Tit For Tat

You may recall that, just before the November election, a story came out about New York state Comptroller Alan Hevesi regarding a corrupt practice of his regarding having a state employee chauffeur his wife. At the time, I chalked it up to karma, but there were overtones in the story of Republican desperation to win an election, ANY election, statewide.

Well, this story is clearly about karma...for the GOP:

ALBANY -- An FBI investigation of Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno's business interests has set off alarms among Senate Republicans who fear their flagbearer has been wounded as Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer, a tenacious Democrat, prepares to take office.

Members of the GOP held out hope Wednesday that Bruno, 77, can withstand the scrutiny of a federal inquiry, but those sentiments were clouded by apprehension, especially at a time when Democratic state Comptroller Alan Hevesi may be hours from indictment.

"There's a lot of angst about where this is going to go," said one Republican Senate official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "People are wondering whether Bruno can survive and whether he can lead."

Capital Business Consultants, the advisory firm Bruno runs out of his Brunswick home, has been under investigation since late spring, but Bruno tried to stay upbeat when he revealed the federal probe late Tuesday. He even wished members of the press corps "Merry Christmas" at the end of a news conference.

It should be noted that Federal subpoenae have been issued to two close associates, including Jared Abbruzzese, a Long Island businessman who runs a nanotechnology firm which has received state funds that are traditionally earmarked for non-profit organizations. Abbruzzese also is petitioning the state for a race track license, something Bruno would be intimately involved in granting. The tit-for-tat? Apparently, Abbruzzese has let Bruno use his corporate aircraft, without reimbursement, to fly him all over the state.

Hmmmmmmmmmm, kinda like chauffering your wife at state expense...

Clearly, the focus is on Bruno who, as state Senate majority leader, leads the only body in the state still held by the GOP. Already, another friend has stepped forward to admit that the FBI subpoenaed his records of a closed real estate deal that he and Bruno were involved in.

Why do I think this is karma? Eliot Spitzer is about to accept the resignation of Alan Hevesi (as noted above), but he cannot possibly be happy about it. Hevesi, despite his personal peccadilloes, has a reputation as a resourceful and strong Comptroller, at both the state and local level, and would have been an important piece of any attempt by Spitzer to lower property taxes while maintaining a budget surplus in the face of very difficult economic times.

Hevesi's replacement would have to be vetted by both houses of the state legislature, including the GOP-controlled Senate. The Bruno-controlled Senate. If Bruno wasn't in control....

New York
Republicans
Joe Bruno