GEORGE E.

PATAKI

May 3, 2010

The Honorable Gary L. Sharpe

United States District Court
Northern District of New York
James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse
445 Broadway
Albany, NY 12207-2924

Dear Judge Sharpe:

I am sure I share the feelings of virtually every New Yorker in my disdain for the
unprecedented and unacceptable corruption which has been revealed in Albany. Holding people
accountable for their actions is an important part of restoring public confidence in our
government.

As you consider the difficult task of sentencing Senator Joe Bruno, I urge you to consider
both the nature of the charges against him and the contribution he has made to our state. This is
particularly the case as the United States Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on the
constitutionality of the statute underlying the charges.

With respect to Senator Bruno I would like to make two points. First, of course I do not
condone any of the actions which have led to Senator Bruno's conviction. Second, such actions
are inconsistent with the character of the man I worked closely with for over two decades and
have come to know as a friend and a good and decent man.

I worked with Senator Bruno over many years, first as a colleague in the State Senate and
later when he assumed his leadership role in New York State government. Senator Bruno enjoys
a reputation for always being candid and forthright in his opinions and his expectations, virtues
that are increasingly rare and reflect his values. I can attest that his reputation for being
forthright and candid is well deserved. Indeed in all my years working with Senator Bruno, he
was always totally candid in his positions, even when it was inconvenient, uncomfortable or not
what I necessarily wanted to hear.

Senator Bruno, a man of humble origins, knows the value of hard work and at all times
was committed passionately to improving the lives of New Yorkers. The landmark legislative
accomplishments in which he played a decisive role are too numerous to detail. But I will single
out Senator Bruno's strong leadership in the Senate that was critical to the passage of sweeping
welfare reform that freed over one million New Yorkers from the vicious cycle of welfare
dependency.

The numerous government officials, business leaders, concerned citizens and others with
whom he worked, many of whom did not share his political views, understood his passion and
commitment to helping the lives of all New Yorkers and respected him for this.

Dear Jude Sharpe:

 While he cared deeply for all New Yorkers, he focused his enormous energies on the
Capital Region and the broader area known as Tech Valley. He helped to leverage billions of
dollars in private sector investment at Albany Nano-Tech and Global Foundries. He worked
diligently taking a leadership role to improve the region's transportation infrastructure targeting
investments to the Albany International Airport and the Rensselaer train station. He also was a
friend and supporter of the region's higher education infrastructure, ensuring that Hudson Valley
Community College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the State University of New York at
Albany received competitive grant funding.

Taken as a whole, Senator Bruno has had a record of extraordinary accomplishment and
throughout his career in public service did much to improve the lives of all New Yorkers. As
you deliberate on his sentencing, I respectfully request that you take these contributions into
account.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

George E. Pataki

Dear3udge Sharpe: