Corruption Indictment for Ex-Senate Leader Bruno

[SoCalNative]

ALBANY — Joseph L. Bruno, the former State Senate majority leader, was indicted on Friday on charges that he reaped millions of dollars from companies seeking business from the state or from labor unions, capping a long-running investigation into one of New York’s most powerful political figures.

Federal prosecutors scheduled a press conference for 2:30 p.m. in Albany to announce the eight-count indictment, which is expected to charge Mr. Bruno under an anti-corruption law making it a crime to deprive citizens of honest services from their elected officials. Mr. Bruno is accused of collecting more than $3 million over a 13-year period, beginning in 1993, from a handful of businessmen seeking state contracts and grants, as well as contracts to manage pension fund investments for at least 16 labor unions.

Mr. Bruno, who stepped down last summer, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment at the federal courthouse in Albany on Friday afternoon and was released without bail. At a press conference following his arraignment, Mr. Bruno, a former boxer, said angrily, “I’m going to fight this and I’m going to win.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/nyregion/24bruno.html?_r=2&hp

[kestrel91316]

1. When I lived in the Newburgh, NY area 1965-8, our nextdoor neighbor

kid was one Joey Bruno............things that make you go hmmmmm.

Step away from the keyboard kestrel, It's f---ing NY, where Bruno is as common a name as Smith.

[KamaAina]

4. Relax. The Joe Bruno who does such a convincing Ted Stevens impression is from Glens Falls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bruno#Personal_life

Bruno was born in Glens Falls, New York, and graduated from of (sic) St. Mary's Academy. He has a B.A. degree in Business Administration from Skidmore College and served in the Korean War as an infantry Sergeant. Bruno served as president of the New York State Jaycees and in 1964 was named by them as one of the five "Outstanding Young Men of the State."

[TimesSquareCowboy]

2. Poor Joe. I hope Silver is next.

[Muttocracy]

5. are you sure you're on the right forum? nt

[Dennis Donovan]

3. This guy RULED the NYS Capitol for years!

:wow:<--well, actually I'm not surprised.

[Muttocracy]

6. yep, makes me wonder more about Spitzer's Troopergate

at the time it looked like excessive power on Spitzer's part, but maybe he knew something more about Bruno, who quit the state senate rather abruptly.

edit for typo

[johnfunk]

7. The biggest thug in New York politics

Joe Bruno made Al d'Amato look like Norman Vincent Peale by comparison. There had been rumors for months before he "unexpectedly" stepped down as NY State Senate Majority Leader last year that a major probe had turned up evidence of crimes, so when he quit, NY political junkies were pretty unanimous in thinking it was only a matter of time before indictments were handed down.