ALBANY — Former State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno asked a friend to hire him as a $30,000-a-consultant — claiming that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver made much more as a consultant, the friend testified today.
Jared Abbruzzese said Bruno told him during a plane ride in 2004 that New York legislators are unique because they can have outside income.
“He started talking about Sheldon Silver and how Sheldon Silver was getting paid 40, 50, 60,000 a month from the trial lawyers association,” he said.
Abbruzzese, the star prosecution witness in Bruno’s corruption trial, said he later agreed to pay the powerful lawmaker $20,000 a month.
Bruno received $200,000 during the 10 months of the deal, he said.
Both Silver and the New York State Trial Lawyers’ Association denied that the speaker was a paid consultant.
Bruno’s contribution to Abbruzzese’s hi-tech firm was providing “his contacts” and appearing with him at New York restaurants like Rao’s and San Pietro’s, the witness said.
“I didn’t need him for his telecommunications advice. I wanted him for his Rolodex.”
Abbruzze also hired Bruno in 2005 to work for two of his other firms.
But after the new CEO questioned what it was that Bruno did, Abbruzzese agreed to fire him.
To make it up to his friend, he said he bought a dubious racehorse from Bruno for $80,000.
Abbruzze’s testimony came a day after prosecutors revealed that Bruno secured a $2.5 million legislative grant to create office space for an Abbruzzese firm.
The prosecution rested its case in Albany federal court after Abbruzzese’s left the witness stand.