Breaking: FBI Investigating Joe Bruno

he's known he was being investigated (4.00 / 1)

since LAST SPRING! he didn't exactly share that info with his own caucus before they unanimously made him majority leader again.

if i were a senate GOoPer, i'd be kinda pissed.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 17:12:17 PM CST

Or with the voters (4.00 / 1)

During this past election.

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by: pontificator @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 17:13:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I predict (4.00 / 1)

At least some small measure of hell breaking loose. Bruno is not a young man, and he has not had a brief tenure at the top. With the GOP's statewide chances essentially reduced to nil on what, for all intents and purposes, must be seen as the foreseeable future, the Senate Maj. Leader slot is really the top job young GOPers can aspire to.

In other words, quite a few factors are already conspiring here to make this a rocky ride for Bruno.

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by: DavidNYC @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 20:13:47 PM CST

[ Parent ]

...and... (0.00 / 0)

...they tend to eat their own.

We've got some work ahead of us.

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by: NYBri @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 20:40:22 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Consulting company (4.00 / 1)

I didn't even know that Bruno had a consulting company.

I'm guessing you're not alone. A google search of "Capital Business Consultants" and Bruno brings up a whopping five hits, of which four are from The Center for Public Integrity and the remaining one is a clinker.

Searching for "Capital Business Consultants" is even more interesting. I figured that he would either set it up in the, uh, capital, or in Brunswick, where he lives, so I tried the business names with each of the two.

Zippo. Nothing.

Why would someone set up a consulting firm that practically no one knows about?

Hmmmmmm.....

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by: MattK D1 @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:00:56 PM CST

just ran the same search (0.00 / 0)

and have been asking myself the exact same question.

and i don't think we're the only ones who are wondering about that. the feds sure seem interested in joe's "consulting company".

TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:08:23 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Capital Confidential blog (0.00 / 0)

has a link to Uncle Joe's financial statement which contains the info on his side businesses.

345 Bulson Rd... same as his horse farm.

REBOOTNY.org - it is time to Reboot the New York State Senate!

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by: Andrew C. White @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:31:50 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Laundry anyone? (0.00 / 0)

REBOOTNY.org - it is time to Reboot the New York State Senate!

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by: Andrew C. White @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:12:27 PM CST

[ Parent ]

CAPITAL BUSINESS CONSULTANTS, LLC (4.00 / 2)

NYS Department of State
Division of Corporations
Entity Information

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Selected Entity Name: CAPITAL BUSINESS CONSULTANTS, LLC

Selected Entity Status Information Current Entity Name: CAPITAL BUSINESS CONSULTANTS, LLC
Initial DOS Filing Date: MARCH 24, 2000
County: RENSSELAER
Jurisdiction: NEW YORK
Entity Type: DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Current Entity Status: ACTIVE

Selected Entity Address Information DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity)
CAPITAL BUSINESS CONSULTANTS, LLC
345 BULSON RD
TROY, NEW YORK, 12180 
Registered Agent
NONE 

NOTE: New York State does not issue organizational identification numbers.

Search Results  New Search

Division of Corporations, State Records and UCC Home Page  NYS Department of State Home Page

All you need is Love.

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by: Manny Love @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:22:42 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Wow. (4.00 / 2)

That should provide an interesting dynamic, given that he's top dog of the dying NYSGOP.

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by: Michael Bouldin @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:21:28 PM CST

Hadn't pondered that, MB.... (0.00 / 0)

Indeed, he's the top Rep barker and the FBI has been looking since the Spring?

Eliot was right...Day One, everything changes.

We've got some work ahead of us.

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by: NYBri @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 19:00:23 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Maybe. (4.00 / 1)

Hey Brian,

thing is, things are not going to change until we change them. Read this to see what I mean.

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by: Michael Bouldin @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 19:35:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Troy, eh? (4.00 / 1)

That's interesting."

From the Times Union article dated December 9:

Bruno got firm unconditional grant

$500,000 to Troy company had no restrictions; another $525,000 went to business

The Troy firm that received $500,000 through Sen. Majority Leader Joseph Bruno had no strings attached to the money, and got another $525,000 from the state authority overseeing the grants.

Evident Technologies Inc. not only received two $250,000 grants sponsored by Bruno, but also got $525,000 from Empire State Development Corp.'s venture capital fund, state officials said.

Bruno's member item grants to Evident were highly unusual because such legislative grants almost always go to nonprofit organizations.

The grants were also remarkable because friends of Bruno have been investors and directors of Evident. They also contributed to his Republican Senate Committee and one provided plane rides to Bruno and is under investigation for potentially exceeding lobbying gift limits.

Gift limits and secret consulting firm in the same vicinity, huh?

And the conditions of the handout?

None.

The company did not have to promise to add any jobs, stay in Troy or remain in New York. The agreement simply excludes directors of the company from getting any business from the member item grant money.

One nice thing... the beneficiaries are really, really grateful.

Evident Chief Executive Clint Ballinger, a St. Louis native, said his company, formed in 2000, could be profitable if it wanted, but continues to sink money into development.

"We like it here; it seems it's a good environment to grow a company," he said. "There are investors in the area willing to invest in risky businesses and you get government money ... Now that we have 50 employees from all over the world, people like it here; I think we'll stay."

Hey Joe, if you shove a million dollars my way, I promise to hire fifty people, kick some nice goodies in your direction, and say "I like it here." I'll even bake you a pie. Whaddya say?

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by: MattK D1 @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:38:59 PM CST

Oh, and credit where it's due (0.00 / 0)

From the same Times Union article

Bruno had never revealed that the money he promised Evident -- up to $1.5 million -- would come from his member item pot, details of which the veteran lawmaker refused to give up until the Times Union sued legislative leaders for the information.

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by: MattK D1 @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:49:54 PM CST

[ Parent ]

EVIDENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (0.00 / 0)

Selected Entity Name: EVIDENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Selected Entity Status Information Current Entity Name: EVIDENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Initial DOS Filing Date: AUGUST 03, 2000
County: ALBANY
Jurisdiction: DELAWARE
Entity Type: FOREIGN BUSINESS CORPORATION
Current Entity Status: ACTIVE

Selected Entity Address Information DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity)
EVIDENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
216 RIVER ST
TROY, NEW YORK, 12180 
Chairman or Chief Executive Officer
CLINTON T BALLINGER
216 RIVER ST
TROY, NEW YORK, 12180 
Principal Executive Office
EVIDENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
216 RIVER ST
TROY, NEW YORK, 12180 
Registered Agent
NONE 

All you need is Love.

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by: Manny Love @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 18:50:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Did I say $1 million? (4.00 / 2)

Turns out that Evident was the very first (and only, so far) tenant at a brand-new nanotechnology incubation center built at Russell Sage College in Troy, which had its ribbon-cutting on September 27. The location, INVEST at Sage, got $2.5 from Bruno's coffers (not sure how much this crosses over from the money that Evident got, but my guess would be, not at all) and will get another $2.5 million that Sage is raising.

No indication in what I found on how much Evident is paying for rent, or towards facilities.

Sage's INVEST pages here and here.

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by: MattK D1 @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 19:31:54 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Did ET, Inc. have to file a request with an audited return to get the grants? (0.00 / 0)

Would be interesting to see of CBC, LLC is listed as a consultant.

All you need is Love.

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by: Manny Love @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 19:01:26 PM CST

This gets back to the criteria issue... (4.00 / 1)

What criteria do these guys use to hand out the cash? That's a huge question that we should be asking each and every legislator.

We've got some work ahead of us.

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by: NYBri @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 19:13:23 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Incidentally (0.00 / 0)

Don't want the funnyness about the state money to spill over. It appears that Evident is a for-real nanotech company, founded by a Lockheed Martin guy with two fellow Lockheed scientists. The company and its head seem respected and near the head of the pack in their particular niche. So this doesn't look like the same case as the million dollars that Tioga county sent down the drain on a bankrupt furniture company.

The money handling, on the other hand, not so nice.

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by: MattK D1 @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 19:09:10 PM CST

I would think an investigation of CBC may (4.00 / 1)

include query into the fiancial relationship. I beleive it was already stated Joe got free rides. How about when they came to town, did CBC get some sort of finders fees or brokerage for landing ET in NY? This is not an indictment of ET, which is real, just questions of the linkage. This is not to say that there is any linkage, all this seems to lend itself to an investigation. Even if no one did anything wrong, NYBri is right, the process stinks.

All you need is Love.

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by: Manny Love @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 19:23:11 PM CST

[ Parent ]