Freshman Bronx state Sen. Gustavo Rivera – who ran on an anti-corruption platform when he defeated scandal-scarred Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. last year – has become the first legislator to announce he’s returning giving away donations from just-indicted Brooklyn Sen. Carl Kruger.
Our Glenn Blain reports:
“Sen. Rivera is returning $2,500 that was given to him by Sen. Kruger,” Rivera Communications Director Conchita Cruz told the Daily News. “These accusations cut at the very heart of what New Yorkers hate about Albany — backroom deals, pay-to-play and corruption scandals,” she said.
(Update: Cruz called back to say they’re not returning the money to Kruger, but donating it to charity instead.)
Update 2: But the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee will NOT be giving back (or away) any Krugerbucks: “We will not be returning these funds, which were contributed during a previous election cycle and already spent,” said spox Josh Cherwin.
“Sen. Rivera believes these accusations are particularly troubling because they only further New Yorkers’ mistrust of their elected officials.”
Rivera was
as vice-chair of the chamber’s Latino Caucus.
Update 3: State Sen. Jose Serrano’s office just called the Daily News’ Albany bureau to say the Bronx Democrat is making plans to donate the $1,000 he got from Kruger in 2009 to charity. “We hope that it will be a quick process and that the money goes where it can do the most good,” said Damaris Olivo, Serrano’s communications director.
