Ex-labor Commish Arrested

[E40FDNYL35]

January 29, 2003 -- A former state labor chief was busted yesterday on bribery and conspiracy charges for helping a business buddy win lucrative federal grants for driver education.
James McGowan, who served as commissioner of labor, helped steer the grants to John Segreti, who owns driver-education schools, including Drive Safe New York and National Traffic Safety Institute of Staten Island, the feds charged.
As a payback, Segreti organized payments to be made on a monthly basis to McGowan, according to an indictment filed in White Plains federal court.
Also, in January 1999, Segreti paid for McGowan's staff holiday party, which was held in Albany the previous December, authorities charged.
McGowan, 65, of Yorktown Heights, Westchester, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Jim Comey said the ex-political heavyweight pressured employees at the Department of Motor Vehicles to help Segreti gain an unfair advantage, and passed on to him advance notice of secret Department of Labor grant provisions.
Comey said McGowan, who was president of the New York State Professional Firefighters Association before being appointed to the Labor post by Gov. Pataki in 1998, was also charged with filing false tax returns over five years and making a false statement on a mortgage application.
Segreti, 45, of Colts Neck, N.J., faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and bribery charges.

[Airborne]

I have to wonder how many of these idiots ever get away with it. We just had this big blow up here in Minneapolis where City Council member was taking bribes to make sure some businesses got there needed permits, and some other things like that.

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Nice