Bruno Trial: Former Ethics Counsel On Stand

ALBANY -- Documents show former New York Senate leader Joseph Bruno sponsored a $2.5 million state grant to a college in his district for a new technology center where the main tenant would be a company whose investors included Bruno business associate Jared Abbruzzese.

Bruno is on trial in federal court facing eight fraud counts, accused of using his state influence to enrich himself and denying New Yorkers his honest services.

The 2006 grant to the Sage Colleges in Troy was used to help refurbish a science building into an incubator space, meant to foster business applications from research.

Senate finance staff testified Evident Technologies would be the anchor tenant. Other Abbruzzese companies employed Bruno as a consultant in 2004 and 2005.

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From Marci Natale in Albany:

Former Senate Ethics Counsel, Frank Gluchowski testified Thursday that Joe Bruno never asked for for ethics clearance to do consulting work for his friends, Leonard Fassler and Jared Abbruzzese. When asked by prosecutors if he knew what Bruno did to earn a fee of $20,000.00 each month through the various companies, Gluchowski responded, "o, I wouldn't be privy to that." Gluchowski testified, he advised Bruno to keep records of his work for Abbruzzese, because he was being paid "a considerable amount of money."Gluchowski said Bruno never expressed concern over a conflict of interest with Abbruzzese, even though two years, prior to being paid, Evident Technologies in Troy which Abbruzzese helped fund, received state grants totaling $500,000.00. There was also testimony about a business arrangement between Bruno and Abbruzzese surrounding the sale of a racehorse. The Government alleges, Bruno and Abbruzzese were engaged in a partnership and should have disclosed that partnership on a financial disclosure form. Gluchowski testified, it was not a partnership, but rather a joint venture and therefore it did not have to be disclosed. 

The trial resumes Friday morning with Jared Abbruzzese on the stand.