Former Senate Majority Leader Bruno Indicted

We guess a federal grand jury didn't think there was enough excitement in Albany today, as one indicted former State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno for mail and wire fraud. Bruno had been under investigation by the FBI for years, and the Times Union writes, "Today's indictment marks the culmination of a three-year FBI investigation into the shadowy public and private dealings of the Brunswick Republican who rose through the ranks of state government and became one of the Capital Region's most iconic political leaders." Bruno spent 32 years in the Senate, 13 of them as Majority Leader, the investigation centered on his dealings with land, racehorses and labor unions.

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By Jen Chung in News on January 23, 2009 2:38 PM

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Future Taliban

It must be a WONDERFUL sensation to still actually believe that your 'elected' officials could ever be honest, self-sacrificing patriots.

Perhaps this would be a good time to have that li'l chat about Santa Claus for which you're overdue too...

thefacts

Stats don't back up your claim. Silver is so strong that he faced no challenges for years. In a race with a Green candidate in the general election in 1998, he got 88% of the popular vote.

He won with 78% of the vote last Septmeber in a 3-way race. 22% of local Dems may not like him, 78% do. That's a landslide. Obama only got 53% of the popular vote. Silver beat that by 50%.

You may not like him, trolls on blogs may not like him, but his constituents do, and that's what count. Right?

thefacts

What took them so long?

Actually, Silver is too smart to be corrupt. He makes enough money from his law firm. Hate to disappoint all you Republican trolls.

jackdonaghy

Many Democrats, including myself dislike Shelly. He doesn't represent anyone but himself.

yakatori

This makes me happy. But I'll be happier when he's sharing a cell with fellow scumbag politician Shelly Silver.

NYRefugee

This Fuckwad looks like Dude who got whacked in Costa Rica at the tail end of Casino. Similar fate perhaps?

verbal

Hallelujah!!! This guy is a crooked scumbag who destroyed NYC at every chance he had; and Yes Silver should be next because he's the dirtiest politician in NY since Boss Tweed.

ides_of_march

32 years in senate: This is what happens without term limits. Politicians get entrenched, arrogant and corrupt. We've unwittingly recreated the European-style royalty and aristocracy we fought a revolution to get rid of. Time to get back to citizen legislators instead of these career politicians.

Anyway, if Bruno were a democrat and evaded paying his taxes fo example, he might be made Secretary of the Treasury instead of facing prosecution.