By Howard Koplowitz
Disgraced former state Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin and the two Queens hospital executives charged last week with bribing two state legislators may have no connection, but they do share a common link: the late Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio.
Seminerio, who died in a North Carolina prison last month where he was serving time on corruption charges, was brought down in large part to McLaughlin, who wore a wire to help prosecutors rein in the former Richmond Hill assemblyman.
In a Sept. 21, 2007, conversation, Seminerio told McLaughlin that he was becoming a “consultant” because he was tired of not being compensated by entities like Jamaica Hospital in exchange for his advocacy of them in Albany.
“I was doing favors for these sons of bitches there, you know, they were, they were making thousands,” Seminerio told McLaughlin. “Screw you, from now on, you know, I’m a consultant.”
Federal prosecutors said McLaughlin, who pleaded guilty to corruption himself and is serving time in the same North Carolina prison as swindler Bernie Madoff, had a series of recorded meetings with Seminerio, where “Seminerio made numerous statements about how he established a consulting company, Marc Consultants, to obtain payments in exchange for official acts.”
Jamaica Hospital Chief Executive Officer David Rosen was charged last week with causing the hospital’s parent company, MediSys, to pay $390,000 in bribes to Seminerio.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara would not say whether McLaughlin or Seminerio cooperated with the investigation into Rosen and seven others who were charged, including state Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. (D-Brooklyn).
According to the charges, Boyland was on the payroll of Brookdale Hospital — which is part of the MediSys network — before becoming an assemblyman and was given a no-show consulting job by MediSys after his election.
Rosen was replaced Monday night as CEO and president by Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bruce Flanz.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
