They made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
New York State Senator Jeff Klein, a Bronx Democrat who helped form a governing alliance with the GOP since 2012, but who has since vowed to caucus again with the larger Democratic delegation, received a $10,000 campaign donation from mob-linked Hutchinson Metro Center.
Via the Observer:
The Bronx pol’s July filing shows that the Hutchinson Metro Center, an affiliate of Simone Development – formerly known as Hutch Realty Partners – kicked in the five figures in June. The donation brings the real estate group’s total contribution to Mr. Klein’s operation to a whopping $93,850 since 2006.
Two principals of the company, Michael Contillo and Joseph Deglomini, were indicted in the 1990s of tax evasion, racketeering, and conspiring to raid the pension funds of building trade unions with the help of organized crime.
This is the same firm according to the Observer, that Klein rents his district office space from.
In all, the total donations provided by the mob-linked company reach nearly $100,000 since 2006.
A spokeswoman for the Senator says that Klein was unaware of the past dealings with his campaign donors or office providers, and the government. She said, “any assertions to the contrary are wrong and unfair.”
Such donations from mob-linked groups have been beneficial to New York Democrats. The company has also made donations to the Bronx Democratic Party ($9,600) and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins ($5,000).
Cross-posted at the Mental Recession
