Queens Assemblyman, Charged With Bribery, Resigns

Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, who was indicted on fraud charges for basically selling his clout in Albany for $1 million, has resigned his seat in the 38th District in Queens. The Daily News reports that he will probably plead guilty to charges as early as tomorrow. Seminerio apparently decided to cut out the middle man after learning that people he did favors for were raking in cash; he said on a recording,"I was doing favors for these sons-of-bitches there, you know, they were, they were making thousands. 'Screw you, from now on, you know, I'm a consultant.'" had set up a shell company to funnel his "consulting" fees through. Seminerio, who served in the Assembly for 30 years, told PolitickerNY's Azi Paybarah in 2007, "The only thing that ever changes in Albany are the faces. The system stays intact." As for a successor, it could be a "free-for-all."