In the statement, a notably pale Bruno assailed the U.S. Attorney's office, the FBI, and former Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Bruno listed and contrasted the investigations against him - the three-year FBI investigation, as well as the effort by the Spitzer administration to use State Police to collect records on his use of the state aircraft.
He argued that the previous U.S. Attorney, Bush appointee Glen Suddaby, informed the FBI that there wasn't a case against him, the FBI "would not take no for an answer.
"After being hounded for three years. I am being indicted on a prosecutor's slight of hand. Because after years of effort, they cannot find one example of criminal activity or illegal intent," Bruno said.
Bruno said he is a "fighter" and that he would fight against the "fishing expedition" against him.
He then compared his situation to the prostitution scandal of former foe Spitzer.
"The political prosecutors gave him and his people a pass," but Bruno said prosecutors "invented a crime in order to get me."
"This is a man who has admitted to felonies, but no one is doing a single thing on that," said Bruno, referring to Spitzer.
"I ask the people of this state to give me the benefit of the doubt...I hope I have earned that and the presumption of innocence all of us as citizens deserve."
He called the charge of "theft of honest services" a contortion of federal statute.
To other elected officials, he said: "There is a frightening message...you too can be target practice with a statute."
"Even in the wake of this profoundly unfair prosecution, my years in the senate have all been worth it. Because all the good I believe I have been able to accomplish for my district and my state."
"After three years of cooperating with the investigation...and waiting. All the while, watching prosecutors turn a blind eye to the flagrant abuse of gubernatorial conduct."
"I want to get this case out from the cloak of secrecy....I want it to be in front of a jury, that is open to the public."
Bruno said the investigation is a "fishing expedition that smells really, really bad and stinks, to use plain english."
"I am going to fight this fight and we are going to be back together and there's going to be a number of things that happened here to bring daylight."
"I know in my heart that I did nothing wrong. I broke no laws."
"This is a trap that everyone in government because if they can indict me for what I have done...I am a business man, I'm not a lawyer. I have a right to earn a living. I did it legally."
I have a feeling that Bruno will eventually cut a deal and cooperate. I mean, he's facing serious time here. That could be a hugely positive thing for Albany and the rest of the state.
But, if he does indeed go full speed ahead with this thing, it could be way, way better than anything on TV.
