Queens, NEW YORK

The October 27, 2009 New York Times editorial, "The Fog of Ethics," makes good reading.

Extortion, bribery, racketeering — those are just some of the crimes that have sent members of the New York State Legislature to jail in the last five years.

They cite the case of Anthony Seminerio, 74, (D - Queens 38 District).

In June, Seminerio pleaded guilty to a single count of honest-services fraud covers the July 10, 2008, call to a state Health Department official on behalf of Jamaica Hospital, which was looking to purchase other hospitals. The FBI caught him on tape. The Queens legislator had been elected to the Assembly 16 times.

Federal prosecutors said that for the last decade he traded upon his office, receiving “corrupt payments” from people or organizations that had business before the state and sometimes threatening those who resisted his requests for money.

The Federal agent was introduced to Seminerio by Brian McLaughlin, a Queens Democrat, labor leader and fellow assemblyman. At the time, McLaughlin was under indictment for using his position to steal $2.2 million in cash, cars and perks.

McLaughlin was sentenced in May to 10 years in prison. [Our entry.]