For Bruno, a display of offense and defense -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY: "TROY -- As Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno continued to defend his use of state aircraft to travel to Manhattan fundraisers, several people with business before state government said they met with the Republican lawmaker during those trips.
Also Tuesday, Bruno lashed out at the Times Union for reporting the story and accused the paper of a 'shakedown' attempt, which the paper called 'preposterous.'
Bruno has refused to release details of his trips to Manhattan on state aircraft, saying he is trying to protect the privacy of people he met.
'There are other people, business people, who don't necessarily want to see their names in headlines in disparaging ways,' the Brunswick Republican said Tuesday afternoon.
However, the Associated Press reported that spokesmen for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Shell Oil Co., New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a major Manhattan developer said Bruno met with them on days when he used a state helicopter to fly to New York City. Those meetings occurred on trips that also included political fundraisers.
Bruno's travel, first reported Sunday by the Times Union, is under the scrutiny of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Albany County District Attorney David Soares. At issue is whether the trips were purely political, which would violate state law that prohibits personal use of state resources. Past governors, however, had been allowed to use aircraft when there is a mix of political and government activity, although they sometimes reimbursed the state for part of the cost.
The trips, according the Associated Press, included:
A May 3 meeting with lobbyist Patricia Lynch, the former top adviser to Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and her client, Tishman Speyer, one of Manhattan's biggest developers. That night, Bruno hosted a Senate GOP fundraiser at the Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan, with tickets ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
A May 17 meeting with TransCanada and Shell Oil Co., who comprise Broadwater Energy, which is proposing a controversial liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound. The meeting was at the office of a Republican contributor. That evening was a state Republican Party fundraiser, with tickets ranging from $1,000 to as high as $10,000 a couple.
A May 24 meeting at New York City Hall with Mayor Bloomberg. Bruno later attended a fundraiser held in his honor.
On Tuesday, Bruno attacked the paper, with his office alleging that an ad salesman attempted to "shake down" the Senate and calling for an investigation by Soares.
Times Union Publisher Mark Aldam called the allegation "preposterous."
Bruno aide Mark Hansen said he spoke with an advertising salesman who was "apologetic of his paper's news coverage of Senator Bruno and distanced himself from the views of the news and editorial departments prior to giving his sales pitch that buying ads in the Times Union would enable Senator Bruno 'to let people know about all the good things the senator is doing.' "
Hansen's statement did not assert that the salesman suggested that news coverage of the senator would be influenced by the purchase of ads.
In a letter to Soares, however, Bruno aide John McArdle characterized the sales call as "an attempt to shake down the Senate and the senator and would be an attempt to extort both public and private money." In his letter, McArdle noted that the salesman denied he was suggesting that buying ads would affect coverage, but said Hansen took it that way.
Aldam said, "These assertions are preposterous and absolutely baseless."
Aldam said his understanding was that the salesman approached Bruno's office about placing issue ads that might respond to ads the state Democratic Committee has been running on timesunion.com and other Web sites. Aldam said the paper does not believe the salesman suggested such purchases would affect news coverage.
In a prepared statement, Aldam said the paper has a clear wall between advertising and news coverage, "and we zealously guard against breaches in the wall that separates our commercial and our journalistic goals."
Aldam added that "To imply any breach of integrity by the Times Union strikes me as an unfair attempt by Senator Bruno's office to redirect attention from recent public reports toward the media company responsible for the initial reporting."
Bruno also said he has canceled his subscription to the paper.
Bruno and Gov. Eliot Spitzer have been at odds for several weeks, with the Senate leader refusing to go along with the Democratic governor's call for campaign finance reform. Bruno says tighter contribution limits would unduly favor wealthy self-funded candidates like Spitzer.
The dispute has held up progress on a number of issues such as capital spending for economic development, expanding the state's DNA database for criminal investigations and streamlining laws that govern public construction projects, and the death penalty for cop killers.
Despite the acrimony, Spitzer spokesman Darren Dopp said the leaders' staffs continue to discuss outstanding issues on a daily basis. The Legislature is slated to return July 16 to at least take up a controversial congestion pricing plan to charge drivers to enter midtown Manhattan during the work week."
