With the governor taking a hard line on budget negotiations, no one would accuse Andrew Cuomo of being a wimp these days, least of all the real estate industry:
"If any of you know the history of the Cuomo family, it's either my way or I'm going to screw you," said Joseph Strasburg, head of the Read More
Liberals and conservatives don't agree on much these days, but the Supreme Court's recent decision to weaken a broad anti-corruption statute was unambiguously unanimous. In ruling that parts of the so-called "honest services" law was far too vague, the Court essentially built on the courtroom cliché that a good prosecutor could indict a ham sandwich. Read More
When Eliot Spitzer took the oath of office on the first day of January 2007, he promised a new day in New York politics. "This election was not about electing one person as governor," Mr. Spitzer said.
How right he was!
When Client Number Nine resigned in March of 2008, he ceded the state to Governor Number Read More
ALBANY—Just before David Paterson's speech in the financial district about the state's fiscal woes, Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch said he was disappointed in the "ratio of coverage" that ethics reform has gotten in recent days, since former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno was convicted Monday of two federal fraud charges.
It has Read More
ALBANY—Joe Bruno is leaving as C.E.O. of the consulting firm where he has been perched since resigning from the State Senate in 2007.
Kris Thompson, a spokesman for CMA Consulting Services in Latham sent out the statement below. Bruno was convicted yesterday on two counts of depiriving the public of an inherent right to Read More
ALBANY—Rick Lazio, the only Republican who is openly campaigning for governor, said he was "disappointed in Joe" after his conviction yesterday of federal fraud charges.
Lazio is running to "replace state government," apparently including the current system of ethics enforcement.
"The conviction of Senator Joe Bruno is sad and tragic for his family. Read More
Former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno was convicted on two counts in his federal corruption trial yesterday, and according to the Times, at least, that would seem to mean Albany got convicted too.
Early on, the paper ran a story headlined "For Bruno, How Albany Works Is Also on Trial" and then followed it, four Read More
ALBANY—One of the more colorful figures to grace the Capitol--and rise to its inner circle of control--has been convicted on two counts in a federal fraud trial. For those who decried the nebulous oversight that has characterized the political culture here for so many years, there is hope for a substantive reform, finally.
"I Read More
ALBANY—Former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has been found guilty on two counts in his federal corruption trial, and acquitted on five other counts. Jurors could not reach consensus on another count, Capital News 9 is reporting.
From the Times Union:
The 80-year-old Republican from Brunswick sat quietly as the jury of seven women and five Read More
ALBANY—The Commission on Public Integrity's decision to fine Darren Dopp $10,000 for his role in the ‘Troopergate' affair doesn't go far enough, former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno said through a spokesman.
"The Commission on Public Integrity has concluded that, while working for Elliot Spitzer, Darren Dopp joined with and used the media Read More
ALBANY—Here's the financial disclosure form filed by Bill Owens, the Democratic Party's nominee to replace John McHugh in Congress.
The Watertown Daily Times got a hold of it last night, and points out that Owens earned over $751,000 last year--mostly as a partner in his legal practice--and is deeply invested in (and Read More
TROY—To get into the building where Barack Obama delivered a speech about job training, attendees had to walk past a baseball stadium named for Joe Bruno, the former State Senate majority leader, who was indicted by federal prosecutors several months after he resigned his position. But he wasn't here, and some Read More
ALBANY—Former Senate majority leader Joe Bruno warned not to count out Henry Wojtaszek in the contest to lead the state Republican Party. Bruno is backing Wojtaszek, the Niagara County chairman over Ed Cox, a Manhattan attorney.
Cox this morning announced that Warren County Chairman Mike Grasso has switched his support to Read More
ALBANY—State Senator Ron Stafford has been dead for over four years, but that hasn't stopped his political activities.
Since July 2005, the Committee to Re-Elect Senator Stafford has contributed nearly $60,000 to charities and fellow Republicans including Betty Little, his successor in the North Country-based Senate seat. The committee still has over $50,000 in Read More
ALBANY—A company that has earned almost half a million dollars over the last seven years for maintaining the web sites of New York's state senators is also under contract with the now-minority Republicans to produce attack emails about the Senate Democrats.
Senate Democrats now in the majority have been slowly unraveling how the Republicans Read More
