Joe Bruno retrial verdict
The jury in the Joe Bruno retrial found the former state Senate majority leader not guilty on the charges that a consulting arrangement involved kickbacks or bribes for his influence in state government. [TU CapCon]
In the 2009 trial he had been found guilty -- and sentenced to two years in prison -- of essentially the same accusations, but a 2010 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States changed the criteria for the "theft of honest services" law he had been convicted under. Federal prosecutors decided to try prosecuting him again, which is what led to this retrial.
After today's verdict, the TU's Rob Gavin reported that Bruno went to Jack's (where else) to celebrate. [@RobertGavinTU]
Wider perspective: Jimmy Vielkind over at Capital, after the verdict: "State lawmakers, exhale: Joe Bruno, and the system as you know it, has been acquitted."
That photo on the right is a file photo, not from today.
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Comments
When I read "Jack's", I initially thought of Jack's Drive In in Wynantskill near where Bruno lives. Then I read the Tweet and realized it was Jack's Oyster House.
That makes more sense for a place to go to celebrate :)
... said Danielle Sanzone on May 16, 2014 at 3:08 PM | link
Jurors took only four hours to determine that the Senate Republican leader acted legally when he accepted a $20,000-a-month consulting contract from Jerry Abbruzzese.
We're screwed. We are all in danger. In NY it's perfectly legal to give the people we elect who decide NY tax policies and how to spend and distribute the tax revenues collected $20,000 a month without concern it's a bribe. Just need to remember to call it a consulting fee and don't ever tell our elected officials you expect any direct specific action as a result of the $20K you ACH into NY senators bank account every month.
Of course if you don't get the desired results from your $20K consulting fee expense you could simply stop making the monthly deposits and cancel your consulting contract....oh wait, that's bribery...but bribery with NYS voter approval apparently. I'm feeling sick in my stomach.
... said Fair Representation on May 18, 2014 at 5:52 PM | link