Daily News from New York, New York • 9

Wanted: Dirt on Cheney By TIMOTHY J. BURGER DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON A top House Democrat, annoyed that Vice President Cheney won't detail what contacts his energy task force had with Enron, set up a hotline yesterday seeking dirt on Cheney's dealings with the collapsed energy giant. An aide said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) put the tip mechanism on his Web site after writing Cheney on Tuesday seeking information on "secret contacts your energy task force had with Enron Corp." Cheney has refused to release information on industry lobbyists and executives consulted by the task force that he headed while formulating a Bush administration energy plan this year. "We urge Enron employees who have information about the meetings with Vice President Cheney to share it with us, as well as relevant information about improper activities by Ken Lay and others," Waxman aide Phil Schiliro said.

BLACKOUT Enron execs face suits, gov't probe PAGE 70 Lay is Enron's chief and big-time Bush campaign benefactor. Waxman's Web site also solicits any information "relevant to our investigation" of the utility trader's spectacular collapse. House and Senate panels are considering probes. Cheney spokesman Mary Matalin said: "The office of the vice president has provided and will continue to provide appropriate responses to Congressman Waxman. These self-serving political acts deserve no response." The Enron controversy also quickly provoked questions about President Bush's new Republican National Committee chairman, ex-Montana Gov.

Marc Racicot who said he won't quit a lobbying job to avoid any appearance of using his party position to help clients. Those clients include Enron. "There's been an ample history on both the Democrat and Republican side of chairmen being involved in either lobbying or having outside sources of income," said White House spokes- 10 man Ari' Fleischer. THE BLOOMBERG Mayor-elect Michael Bloomberg East Side digs to move out, but Mansion and will put some bucks Former First Lady Joyce Dinkins was very much at home with curving Gracie Mansion staircase of East Side landmark. Facelift Bloomy By MICHAEL SAUL DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER his own fortune into renovating Gracie Mansion and has tapped his personal interior decorator for the project, the Daily News has learned.

"I'm thrilled that we are going to be involved in the renovation DAILY NEWS and restoration of one of New York's Drake, a treasures," Manhattan-based said Jamie inte- EXCLUSIVE rior designer who redid Bloomberg's upper East Side out a definitive pattern. townhouse. Bloomberg likes his home so Drake declined to discuss de- much that he won't move into tails of the Gracie Mansion Gracie Mansion, the official mayproject or outline the scope of oral residence. He plans to use the work. Gracie to house visiting dignitarBut when he designed the in- ies and for dinners and other side of Bloomberg's E.

79th St. events. townhouse, Drake was given Donna Hanover, Mayor carte blanche. In the foyer, he Giuliani's estranged wife and used porphyry, an Egyptian mar- chairwoman of the Gracie Manble, to cover the floor, then filled sion Conservancy, had invited the room with 19th century En- Bloomberg for a tour. She said glish hall furniture.

yesterday through a spokeswomDrake redid the library using an that the new mayor has "wondark wood and comfortable fur- derful taste and very good judgniture, envisioning the room as ment." a "bottle of cognac held up to "She enthusiastically apthe light." plauds Mayor-elect Bloomberg In a 1999 CNN interview, he for his interest in continuing to described Bloomberg's master renovate Gracie Mansion," said bedroom as "comfortable and Joannie Danielides, Hanover's feminine in its shapes," but with- spokeswoman. "The house defi- Mayor-elect Michael fond of his upper Dark wood and comfortable furniture, such as is too he will entertain at Gracie these in his upper East Side home, are very into remodeling it. much to the new mayor's liking. Rare Egyptian porphyry, mixed with marble, add to the elegance of Bloomberg's apartment. COREY SIPKIN DAILY NEWS for Gracie may use own Bloomberg may plow some of money, nitely gets a lot of wear and tear." The mansion's condition became an issue in the ongoing divorce war between Giuliani and Hanover.

A Giuliani aide said in July that Hanover had "made every effort to stay there except to maintain it," neglecting her "responsibility as First Lady." The mayor was barred from inviting his girlfriend, Judith Nathan, to the mansion. Giuliani later moved out of the home, while Hanover and their two children remain. Danielides praised Hanover's work on the mansion, saying she raised nearly $1 million over the past eight years for the conservancy. Hanover oversaw the refurbishment of the dining room, which included new carpeting, draperies and a painting, as well as the guest bedroom. Evasive answer Team Bloomberg has been trying to keep the initial stages of the project hush-hush.

On Tuesday, when first asked about restoring the mansion, Bloomberg spokesman Jerry Russo said bluntly: "There are currently no plans to renovate Gracie Mansion." Asked yesterday why he had given a false answer, Russo bor- decorator rowed a line from former President Bill Clinton, saying it depends on what the definition of "is" is. Russo eventually conceded that the transition team has started consulting with experts, such as Drake, about renovating the Federal-style home overlooking the East River. He also confirmed that Bloomberg may contribute his own money to the renovation. "It's an option," Russo said. "No decisions as to what, if anything, should be done will be made until after Jan.

1." Any significant changes to the by the city Landmarks Preservaexterior would require approval DAILY tion Commission. But balcony with railings paint rotting, peeling the and man- the NEWS sion, built in 1799, definitely needs work. Diane Coffey, a member of and Mayor a Bloomberg's Ed former "exterior Koch, chief transition said of the staff man- team to Thursday, sion's desperately said it was a shame that needs to be repainted." Joan chairwoman Davidson, of the the conservancy, founding December Bloomberg won't live at Gracie, and hoped he would reconsider. "It really she needs to be a lived-in 2001 place," said..