Behaving badly in Albany

A disturbing trend continues:

Parker did not take the stand in his own defense and will be sentenced on January 27.

It continues a troublesome trend in Albany. Since the start of 2009, eight state Senators have come under scrutiny for wrongdoing.

Here's the tally:

Kevin Parker: Was found guilty today of beating up a New York Post photographer. Parker declined to take the stand in his own defense.

Vincent Leibell: Plead guilty to obstructing justice and not reporting as income money he took from two attorneys. Leibell’s attempt to cover up the payments were secretly recorded by prosecutors.

Pedro Epsada: Allegedly steered tax-payer money from a local health care facility into his pocket. Espada maintains he’s innocent.

Hiram Monserrate: Was found guilty of misdemeanor assault related to the night he says he accidentally broke a water glass against his girlfriend’s face. Monserrate has said prosecutors unfairly went after him and ignored his side of the story.

Carl Kruger: Was investigated by federal authorities for allegedly seeking contributions in exchange for favors. The probe reportedly extended to one of Kruger’s aides.

John Sampson: Allegedly passed along sensitive information to one of the Aqueduct bidders. Also, bidders sought to curry favor with Sampson once he took over the Senate leadership from Smith.

Malcolm Smith: Stood to benefit from deals with Aqueduct bidders before he was deposed by Sampson, according to the Inspector General’s report [.pdf].

Eric Adams: Named in the IG’s report, and, to clear his name, has convened a conference call with district leaders and will send a letter to his constituents explaining what he did during the Aqueduct bidding process. He says he did nothing wrong.