Albany. (Photo: Wikimedia)

This afternoon, courts released a sentencing document for State Senator Shirley Huntley, detailing her cooperation with federal authorities in the wake of her arrest in a bribery scheme. After a slew of corruption scandals have rocked New York State politics in recent weeks, including several of Ms. Huntley's Albany colleagues, particular attention was placed on the names of officials and staffers caught in Ms. Huntley's wiretaps. There are nine names on the list.

In documents filed with the court, the U.S. Attorney's Office wrote that "eight of these nine individuals remain the subjects of ongoing criminal investigations.” According to Ms. Huntley's lawyer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI recorded and photographed the following individuals on multiple occasions:

State Senator John Sampson
Melvin Lowe (former political consultant and associate of New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman)
State Senator Eric Adams
State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson
State Senator Jose Peralta
State Senator Malcolm Smith
City Councilman Ruben Wills
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
Curtis Taylor (former staffer for Malcolm Smith)

The U.S. attorney's office refused to tell Politicker which individual is not subject to the ongoing investigation.

But Mr. Wills' campaign said he was the innocent one.

"My attorney has been in contact with federal law enforcement authorities and he has been informed that I am NOT the target of any investigation arising from proceedings involving Shirley Huntley," the councilman said in a statement. "I have personally not been contacted by any law enforcement officials to date and I look forward to continuing the work of the people of southeast Queens that elected me.”

Mr. Wills' statement is echoed by one from Mr. Adams. “I have not been contacted about any investigation. I believe deeply in transparency and the pursuit of justice—and that is why I committed 20 years of my life to law enforcement,” he said. “I am more than willing to help with any investigation.”

A spokesman for Mr. Schneiderman declined to comment but a source in his office pointed to all of the work Mr. Lowe, one of two non-electeds named on the list, has done for other officials. Mr. Schneiderman once indicted Ms. Huntley so there may be a tense relationship that led to the attorney general being singled out. "The notion that Schneiderman had a business relationship with Lowe is ridiculous," the source said.

All of the officials on the list are Democrats. Among them are two pols campaigning for higher office--Mr. Adams and Mr. Peralta for Brooklyn and Queens borough president respectively. Politicker has reached out to the offices of Ms. Hassell-Thompson, Mr. Peralta and Ms. Montgomery and has yet to receive a formal response to the news. Mr. Smith and Mr. Sampson have already been indicted in separate cases.

"This is an extremely trying time in Albany. If any charges are brought the conference will take appropriate action," Senate Democratic Conference Spokesman Mike Murphy said in a statement. A spokesman for the Senate Republican Conference declined to  comment.

This post will be updated with additional information as it arrives.

View the sentencing letter below:

John Sampson (Photo: N.Y. State Senate)

State Senator John Sampson, who up until recently led his chamber's Democratic conference, is set to turn himself into federal authorities today after being ensared in a bribery scandal, according to The New York Times and New York Post.

It's unclear to what extent Mr. Sampson may have been cooperating with federal prosecutors prior to this point. His involvement in an alleged scheme with then-State Senator Shirley Huntley, who already pleaded guilty to her own charges, was revealed last week when a sentencing letter made public Ms. Huntley's own cooperation. The Times reports Mr. Sampson be charged with obstruction of justice.

Should Mr. Sampson indeed be charged as expected, his arrest will follow what has been a recent string of corruption scandals in New York, including State Senator Malcolm Smith, Councilman Dan Halloran and Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, who was caught when a colleague revealed he had been wearing a wire himself and resigned. And, in the past couple years, pols like Councilman Larry Seabrook, State Senator Pedro Espada and State Senator Carl Kruger have been convicted in their own bribery or embezzlement schemes.

Furthermore, Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. was indicted for stealing public funds again last Friday, and the day before, two close associates to Comptroller John Liu, a candidate for mayor this year, were found guilty of attempting to organize a straw donor scheme on his behalf.

Needless to say, when it comes to good governance, New York is not gaining a particularly good reputation these days. And with more cooperating witnesses, there's no  sign that the scandals will end anytime soon.

Update (9:00 a.m.): According to multiple reports, Mr. Sampson has indeed turned himself in. U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch is holding a press conference at 11 a.m. to further discuss the arrest.

(Photo: Getty)

Former Governor Eliot Spitzer, never a fan of the current governor, yesterday blasted his hiring and spending practices at the Empire State Development Corporation. A recent front-page New York Times story suggested Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration prefers politically connected hires, an implication Mr. Spitzer wholly agreed with.

"There has been a problem at ESDC," Mr. Spitzer told Road to City Hall host Errol Louis during last night's program. "I think that The New York Times article was very clear in that is merely the top layer of the onion in terms of politics being pervasive in hiring, leaving and pushing substance to the side."

Mr. Spitzer also tore into the agency's ad campaign promoting the state's economic growth, arguing that it amounted to "fluff."

"There has not been coherence at ESDC. They have spent who knows how much money on TV ads that are fluff and a waste of taxpayer money," Mr. Spitzer said. "When I talk to people upstate about where the funds are going, they are not being spent wisely, there is not creative thinking about it. And I'm deeply troubled by this and I think that what we saw in that little window into ESDC is problematic and I think that raises issues that really need to be pursued."

Mr. Louis pushed back, asking Mr. Spitzer, who resigned as governor in 2008, whether the officials should be judged by whether economic growth is actually achieved, rather than by the process of their hiring practices.

"When you look at ESDC hiring, I remember we would hire people with a deep, extensive background in economic development and knowing how to negotiate with companies to leverage limited dollars into more hiring. Those are the things---the metrics--you use and want to look at, not people who happen to be the sons, daughters, colleagues of people who make big contributions," Mr. Spitzer replied.

Mr. Cuomo's office, which denied politics factor into their hiring practices, did not immediately return a request for comment.

However, a Cuomo spokesman has previously said, “The Governor’s office has no comment on anything Spitzer says.”

(Photo: Getty)

The State Legislature is set to look at tightening New York's infamously loose campaign finance rules in the wake of a recent slate of corruption scandals, but State Sen. Rubén Díaz believes legislative attention should instead be focused on Governor Andrew Cuomo.

"I would like to recommend that ethics reform in New York State begin in the Governor's mansion," Mr. Díaz declared today in one of his regular "What You Should Know" statements. "While we consider how to restrict Senate campaign donations that are used to pay for meals, I would like my readers to know that many of my colleagues are routinely invited to the Governor's mansion to eat his food and drink his wine with no oversight to who pays those bills."

This is not the first time Mr. Díaz has deflected the news of State Senator Malcolm Smith's arrest--along with other officials in the State Assembly and City Council--to other topics. Indeed, earlier this month, he reminded his readers that both Mr. Cuomo Mayor Michael Bloomberg have also used money in pursuit of their various legislative and electoral goals, although through legal channels.

Today, Mr. Díaz, an outspoken reverend and constant critic of Mr. Cuomo's, paid particular attention to the Committee to Save New York, an organization that has spent millions supporting Mr. Cuomo's policy agenda.

"We should be more concerned with stopping big money influence of corporations, groups and people that are getting access to meetings with Governors and others by contributing big donations," the senator continued. "Amen."

View Mr. Díaz's full missive below:

You should know that today the New York State Senate will begin a public push to limit how Senate campaign funds can be spent. These campaign funds are donations from individuals and organizations given with the understanding that the candidate will use them as they see fit - like renting a car and paying for meals.

You should also know that while this effort to turn up the heat on Senators has begun, there is still no effort underway to restrict what Governor Cuomo does with resources he raises, and no demand for a complete disclosure of the names of the donors from the Committee to Save New York - his ally - a private lobbying committee not subject to state campaign finance law. The names of many of their donors remain in the shadows.

The Committee to Save New York has been lockstep with Governor Cuomo's agenda and has spent more money on lobbying activities in 2012 than any other group.

You should know that the billionaires and business leaders who support Governor Cuomo's Committee to Save New York have won billions in government bailouts. Now they insists upon “fiscal responsibility” for the rest of New York.

I would like to recommend to my colleagues that instead of going after each other and restricting how much money we spend from our donors to rent cars and pay for dinners for our campaigns, that we focus our attention on reviewing policy payoffs that impact our ability to legislate on behalf of our constituents - instead of on behalf of the groups who lobby and profit from their participation of the Committee to Save New York.

I would like to recommend that ethics reform in New York State begin in the Governor's mansion.

While we consider how to restrict Senate campaign donations that are used to pay for meals, I would like my readers to know that many of my colleagues are routinely invited to the Governor's mansion to eat his food and drink his wine with no oversight to who pays those bills.

While we consider how to restrict Senate campaign donations that are used to rent cars, I would like my readers to know that this past Thursday JCOPE quietly posted on their website on state ethics ruling that Governor Cuomo can bring Sandra Lee, his girlfriend and Food Network star who lives with him in Westchester County, along with his daughters on the state aircraft with him when he's on official business.

While we consider how to restrict Senate campaign donations that are used for our cell phones, You should know that the millions of dollars raised by the Committee to Save New York to expand casino gambling needs should be investigated.

You should know that corruption in New York State needs to be thoroughly investigated, and is far more important that the way we spend money donated to us from our supporters - who donate with the full knowledge that we decide how to spend it.

We should be more concerned with stopping big money influence of corporations, groups and people that are getting access to meetings with Governors and others by contributing big donations and by the conflict of interest of legislators serving as of-counsels and those that are board members of institutions whose leaders contribute big money. Amen.

This is Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.

(Photo: Getty)

When Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly passed tough new gun control measures in January, he faced a raft of criticism for skipping the standard deliberative period and allegedly ignoring the more minute legislative details. The criticism recently found new substance with the bill's apparently unworkable 7-bullet magazine requirement, which Albany is now working to reverse. And, on his weekly radio show with John Gambling, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that "one criticism" may indeed have merit.

"This is true of a lot of things," Mr. Bloomberg said after accusing an unrelated City Council bill of having unintended side-effects. "You asked before about the magazines in Albany. We just got to start to thinking a little bit more about the implications of things before we rush to legislate and rush to legislate everything."

Mr. Bloomberg said allowing additional time to read legislation could have helped avoid this sort of sticky situation, but maintained his "100 percent" support for Mr. Cuomo's efforts on the gun issue overall.

"I'm 100 percent supportive of him. There is the argument--and it's a legitimate one--that if they had taken a few more days to read and let some people who might have other information .... give some input, they could have fixed some of this stuff," he explained. "They would say, 'Look, pass the bill. You can come back and fix it. It may look embarrassing in the paper, but so what?' And there's something to be said for that. I guess I might have tried to take a few more days, but I certainly shouldn't second-guess the governor."

(Photo: Getty)

New York may join the list of states across the country that have been curtailing the use of unmanned drones. Newly-elected Bronx Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda just announced he is "preparing legislation to circumscribe the domestic usage of drones."

"The Assemblyman believes that not enough attention is being paid to their operations in the United States, and envisions that without appropriate safeguards, they can be used for malicious and intrusive purposes," a press release from Mr. Sepulveda's office declared. "Mr. Sepulveda is open to coordinating with civil libertarian groups to ensure that any bill originating from his office will be adequately comprehensive to "stay ahead" of this burgeoning technology."

President Obama's administration recently made the controversial decision to expand drone usage in the United States, primarily to aid police and first responders. However, privacy advocates are concerned about the extensive surveillance data the unmanned flights could gather in the process.

According to the Chicago Tribune, more than 20 states are considering legislation to deal with these privacy issues. Illinois, for example, has a bill limiting drone surveillance to formal investigations while Virginia has moved to ban them outright.

Mr. Sepulveda's chief of staff Ken Thomas told Politicker the assemblyman's bill is still being drafted, but they are looking at restricting drones to warrant-carrying police searches and banning any form of drone weaponization.

(Photo: Getty)

Republican Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin is officially in damage-control mode after declaring "Hitler would be proud" of Governor Andrew Cuomo for fast-tracking gun control legislation through Albany.

“We were told to shut up and vote and that’s what this is all about,” Mr. McLaughlin said at a press conference today announcing a bill to limit the governor's ability to issue "messages of necessity" to skip the normal deliberative process. Governor Cuomo has used the technique to pass several controversial bits of legislation including his gun control plan and last year's infamous "big ugly" flurry of deals on redistricting, pensions, casino gambling, teacher evaluations and a DNA databank for criminals.

“Just don’t question it and vote. That’s basically the message here," Mr. McLaughlin continued. "If that’s not dictatorial, I don’t know what is. Hitler would be proud, Mussolini would be proud of what we did here, Moscow would be proud, but that’s not democracy.”

Challenged by reporters after the press conference, Mr. McLaughlin initially stood by his comments. However, after a round of condemnations, including one from the Anti-Defamation League, the assemblyman quickly changed his tune and released a YouTube video apologizing for the remark.

"I made an analogy that I really should not have made and I'm very, very sorry about that," he says in the video. "I called the governor to apologize; he did not deserve that. That wasn't fair of me to do. So I apologize to the governor and to all of you for doing that. ... Just like you, I'm human and I make mistakes sometimes, and that's what this was. "

However, Mr. McLaughlin reiterated his opposition to the message of necessity being used for New York State's new gun control law.

"I'm very passionate about defending my constituents," he explained. "I've gotten thousands and thousands of calls from them and they're upset about the way this bill was handled. And I'm upset with the way it was handled. New Yorkers deserve better than what they got here in Albany the past couple weeks. We cannot rush bills through without having them being given the proper debate they deserve."

For his part, Mr. Cuomo defended the move, arguing the new gun policies needed to be quickly expedited to stop the public from stocking up on assault weapons while the Legislature debated.

Watch Mr. McLaughlin's video below:

(Photo: Getty)

Governor Andrew Cuomo reached his all-time high job approval last month, with 74 percent of the state's voters telling Quinnipiac University that they approve of the governor's performance and only 13 percent taking the opposing position. As Mr. Cuomo himself predicted yesterday, however, his support dropped after he quickly pushed the passage of a new gun policy package earlier this month. He now stands at a still-respectable 59 - 28 approval rating.

In a Quinnipiac survey released this morning, Republicans appear to be a key factor in Mr. Cuomo's doubling disapproval number, likely due to the controversial gun control issue. Indeed, while only 34 percent of New Yorkers said the new legislation went “too far," 59 percent of the state's Republicans begged to differ. Mr. Cuomo's GOP approval fell from an astounding 68 - 18 percent on December 12--just two days before the Newtown massacre--to 44 - 43 today.

"Is Gov. Cuomo's honeymoon with Republicans over, or is this just a spat that can be patched up in the months ahead?" Maurice Carroll, the polling firm's director, asked in the press release announcing the new numbers. "Cuomo lost some Republican support after the 2011 same-sex marriage bill, but he got it back."

Despite Mr. Cuomo's hit among Republicans, Mr. Caroll argued the governor's overall support is far from shabby.

"With approval ratings that consistently topped 70 percent, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had the political capital to spend when he set out to pass the toughest gun control laws in the nation," the pollster said. "It is possible that the gun law cost him some of that political capital, but a 2-1 job approval rating still makes him the envy of most governors."

For his part, Mr. Cuomo predicted "anxiety" among gun-owners will go away and some of them will realize that the state's new gun laws are not as draconian as they feared.

“There’s also I would say a fair level of confusion if not anxiety,” he explained yesterday. “‘How does the law affect me? I’m a gun owner, what does it mean?’ And the law is technical and I think they have questions and I think that’s fueling the opposition now because it’s fueling the anxiety. I think when they actually find out about the law, it’s not going to be as bad as they think.”

Read more here.

(Photo: Getty)

Governor Andrew Cuomo says his popularity probably took a shot after he pushed through a controversial gun policy package earlier this month.

The prognostication in question came during a Tuesday morning radio interview with New York Post columnist Fred Dicker. Mr. Dicker, who's sparred with Mr. Cuomo in the past on the issue, predicted Mr. Cuomo's typically sky-high numbers would take a tumble in the next statewide survey and Mr. Cuomo simply agreed.

"We know what the polls say on this because we've done it. We haven't done it after the fact, but they were clear enough before the fact," Mr. Cuomo replied. "I think your prediction is right."

Mr. Cuomo argued the damage wouldn't be due to the unpopularity of the NY SAFE Act, but rather because the gun law's passionate detractors would be more likely to express their frustration on the single issue alone.

"The issue is about a 70-30 issue. 70 percent of the people of the state saying they wanted gun control, etcetera," he explained. "Within the 30, there's a group that feels very strongly about it. You've been making their case quite eloquently for a number of days. They tend to be [from] Upstate. They tend to be conservative. ... I know their opposition. I know they're going to be displeased. I would expect that you're going to see that in the poll. And that will be that. They will be unhappy."

Mr. Cuomo also claimed that some of the opposition to the new gun policies--which include tougher restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines--was due to "anxiety" that will eventually go away.

"There's also I would say a fair level of confusion if not anxiety," he said. "'How does the law affect me? I'm a gun owner, what does it mean?' And the law is technical and I think they have questions and I think that's fueling the opposition now because it's fueling the anxiety. I think when they actually find out about the law, it's not going to be as bad as they think."

Nevertheless, the governor emphasized that it wasn't his job to avoid popular blowback

"That's the nature of the business. I understand that, I expected it. I've gone through it before. We went through it with marriage equality. There are people who feel very strongly about an issue, and, especially in the immediate aftermath, they let you know about it!" he exclaimed. "We are not here as elected officials, to do the easy ones."

(Photo: Facebook)

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, one of the more prominent gun control advocacy groups in the country, is positively delighted with New York State's new gun laws and is excited to see them spread in "other states and the federal government."

Accordingly, the group's president, Dan Gross, wrote an effusive letter to Albany's legislative leaders to thank them all for "your hard work, quick action, and most of all - for your courage."

Addressing Democratic Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver and all three leaders in the State Senate--Dean Skelos, Jeff Klein and Andrea Stewart-Cousins--Mr. Gross further argued the new gun policies, which include a stricter assault weapon ban and a limit on high-capacity magazines, will help generate the necessary momentum for similar policy changes beyond the Empire State's borders.

"The leadership New York showed in passing this landmark legislation has generated excitement across this nation and sent the message that it is possible to pass comprehensive gun legislation in America today," he wrote. "Those on the other side seek to paint this debate as a battle between intrusion and the preservation of liberty.Your leadership not only proved this argument to be a false choice, but also provided a balanced and comprehensive law for New York that can be a model for other states and the federal government."

Of course, with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives likely opposed to the idea, moving any sort of controversial gun control package through the federal government is easier said than done.

View the full letter below:

January 28, 2013

Dear Speaker Silver, Senator Skelos, Senator Klein, and Senator Stewart-Cousins,

On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Americans that we represent who are fighting day and night to end the rash of gun violence that has plagued this nation, I want to thank you for the bold action you took in passing the NY Safe Act. The leadership New York showed in passing this landmark legislation has generated excitement across this nation and sent the message that it is possible to pass comprehensive gun legislation in America today.

This country stands at a crossroads between passing sensible life-saving gun measures, and continued deference to extremists and a powerful gun lobby.

Those on the other side seek to paint this debate as a battle between intrusion and the preservation of liberty.

Your leadership not only proved this argument to be a false choice, but also provided a balanced and comprehensive law for New York that can be a model for other states and the federal government.

Make no mistake about it: This is a pivotal point in this debate and New York stood tall. The tragic effects of more than a decade of inaction are still raw and deeply felt. However, those who have stood in the way of common sense gun laws have redoubled their efforts.

Your swift action showed the entire nation that officials can take on this fight and win and that legislative gridlock is not a foregone conclusion.

New York seized the moment and because of you and your work with Governor Cuomo, lives will be saved in New York and - soon - across the country. You have developed a model that demonstrates how a comprehensive approach can keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people without infringing on Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.

I thank you for your hard work, quick action, and most of all - for your courage.

Sincerely,

Dan Gross

President Brady Campaign