Politics & Government

Huntley Burning Bridges on Her Way to Jail: Report

After recording fellow legislators and stealing thousands, Huntley says she can "sleep very well."

Article by Matthew Hampton

Former state Sen. Shirley Huntley is not going off to the pokey without a few choice words for some of her "friends" in government, and she was not shy about saying any of them.

In an interview with the New York Daily News published Monday, Huntley practiced some scorched-earth politics, telling the paper "Albany is a mess. It’s all about money and power. I don’t think most of them give a tinker’s damn about their constituents."

The 74-year-old former state senator, who will be spending a year in jail, seemed to cut loose in the interview, claiming she could handle prison, only wanting for brandy and cigarettes. She wasconvicted earlier this year for stealing nearly $90,000 from a non-profit she was managing. 

She also went got into the nitty-gritty when describing meetings she took with other legislators in her home in an effort to shield her family from prosecution, including details like using a cigarette case to hide microphone. She also claims to have hidden a camera in a bottle of water. 

Huntley recorded conversations with elected officials from across Brooklyn and Queens, including former Queens borough president candidate Jose Peralta, and current Brooklyn state Senator and borough president candidate Eric Adams.

She will be taken into state custody next month to begin her 366-day prison term.

For more, check out the New York Daily News.


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