ALBANY - Two Fulton County economic development officials were subpoenaed again to testify today about their controversial bonuses, but they refused to appear before the state Assembly committee investigating the matter.
Albany attorney Michael L. Koenig, representing Fulton County Economic Development Corp. Executive Vice President Jeff Bray - said today before the hearing Bray would not testify.
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, D-Westchester, subpoenaed Bray and Crossroads Incubator Corp. Executive Vice President Peter Sciocchetti to appear today before the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions he chairs.
Brodsky aide Chris Valens said this morning the two officials both submitted letters saying they would not appear, and they invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. (The letters may be read in .pdf format by clicking on the icons in the box at right. - ed.)
Attorney Peter J. Moschetti Jr. of Latham, counsel for Sciocchetti, didn't return a phone call this morning.
Bray and Sciocchetti did not appear June 29 before the committee after receiving a previous subpoena from Brodsky.
Koenig wrote in a letter then that Bray wants to be interviewed in private. Koenig also argued Bray had already been "unfairly and inaccurately portrayed" by the media, and a public hearing will "only perpetuate that."
Brodsky is investigating bonuses paid to Bray and Sciocchetti which totaled about $1 million for each man between 2007 and 2009, according to tax records. EDC and CIC board members have said they did not authorize the bonuses.
The two executives have been suspended without pay while the matter is investigated.
Brodsky issued a news release saying today's hearing was intended to receive testimony from Bray and Sciocchetti -a call "for information previously requested and withheld by the corporations as part of the committee's ongoing investigation into public authorities, specifically large bonuses paid by the corporations to certain employees, the activities of the corporation, and the adequacy of the current laws."
The boards of directors of both the EDC and CIC met jointly Wednesday at the EDC office in Gloversville. EDC board Chairman Laurence Kelly, on vacation until Aug. 9, couldn't be reached today for comment.
CIC board President Joyce Royal said today Wednesday's session had to do mostly with the state Authorities Budget Office's interpretation of the local agencies' status.
The Authorities Budget Office maintains the EDC and CIC are "government functions" and subject to public oversight, but the agencies have argued they are private entities.
Royal said the long-awaited public report to Fulton County supervisors on the bonuses may not be provided for some time. She said the EDC and CIC only just got "authority" from their attorney Wednesday to write up the report.
Royal, a local real estate broker, said today she's "got a business to run" and Kelly is on vacation.
"We want to get back to Fulton County [with the report] as quickly as possible," EDC President Michael Reese said today.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.
