A 53-page complaint filed by federal prosecutors details the allegedly deeply corrupt political practices of State Senator Carl Kruger.
The complaint portrayed a man who had "amassed at least $1 million in bribes in return for political favors," the New York Times reports, including helping hospitals wanting to merge, getting state money for real-estate developers and delaying recycling expansion on behalf of beverage distributors.
Kruger was arrested on Thursday on bribery charges.
When news of his arrest first broke, a Democratic operative told the New York Post "Everyone knows that Carl has been using his post to take money for years, so this isn't surprising. What's more surprising is that it didn't happen 10 years ago."
The Post also claims the criminal complaint sheds light on a close relationship between the "closeted" Kruger, who voted against a bill that would have legalized gay marriage, and Manhattan gynecologist Michael Turano, who was also arrested Thursday.
Kruger's constant companion, Turano, is accused of using bribe money he deposited in two shell companies for Kruger to pay the lease on a Bentley luxury sedan, credit-card bills and the mortgage on the garish, multimillion-dollar Mill Basin home where the two men for years have shacked up with Turano's mom and brother, authorities and neighbors said.
"Sen. Kruger had a close and intimate relationship with the entire Turano family, which includes one of the defendants, Michael Turano, along with his mother and brother," US Attorney Preet Bharara told reporters yesterday.
Capital New York reports that Kruger has a long history of alleged corruption scandals, dating back to 1980, when he was a Brooklyn community board member.
Kruger was accused of abusing his position on the board to extort thousands of dollars from local builders in South Brooklyn.
Governor Cuomo is trying to use the scandal to prod lawmakers into passing an ethics reform bill.From the Daily News:
Cuomo said he'll create a commission with subpoena power to probe the Legislature if lawmakers don't pass a strong ethics reform package by the end of June.
"New Yorkers deserve a clean government comprised of officials who work for the people, not for the special interests and certainly not for their own corrupt self-interests," he said.