| Uncle Joe gots some 'splainin' to do. A story in today's Albany Times Union documents how Joe Bruno has been flying to fundraising events on state owned aircraft with state pilots and even being driven to and from such events by the state police. The flights were discovered by the TU's James Odato after filing a Freedom of Information request for documents now required for all travel by state officials using state resources. Those documents are required by a new rule that was instituted by the governor. That rule also stipulates that such trips be signed for and certified to be official government business. Guess who signed for these trips, effectively certifying that these trips were legitimate. Uncle Joe himself.
It ain't a pretty story and I can't wait for the reaction to these revelations by all those who were screaming for Alan Hevesi's head back December.
State flies Bruno to fundraisers
Taxpayers finance trips of Senate majority leader to New York City political events
Three times this year, Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno has used taxpayer-funded state aircraft to fly to political fundraisers in Manhattan while certifying he was on official state business, according to documents obtained by the Times Union.
In addition to routinely using state helicopters to fly from Albany to New York City for years, almost weekly, Bruno has also received ground transportation downstate from State Police, even when traveling to fundraisers.
...
Three of Bruno's 145-mile, one-hour helicopter flights to Manhattan in May were on dates that Republicans hosted major fund-raisers, two of which featured Bruno, the effective head of the state GOP:
On May 3, Bruno and three aides -- Michael Avella, Jeff Lovell and John McArdle -- were flown by two State Police pilots and dropped at a helipad at West 30th Street, the records state. They were then driven by a State Police investigator to the Sheraton Hotel at 7th Avenue and 52nd Street at 2 p.m.
Bruno hosted the 33rd Annual Spring Reception of the State Senate Republican Campaign Committee at the Sheraton that day. A reception, costing $1,000 per person, began at 5 p.m. A private reception costing $5,000 per person began at 5:30 p.m.
The investigator said in a memo that he picked up the foursome at the hotel at 7 a.m the next day, took them to Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, and delivered them to Laguardia Airport at 10 a.m. when a State Police aviation crew flew them back to Albany.
On May 17, Bruno and his three aides left the Exit 23 helipad at the Thruway Authority headquarters in Albany at 11 a.m. aboard one of the executive Bell helicopters.
At 12:30 p.m. a State Police investigator in Manhattan brought Bruno to a meeting at C.V. Starr & Co. on Park Avenue. The company's leader is former AIG Chairman Maurice Greenberg. AIG has been a generous contributor to state Republican campaigns. State Police then transported Bruno to the Sheraton, where he spent the night.
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Bruno and numerous Senate Republicans attended the Annual New York Republican State Committee Dinner at the Sheraton. Participants paid at least $1,000 per person and up to $10,000 per couple to hear U.S. Sen. John McCain and former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani speak.
Why on Earth would Uncle Joe need such services? Are you ready fro this one? Because of "constant threats to his life." Really.
Bruno's staff claims he faces constant threats to his life and safety and is therefore provided security details.
But, why would anyone want to hurt Joe Bruno? Well, he blames...
...the Albany Times Union itself. I swear, you can't make this stuff up.
Bruno spokesman Mark Hansen would not discuss the trips or provide Bruno's itinerary.
"Sen. Bruno uses the transportation services provided to him in his role as majority leader for state purposes," Hansen said. "As he has, and continues to receive, death threats and other threats to his safety, based on what people read in the Times Union and other negative reports, he is provided with State Police protection when traveling."
People want to kill Bruno because of the stuff they read in the TU. Oh, and even though they want to claim that these trips are justified as they are legitimate trips conducting the people's business, they will not discuss them or even release his itinerary.
Fishy doesn't even begin to describe this.
Much more on the flip...
|
