CORRUPTION in New York

You have to understand the mentality of New Yorkers who love nothing more than a scandal. Not because they are repulsed or morally offended but because it is entertaining gossip. The two are not the first NY Legislators who have been arrested in what the Albany Times-Union calls a "cottage industry" for prosecutors.

Today the Febs unsealed a 53-page Federal criminal indictment that charged Assemblyman William Boyland, Jr. (D-55) and State Senator Carl Kruger (D-27), both Brooklyn Democrats. Also arrested was well-know Manhattan-based lobbyist Richard Lipsky and five others. (read the complaint pdf)

They are just two New York legislators in the last three years who have been arrested, indicted or sentenced.

Others include:

Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. was charged in December with embezzlement and conspiracy. He was the New York State Senate Majority Leader. It wasn't his first controversy.
Espada and his son, Pedro G. Espada, were both indicted in 2010 along with his father on six federal counts of embezzlement and theft. Their trial is scheduled for Sept. 12.
Sen. Vincent Leibell, a Republican pleaded guilty to shaking down a lawyer in his district for partial kickbacks of money received from groups that received taxpayer-funded "member items" the senator had steered toward them.
Sen. Hiram Monserrate of Queens was found guilty of misdemeanor assault for manhandling his girlfriend during a domestic dispute at their apartment. It was a lurid trial. He was expelled from the Senate in February 2010. He was indicted in October 2010 on federal corruption charges.
Sen. Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, is awaiting sentencing on a December 2010 misdemeanor conviction of criminal mischief related to an altercation with a New York Post photographer. He was re-elected last year and continues to serve in the chamber. Other controversies.
Former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno was found guilty of federal charges that he deprived the public of its right to honest services. Sentenced in May 2010 to 2 years in prison.

AND, (from Charles Simmons at Yahoo News) comes this reminder.
* Former Assemblyman Anthony S. Seminerio was given six years in prison for a similar crime, in February 2010. Wiretaps on Semineerio's phone played a part in the indictment of Carl Kruger.
* Former Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin was convicted of racketeering and making a false statement on a loan application. He was sentenced in May 2009 to 120 months in prison and forfeiture of $3 million in personal assets.  (He was a former Union leader.)
* The former head of the New York Liberal Party, Ray Harding, pleaded guilty in October 2009 for a pay-to-play scheme that netted him some $800,000. He received funds to facilitate access to the state comptroller for firms seeking to participate in state pension fund investment management.
* That state comptroller, Alan Hevesi, pleaded guilty in October 2010 of accepting free travel and campaign contributions from a businessman who was seeking investment by the pension fund in his business.