The FBI raided the offices of State Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin, suspecting him of helping electrical contractors to win city streetlight and traffic-signal bids. McLaughlin represents a part of Queens in the State Assembly and is also the president of the NYC Central Labor Council (that West 15th Street was also raided), and has been a supporter of Mayor Bloomberg. Right now, two electric companies have about $162 million of city contracts for street lights with the Department of Transportation. There is suspicion that McLaughlin received an American Express card from a contractor, as well as a home security system, so the feds took anything that could be a paper trail.
The NY Times calls him "one of the most powerful union leaders in the city," with the CLC's million-plus members. McLaughlin said he wouldn't run for reelection as Assemblyman earlier this year (though he had floated the idea of running for Mayor), and AM New York has a breakdown of his salary: $79,500 from the Assembly, $95,000 from the CLC.
Photograph of man taking papers from the Central Labor Council office from Azi Paybarah for The Politicker
