Joe Bruno: “Lawyers can lawyer, Farmers can farmer”
Joe Bruno, formerly Majority Leader of the New York Senate and currently defendant in a political corruption trial, reminds us that he was merely a part-time legislator and entitled to make a living by collecting consulting fees from those who wished to do business with the state.
I had a right as a part-time legislator to conduct business. That was no secret. I talked about it. I spoke about it. It was on my financial statements. So what’s going on here, I think, is that people don’t understand that a businessperson has a right to do business-some people don’t understand that, hopefully the jury does-as a part-time legislator, just like lawyers can lawyer, farmers can farmer.
As leader of the NY Senate, Bruno received over $120,000 per year for his “part-time job” as one of NY’s three men in a room. Now retired, he draws $95,000 in state pension for his part-time service to New York state . Prosecutors allege that Bruno received $3.2 million between 1993 and 2006 from five individuals or groups that had or were pursuing business with state agencies or the Legislature.
Joe "BS Express" Bruno at trucker rally in 2008
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Wow! And I thought Bush said some dumb things!