Another Corrupt Democrat Goes to Prison

It's a pity this criminal doesn't have as much money as Obama pal Steven Ratner. Then he could have bought himself out of a prison term.

Disgraced political consultant Hank Morris was frog-marched off to jail yesterday without so much as a kiss goodbye from his bawling wife as a judge sentenced him to up to four years for orchestrating a $19 million kickback scheme involving the state's strained-to-the-breaking-point pension fund.

The bailiffs guarding Morris, who last year pleaded guilty to masterminding the influence-peddling scheme, pointedly denied his request for a final embrace with his near-hysterical wife, Leslie Morris.

"I love you. I love everybody. I'll see you soon," Hank Morris, almost blubbering himself, shouted to his wife and family before he was hauled off in handcuffs to start his 1 1/3- to four-year sentence.

Two rows packed with Morris family members and supporters wept as the former top aide to disgraced state Comptroller Alan Hevesi was led away.

His attorney's last-ditch plea for an extra week of freedom had also been denied.

"No. It's time to go. You're remanded," barked Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Lewis Bart Stone, rejecting Morris' plea for time to get his affairs in order.

Morris, 57, pleaded guilty last November to securities fraud, admitting that he used his political connections to squeeze millions of dollars in payouts from financial firms looking for a piece of the state's $125 billion pension fund in a classic "pay-to-play" scheme.

Firms that refused to pay the bribes found it near impossible to do business with the pension fund, investigators found.

"I'm sorry if I let you down," Morris told the judge before he was sentenced. "Simply put, my actions undermined the integrity of New York state and, more importantly, made [the public] question their faith in government . . . For too long, I was blind.

"Words cannot express my remorse."

Among the prominent money managers who played along with Morris' scheme was Steven Rattner, the Wall Street financier who led President Obama's restructuring of the auto industry and who also served as an investment adviser to Mayor Bloomberg. Rattner ended up settling a civil suit from the state for $16.2 million.

A total of $170 million in civil penalties were paid by financial firms, including politically connected companies like the Carlyle Group.

Eight people so far have pleaded guilty to criminal charges from the case.

Morris pal Charles Schumer, who called Morris a "straight shooter," was unavailable for comment.

'Dude the NYC Pimp Will Be In the House'

Thanks to his own stupidity, now the NYC pimp is in the newspapers.

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.

Sounds like this guy is qualified for a top White House post.

The indicted Morris, by the way, is a former aide to New York Senator Charles Schumer.

Shocker! Former Schumer Aide Busted in Million-Dollar Kickback Scheme

Chuckie Schumer was unavailable for comment, naturally.

A longtime Democratic consultant to former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi is one of two men indicted today on a pay-to-play kickback scheme involving the state pension fund, officials said.

Hank Morris, who once worked for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and David Loglisci, who served as Hevesi's deputy comptroller for Pension Investment and Cash Management, are the first people to be charged following a two-year investigation by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Both men were charged with 123 counts, including enterprise corruption, grand larceny, money laundering and Martin Act offenses, according to a 123-page indictment filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

"By injecting politics and self-dealing into investment decisions at the State pension fund, the defendants are alleged to have corrupted the New York State Comptroller's Office," said Cuomo.

Morris is accused of pocketing $30 million in fees from financial firms that won business with the pension fund during Hevesi's time in office.

I wonder if Schumer will tax 100% of that $30 million?

The Associated Press, naturally, avoids mentioning the word Democrat.

More here.

A real big week for Chuckie Schumer. One of his biggest contributors in Bernie Madoff goes away for life and now one of his former aides gets busted for ripping off millions. Of course the only time we see him preening for the cameras is when he's threatening to tax AIG executives. Funny how his relationship to scandal goes virtually unnoticed.