has managed to stay relatively safe despite leading both men into situations that could end their career.
It is my considered opinion as Editor-In-Chief that we not forget the part that Vivian Hawthorne has played in corrupting these men. Openly flaunting her sexuality in front of a nation as one of its leaders, she has severely misused the trust that the citizens have placed in her. At the Daily Journal, we believe that neither men would have walked down this path toward scandal had they not been seduced and corrupted by Vivian Hawthorne.
It stands to note that both the Governor and the Mayor had impeccable careers until they crossed paths with the Senator. It also stands to note that had the Senator not intervened, it is very probable that a solution would have quite likely been found. Instead, due to the interference of Vivian Hawthorne, both men were led astray—colluding in a manner that smacks of old-style backroom corruption, and engaging in lewd and lascivious sexual conduct that warrants censure in and of itself.
This Editorial Board strives to be fair and objective in its reporting of politicians that guide our lives. However, in this instance, it is hard to find even one area that the Senator has that does not deserve condemnation. Our only hope is that citizens take the fight to their representatives and demand a recall of Vivian Hawthorne before she can do more damage.
Carter
"Bury her," Tina says, leaning over the desk and focusing her eyes on me. "She’s already on the ropes; all you need to do is give her a final push. If you bring Vivian down, there’s still a way out of this." She pauses, unblinking, and then adds a sadistic "it’s kill or be killed."
Settling back on my chair at the head of the desk, I look at my Chief of Staff, Curtis. He’s sitting next to Michele, my Press Secretary. He was the one who scheduled this meeting, anxious to stop this situation from reaching the point of no return. Going down the road of sitting down with Tina Ling—who I don’t trust and know is lying. But he seems to think there’s no other recourse. So he summoned her as well. The most important members of my cabinet drove up to the NY State Executive Mansion, and now here we are, huddled in a room as we decide on the fate of Vivian Hawthorne.
I want to solve this as much as Curtis does, but I’m not sure I like what I see in Tina’s eyes: blood lust. We have become like the Spanish Inquisition, deciding who we are going to set fire to. There are no acquittals or assumptions of innocence; someone will have to burn, that much is a given... And my job is to make sure it isn’t the Governor’s office going up in flames.
"It might not be pretty, but…" Curt starts, fidgeting with his thumbs. He has that look in his face, the same one people have when they’re trying to figure out if they should turn left or right at the intersection. On one hand, he’s my Chief of Staff, but on the other… He just can’t hide how much he agrees with Tina. "Mrs. Ling is right. This is our way out. This is our opening… And we should take it."
I look from one to the other and then around the table, anxiety in everyone’s eyes; they’re ready to pile up the wood, grab the pitchforks and light the torches. All they is need my nod and Vivian’s body strapped to a pole. When did the Governor’s cabinet turn into a lynch mob?
All in all, there are thirteen of us around the table—an oddly fitting number for such a somber meeting. Everyone’s waiting for me to say the word. They have no idea what they’re asking of me. And if they do, they just don’t care. After all, their careers are on the line as well… At least, that’s one of the points Tina has been hammering on since this meeting started. She’s trying to rouse my cabinet and undermine my authority, and she isn’t even hiding it.
"Is that what everyone thinks we should do? Go after the Senator?" I ask, my throat feeling as dry as summer wood. There’s a nervous silence in the room, and then Curtis clears his throat.
"It’s the only way," he starts, flat certainty in his voice. "We take her out, lay the blame at her feet. Once she’s out of the Senate, we might just be able to place someone more… amiable in her position." I stare at him in silence, trying to clear my mind and think through what he’s saying. This is my job after all—to make tough calls. I’ve made countless decisions since I assumed the title of
Governor, a lot of them hard ones, but this one towers above all others. For the first time in years, I have no idea on what I should do. Throwing Vivian under the bus would be the easy way out, but I’m not sure if I’m the kind of man capable of doing such a thing.
"You’re the Governor, Carter, and these people are not your friends," Tina starts, and I can see almost everyone around the table nodding in silent agreement. "This is politics, you’d do well to remember that."
"She’s right," Curtis agrees, although somewhat hesitantly. He always hated this part of the job, getting me to agree on something he knows I don’t want to do. He sounds sour and hesitant, but still he pushes through. "There’s a lot at stake here. We can’t let personal feelings get in the way."
What he’s really trying to say is that I can’t think clearly. That I've allowed my feelings to stop me from seeing what should be done. And, as much as it pains me to admit it, he’s right. Because what they’re asking me to do isn’t a simple political call. They’re asking me to throw the woman I love under the bus. The woman I love, I repeat the thought to myself, letting it echo inside my head. The woman I love.
"Carter," Tina says, taking my silence for weakness. Her hunger for blood is so overpowering that she doesn’t mind who she buries her fangs in. "Do it. Everyone knows this is the right call,” she continues. Do it, bury her, go for the kill; her eyes tell me. Beautiful as she might be, right now she looks like a wolf, laying low with a snarl and baring its teeth as it sneaks toward its prey. She knows my own cabinet is taking her side, and she’s positioning herself as their unofficial speaker, trying to press me to the give the order.
I never liked being pushed around.
"No," I say, going up to my feet and staring at her. Whatever happens, whatever the consequences, I won’t go after Vivian, even if it costs me my career. How could I do it when all these memories still linger in my mind? When I can’t forget the way her skin feels under my fingertips, or the way our eyes lock when our bodies are pressed together… How could I go after the woman I love? No, I won’t do that.
Tina leans back against her chair, her lips pursing as a scowl takes over her face. Her eyes have gained a hard edge, and I can’t help but think of her as lacking a soul, her slender body and delicate smile nothing more than transportation and cover for a sociopathic demon. My Chief of Staff looks from me to her, but he remains in silence; no words are being said, but he’s smart enough to know that a battle of wills is going on between me and this mysterious woman—Communist Party member, China First Bank representative, even Mayor of Shanghai. Even though he might think she’s right, Curtis is loyal to a fault and won’t take part in a cabinet revolution.
"You have no idea what you’re doing, Carter," she hisses, going up to her feet. There’s more than just anger in her voice; there’s hatred. "Look around you; even your own cabinet knows that you’re a shame to the Governor’s office. And all because of that woman!"
For the first time in days, I feel peaceful. Hesitation has finally given way to clarity. Tina Ling—who does she think she is? And why is she even sitting here? She doesn’t care about New York, but I do, and in their own way, so does Liam and Vivian. We might not agree on everything, but our purpose is the same. And here I am, listening to Tina as she tries to pit the people who care about this state against one another.
"Tina, don’t take this the wrong way…" I say, a polite smile on my lips as I stare her down. "But you can go to Hell. I’m the New York’s Governor, and you’re no longer welcome here." I’m not even mad right now. I feel at ease, my course of action suddenly becoming self-evident. I can’t believe I’ve let a foreign politician string me along for so much, but there’s still time to fix my mistakes. There’s a way out of this.
"I know you came once and I told you to go," I say to her. "And I know Curtis invited you again and I heard you out completely. I can safely say now that I truly want nothing to do with you. Ever."
There’s silence.