With a new pension-scandal bombshell exploding almost daily, the city’s pension czar is going off on a junket.
Joseph Haslip, the deputy comptroller for pensions — and a self-described “pimp” — is departing this morning for a three-day trip to Florida, as the state attorney general’s probe of public pensions has widened to include the city’s funds.
The three-day junket, called “Super Return 2009,” is a closed-door soiree at the swanky Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne that matches institutional investors, like pension funds, with private equity firms.
Investigators are probing whether placement agents, such as indicted Democratic political guru Hank Morris, took kickbacks when they acted as middlemen between private equity firms and the city’s pension funds.
The island resort, where rooms start at $409 a night, sits on the beach and has two swimming pools and complete spa service to get attendees in the mood for business.
It’s unclear who foots the bill, but in the past, Haslip’s travel was paid for by the New York City Employees Retirement System, a source said.
And these junkets aren’t only about financial talk.
In April 2008, Haslip, 42, e-mailed his counterpart at the Los Angeles pension fund, Robert Aguallo, to ask if he planned to attend a private equity conference sponsored by Opal Financial Group in Chicago.
Haslip’s message was sent under the subject line “Dude, Are U Doing-Opal Chicago?”
Aguallo replied, “Yes . . . This LA Pimp will be there . . . will brief you on my next adventure,” according to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Haslip wrote back, “Dude the nyc pimp will be in the house.”
Haslip did not return calls, but his staff confirmed his attendance at Super Return.
Before taking over the city’s pension portfolio in 2006, Haslip was a top adviser to city Comptroller Bill Thompson. Earlier, he was chief of staff to then-state Sen. David Paterson.
Many Super Return attendees donate to Thompson’s campaign.
Carlyle Group founder David Rubenstein, for instance, gave $4,950 to Thompson’s 2005 re-election campaign. It manages $55 million in city pension cash.
Investigators said the firm paid finder’s fees to Hank Morris’ firm, Searle & Co., to help win state pension business, but it hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing.