Of Senate majority leader indictments, past and future
New York’s former state Senate majority leader — and Glens Falls native — Joe Bruno is slated for sentencing in early May.
The Republican was toppled on Federal fraud charges.
Now, according to the New York Times, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is pursuing the current Senate majority leader, Pedro Espada.
The Democrat is accused of siphoning millions of dollars from a family-run non-profit that is supposed to provide healthcare in New York City. Here’s Cuomo’s statement.
“Siphoning money from a charity would be egregious under any circumstances, but the fact that this was orchestrated by the state senate majority leader makes it especially reprehensible. In New York, no one is above the law, and this suit should finally make that clear to Senator Espada.”
The suit filed today is a civil action. It’s unclear whether Cuomo’s probe will find evidence that sparks criminal charges.
Bruno and Espada only the tip of the iceberg in the last two decades when it's come to major state leaders forced out of office because of criminal wrong doing.-Speaker Mel Miller (convicted of fraud, 1991)-Chief Judge Sol Wachtler (convicted of intimidation and attempted kidnapping, 1993)-Comptroller Alan Hevesi (convicted of defrauding the government, 2006)-Governor Eliot Spitzer (we all know that story)And that's not even counting the lower level dregs like Hiram Monserrate.Illinois got mercilessly mocked by the national media but we're hardly any better.
Cuomo is trying t get his name on the front page in addition to doing his job. This could have been done last year.
Things will never get better in NY. Most of what we know barely scratches the surface. Time to check out some Vermont real estate.