Carl Kruger

Back in November, state Senator Carl Kruger bussed in a reported 500 people to a city-run information session on the redevelopment of Coney Island, disrupting and ultimately shutting down the meeting in a show of opposition to the plan.

Well, now the expenditure report for Mr. Kruger’s campaign committee has gone online, and the final tally is in: it seems the senator paid $2,475 to bus company Dimino Express for the event, only a small portion of the $1.63 million he lists as having in his campaign account.  read more »

The Bloomberg administration seems to have met a foe in its plans to redevelop Coney Island. And no, we’re not talking about Joe Sitt, the owner of the bulk of the prime amusement-area land that the city wants to take (the city has offered a land swap).

Rather, the biggest resistance so far, at least in public and in the media, has come from State Senator Carl Kruger, a feisty Democratic lawmaker who loves the spotlight, and seems to have put opposition to Coney Island at the top of his agenda.  read more »

So, how did the draft letter senate Democrats were thinking about sending to the IRS wind up in the hands of the Republicans?

In a story today, the New York Sun speculated that it might accidentally have been sent to Democrat Carl Kruger, a Democrat whose last name is one letter off from Liz Krueger, a Democrat whose name was attached to the letter. Both are on the Finance Committee (like two other people whose name was attached to the letter) but unlike Liz Krueger, Carl Kruger is somewhat of an ally of Joe Bruno.

I asked Kruger’s spokesman, Jason Koppell, about that theory.

“It’s so ridiculous it’s not even worth responding to,” he said. Koppell also said that his office was never sent the letter and that he and his colleagues learned about it from reading the newspapers.

So why would Republican Majority Leader Joe Bruno appoint Democrat Carl Kruger to head the Social Service Committee? In one sense, it helps firm up Bruno's majority by maintaining friendly ties to a member of the growing Democratic minority.

But Liz sees more personal influences at play:

Kruger, as you may recall, released a statement in support of Bruno after the majority leader revealed late last year that his outside business interests are the subject of an FBI probe. Kruger said questions about Bruno's integrity were "appalling and ironic," given his commitment to "openness and fairness." Kruger also has local ties to Bruno: Tom Connolly, vice chairman of the state Independence Party and chair of the Indy Party in Rensselaer County - Bruno's home base - is on Kruger's payroll. Connolly is a Bruno ally from way, way back.

-- Azi Paybarah

In the morning, Eliot Spitzer will receive an endorsement from state Sen. Carl Kruger in Brooklyn.

Then Spitzer will kick off the Manhattan Cup at Chelsea Piers.

The Mayor's Cup Golf Tournament will be at Split Rock Golf Course in the Bronx.

Wesley Clark delivers the commencement speech at Wagner College, while Sen. John McCain's speaks at the New School.

Chuck Schumer speaks at the Purchase College commencement.

—Nicole Brydson