Carl Kruger

First elected to the New York State Senate in a 1994 special election, Kruger represented Senate District 27 in Brooklyn. In February 2007, then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno—a Republican—appointed Kruger Chair of the Senate Social Services Committee, making him the first minority party senator to chair a committee in New York history. Kruger later chaired the powerful Senate Finance Committee. In February 2007, Kruger presented legislation attempting to ban the use of electronic devices, such as mp3 players and mobile phones, in New York City crosswalks. Kruger, along with Sens. Rubén Díaz Sr. (Bronx), Pedro Espada Jr. (Bronx), and Hiram Monserrate (Queens), threatened to abandon the Democratic majority that was elected to the New York State Senate on November 4, 2008. The self-named "Gang of Four" refused to back Malcolm Smith of Queens as the chamber's majority leader and sought concessions. Monserrate soon rejoined the caucus after reaching an agreement with Smith that reportedly included the chairmanship of the Consumer Affairs Committee. The remaining "Gang of Three" reached an initial compromise in early December that collapsed within a week, but was ultimately resolved with Smith becoming majority leader. On December 2, 2009, Kruger was one of eight Democrats to vote against a same-sex marriage bill that failed to pass the Senate. On June 13, 2011, it was announced that he, Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Shirley Huntley had switched their intentions from "against" to "for" a pending same-sex marriage bill. Kruger voted in favor of the Marriage Equality Act in 2011; the bill passed the Senate and was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In 2011, Kruger introduced a bill "that would ban the use of mobile phones, iPods or other electronic devices while crossing streets — runners and other exercisers included." ==Federal prosecution and guilty plea==

On June 25, 2010, The New York Times revealed that the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn were investigating Kruger for allegedly seeking campaign contributions in exchange for political favors. On March 9, 2011, Kruger was indicted on charges of bribery and profiting from a hospital merger he supported. On March 10, 2011, Kruger was among eight individuals (including William Boyland Jr., another New York State Assemblyman) who "surrendered to face charges in a federal corruption case accusing the lawmakers of taking bribes over the course of a decade in schemes large and small." According to The New York Times: On December 20, 2011, Kruger pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and two counts of bribery conspiracy. He faced up to 50 years in prison. Michael Turano, a co-conspirator described as Kruger's "secret longtime companion," pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery On April 26, 2012, Judge Jed S. Rakoff sentenced Kruger to seven years in federal prison. In January 2019, a blog covering Brooklyn politics spotted Kruger at a meeting of Community Board 18. The District Manager of the Community Board at the time was Dorothy Turano, who is mother of Kruger's co-conspirator and partner Michael Turano. In April 2019, a small business owner applying for a liquor license complained to the Brooklyn Paper that Kruger threatened her at the Board meeting. Kruger assailed a New York City Department of City Planning representative at a June 2019 Community Board meeting, in a manner one observer called "stumping." ==Personal life==

Kruger has stated that he was raised by his mother, a single parent, in a low-income environment. Kruger is a close friend of the Turano family, which includes longtime Democratic activist Dorothy Turano and her sons, Michael and Gerard Turano. Kruger has publicly denied being gay; however, the federal government produced wiretap evidence of "nearly daily" contact between the two men, including "baby talk" and a reminiscence by Turano of Kruger's declaration of love for him. Kruger and Michael Turano asked to serve their sentences at the same detention facility, but their request was denied. ==References==