Bruno Convicted on 2 Counts of Federal Corruption
ALBANY -- Former state Senate leader Joe Bruno has been convicted on two counts of federal corruption.
He was acquitted on five other counts.
The jury could not reach a decision on one count of the eight-count indictment after seven days of deliberating, prompting Judge Gary Sharpe to declare a mistrial in the count of honest services/mail fraud relating to Bruno's "consulting" activities for Leonard Fassler and related businesses.
The federal prosecution says it will consider whether to re-try Bruno on the count.
[VIDEO: Psychology at work in jury deliberations]
The verdict reads as follows:
1. Wire fraud: NOT GUILTY
2. Honest services/wire fraud: NOT GUILTY
3. Honest services/mail fraud: NO VERDICT
4. Honest services/mail fraud: GUILTY
5. Honest services/mail fraud: NOT GUILTY
6. Honest services/mail fraud: NOT GUILTY
7. Honest services/mail fraud: NOT GUILTY
8. Honest services/mail fraud: GUILTY
Bruno is scheduled to be sentenced March 31, 2010. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up $250,000 for each count on which he was convicted.
[VIDEO: What are the differences between the counts?]
A spokesperson for Bruno says the retired senator will "fight long and hard to regain his name and reputation."
"[Bruno] is being cleared of five counts to date, and we will now turn our attention to the Supreme Court, which, as of tomorrow, will begin hearing the first of three cases in the vague and overreaching honest services statute," Kris Thompson said in a statement.
The landmark three-week trial exposed Albany's practice of influence peddling by lawmakers.
Bruno, once one of the state's most powerful politicians, faced eight fraud charges and was accused of denying New Yorkers his honest services while enriching himself in the amount of $3.2 million by using his state influence.
[VIDEO: What is 'honest services'?]
He consulted for three businessmen and solicited union pension investments from labor unions on behalf of two companies.
Prosecutors argued that Bruno was required to publicly disclose his business interests and associates.
Bruno, a Republican, represented the state's 43rd Senate district encompassing Rensselaer and Saratoga counties for over 30 years.
For CBS 6's complete coverage of the trial of Joe Bruno since it began, including analysis and reaction, visit the Bruno Backgrounder page here.
