Photo: Newscom
Though we haven’t been hearing about it as much lately, it turns out the heat is not off Joe Bruno. The FBI has been investigating the State Senate majority leader’s outside business interests for nearly two years now, and today we learn that they’ve widened their inquiry. Several subpoenas were issued to pension funds linked to unions in Bruno’s Albany-area district last week. Six local unions have many millions invested with a Connecticut firm, Wright Investors’ Service, which employs Bruno for services that they have yet to explain to authorities. The connections were revealed in December by the Times, after which Bruno and the firm quickly severed their relationship. But the FBI’s inquiry into union records show that Bruno is far from being off the hook.
The Daily News’ Elizabeth Benjamin also reports that the probe is going to weaken the union’s traditional support of the powerful state senator. Despite public support for Bruno, one labor leader told Benjamin, “The conventional strategy of many building trades and public sector unions is about to end… They’ve made their bets on Bruno, but it’s all unraveling.” As the State Senate heads into a battle for control this fall, this could mean big things. Bruno and the state GOP were also banking on a Giuliani national candidacy to rally New York’s Republican base to the voting booths in November. Even though Governor Spitzer has been muzzling himself lately, we’re betting that these days behind his hand, he’s chucking quietly.
Investigation into Bruno Broadens [NYT]
Albany unions support Joe Bruno despite chill of FBI subpoenas [NYDN]
