State Senator Carl Kruger, who was hit with federal corruption charges last week for allegedly taking over $1 million from lobbyists, developers, and health care consultants in exchange for turning Albany their way, was back in Albany yesterday. He said, "am here to represent the people of my district,... I am here to do my job, and that’s what I’m doing today," and referred to speculation about his relationship with a man he shares a house with (the man's mother and brother also live there), "I am not going to comment neither on the case nor my personal life."
The NY Times offers a glimpse of Kruger's day back:
A woman spotted him and seemed surprised. She ducked into an adjacent office and could be seen pointing when Mr. Kruger walked by... No one spoke to him [in an elevator]. People stared, the way people stare when trying to seem as if they are not staring...
Most colleagues stayed away, although State Senator Rubén Díaz Sr., a Democrat from the Bronx, gave him a huge, gripping hug. Later, noticing Mr. Kruger sitting by himself, he invited him across the chamber and they chatted.
Oh, and "He spoke only once, to vote against a bill proposing a constitutional amendment to change the way the state redraws legislative district boundaries." (This is what his district looks like.) Speaking of Diaz, the Bronx legislator won't give back money donated by Kruger and says if any other colleagues are giving back Kruger money, he'll gladly take it.
And another Kruger crony is in the spotlight: Michael Levitis, a (potentially disbarred) Brooklyn lawyer, owner of the Rasputin nightclub, and the alleged go-between for Kruger and those who wanted Kruger's influence, is going to be one of the stars of Lifetime's reality show set in Brighton Beach. Sheepshead Bites says, "the Russian community isn’t worried about negative stereotyping because they 'trust' the A&E-owned network." Well, if this Times article about the show—which starts off with one woman hoping she aces the audition because she'd love to hook up with someone and "throw it" in the face of an ex-boyfriend—is any indication, let the stereotyping begin!
