Pataki and Bruno
Pataki drew a contrast between Hevesi's admitted wrongdoing and the allegations currently swirling around the man standing behind him, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. "I've said time and again: I have confidence in Senator Bruno," the governor said. "I have confidence in the system... I expect come January 3, Senator Bruno will be the majority leader."
The vote of confidence is notable, in that the governor's initial statement about the case--"Hopefully, the senator has done everything right, and that will be what the conclusion is"--was read by some to be less-than-supportive. Obviously, everyone knows they're not horseback-riding buddies.
After the press conference was done, reporters descended on Bruno. He said of the hoopla about the FBI investigation into his business practices:
"This is more of a media event, and when I indicated we were being totally cooperative, and that there was an inquiry, and that I'm letting the Feds do their work, and they're diligent enough and I have been elected by the people, by my conference to govern. And I would appreciate the press, if they would just give me an opportunity, objectively, and fairly, to govern."
UPDATE: To be a bit more specific, the press conference had to do with Timothy's Law, which would require that insurance companies cover various serious mental illnesses, particularly in children. It's a shame that got overshadowed.
-- Azi Paybarah
"I am very concerned about the State of New York with George Pataki in charge," he and his corrupt friends like Gargano and D'Amato will lott the treasury..." Rudy Giuiliani
It's a miracle the Pataki Administration didn't go down in flames in their 12 years. But timing is everything and the reform bug and prosecutorial interest is only now starting up. After they smoke out Bruno you can bet that Pataki and Gargano are next. Gargano handled the sale of the Gov's and ESDC's NYC offices at 633 Third Avenue personally as though it was a fire sale and had to be completed by December 31 (as though a commission depended on it) so how to speed up -- why Gargano didn't do an appraisal for its value. That is a real slap at transparent government. So no one has any idea of what the property value really is. Of course Gargano signed a downtown lease too to commit Spitzer and Company for years to his choice of location and landlord.
This is the stuff that prosecutors should be having a field day with.