Friends of Ours

Federal Prosecutor Preet Bharara Targets Dirty New York Politicians

Earlier this month six politicians were charged with attempting to fix the next New York mayoral election, and in announcing their indictment United States Attorney Preet Bharara said in a press release that "a show-me-the-money culture seems to pervade every level of New York government" which stretches from the city to the capital, and "we will continue pursuing and punishing every corrupt official we find."

Apparently those harsh words were no idle warning.

In a speech yesterday before the Citizens Crime Commission the federal prosecutor "said his office has been adding staff to its public-corruption unit," and law enforcement will "use every aggressive and creative tool at our disposal -- wiretaps and confidential informants and undercover agents and stings" as reported by Joseph Spector for Politics on the Hudson.

That's some shot across the bow.

Bharara previously spent five years as a mob-busting AUSA prosecuting the Gambino and Colombo crime families.

Citizens Crime Commission Prepared Remarks

Meanwhile, dirtbag Congressman Charlie Rangel "is suing House Speaker John Boehner and six other lawmakers to overturn his censure on ethics charges" on the laughable claim that his due process rights or something were violated as reported by Kevin Robillard for Politico:   "the House voted overwhelmingly to censure Rangel," and "the censure covered a wide range of activities, including using a rent-controlled apartment in Harlem as a campaign office, using congressional stationery and staff to solicit funds for an academic center named after Rangel and failing to pay taxes on rental income for 17 years."

Queens Democrats Keep NY Prisons Full

Just as one Democrat from Queens is getting out of prison another one is getting locked up.

Former New York comptroller Alan Hevisi was released this morning after serving 20 months in the big house on a pay-to-play conviction for steering $250 million of state pension fund business in exchange for $1 million of improper benefits including campaign contributions as reported by Erik Kriss for the New York Post:  "he will return to his family’s home in Forest Hills, Queens."

Meanwhile, former state senator Hiram Monserrate from Queens was sentenced yesterday "to two years in the slammer for looting nearly $100,000 in taxpayer money to try to win higher office" as reported by Bruce Golding for the New York Post.

No word on which Queens Democrat is next in the prison cue.

Quid Pro Quo Ethics Complaint Filed Against New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli

New York Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli who oversees the state's massive $153 billion pension fund is accused in an ethics complaint with acting as a public tool for plaintiffs' lawyers in their legal battle against Chevron Corporation as reported by Danny Hakin for The New York Times:  "the complaint, which was made to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, claims that Mr. DiNapoli and the plaintiffs' lawyers had 'an illicit and unethical quid pro quo arrangement' in which the comptroller received campaign donations and other benefits in exchange for pressuring Chevron."

Among other things Chevron in its complaint "points to $8,000 in campaign contributions made to DiNapoli's campaign in early 2009 by four individuals connected to the lawsuit or their associates" as reported by Casey Seiler for the Albany Times Union.

DiNapoli's predecessor, Alan Hevisi, also was a supporter of the lawsuit against Chevron, and in 2010 was convicted on an unrelated matter for steering more than $250 million in pension fund business in exchange for $1 million of improper benefits including campaign contributions.

In the past both DiNapoli and Hevesi have been criticized for retaining their political donors to represent the Common Retirement Fund as a plaintiff in securities fraud class actions as previously reported by Kenneth Lovett for the Daily News:  "'There is a problem with pay-to-play,' Columbia Law School Prof. John Coffee said. 'The plaintiff law firms know that to be considered to be on the list of eligible firms, they have to ante up.'"

Jesse Jackson Jr. Is A Sad Sack

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., the Demoquack congressman from Chicagoland, is getting treatment for bipolar disorder, and perhaps he's been depressed over a federal investigation into whether he "misused campaign funds to redecorate the inside of his Washington D.C. home" as reported by NBC:  "this new probe is unrelated to allegations Jackson tried to cut a deal with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to take now-President Barack Obama's former Senate seat" which "are under review by a House Ethics Committee."

Earlier coverage:

Senator Carl Kruger Gets 7 Years; His Gynecologist Boyfriend Gets 2 Years

New York State Senator Carl Kruger and his doctor boyfriend Michael Turano were sentenced to 7 and 2 years, respectively, for their roles in a bribery scheme which shook down the politician's constituents and laundered the funds through dummy corporations to finance their lavish lifestyle as reported by the New York Post:

In the "pay-to-play" scheme, the then-senator directed illicit payments from representatives of the real-estate, hospital, supermarket and beverage industries to shell companies set up by Turano.  In return, Kruger, 63, sponsored legislation beneficial to to the bribe-payers, tried to steer millions of dollars in pork-barrel funds to, and even once wrote a favorable letter to a Buffalo federal judge.

The pair lived together in the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn in a waterfront McMansion originally constructed for Lucchese boss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso.

No word if the paramours will be allowed to bunk together in prison.

Earlier coverage: