Senator Bruno’s Legacy

NY Times ^ | December 9, 2009 | Masthead Editorial

[neverdem]

The conviction of Joseph Bruno, the former state senator who once was one of the most powerful state leaders in the country, is an indictment of the entire New York State Legislature. Mr. Bruno was convicted on two felony...“theft of honest services”...

--snip--

The 50 or so lawyers in the Legislature, including the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, and the Republican Senate leader, Dean Skelos, are not required to reveal their clients. What if those clients have business with the state, which certainly means that their business crosses the desks of these lawmakers? The public is kept in the dark. That needs to be changed.

Mr. Silver, one of the state’s most powerful Democrats, is listed as being “of counsel” to Weitz & Luxenberg, one of the state’s most prominent personal-injury law firms. His annual income from that firm is widely estimated to be about double his state salary. The public has to guess because, of course, that income from the law firm is not made public.

The clients of Mr. Skelos, a lawyer with Ruskin, Moscou & Faltischek, a prominent Long Island law firm, are also not available for public scrutiny. The same goes for about 48 other lawyers. Attorney-client privilege should not be used as a way to hide conflicts of interest. There are ways of making that work — like telling clients in advance that the relationship will be made public...

--snip--

Over his decades in the Legislature and his 14 years as leader, Mr. Bruno had structures named for him — a stadium, a school, a highway. It is time for another monument: the Joseph Bruno Ethics Loophole Closing Law.

This article is part of a series examining the political and structural crisis in the New York State government. The series can be read at nytimes.com/opinion.

[neverdem]

I know the NY Times is a broken cuckoo clock, but conservatives must be "purer than Caesar's wife."

[neverdem]

Hunters display displeasure with Senator (Schumer)

FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.

[Alberta's Child]

Interesting to see the New York Times pretty much admit that government and the legal industry are basically nothing more than a big-time racket.

[Clemenza]

Joe Bruno, of course, was a “stalwart” of the “Conservative” Party, and was very close with its president for life Mike Long. He tried to play Sheldon Silver’s game of selling influence to businesses while playing footsie for union cash (the last disqualifies him from EVER claiming to be a conservative. Righties don’t do unions. Ever.). Of course, Bruno trying to play Silver is like the Monkees trying to play the Beatles or Topher Grace trying to play Toby McGuire: WAY too far over their heads.