This was originally published by News 10 Albany on July 02, 2010.

Subpoenaed local development officials no-show Assembly hearing

Two officials of a local economic development agency failed to appear before an Assembly committee investigating how each of them was paid about one million dollars over a two year period.

Richard Brodsky, the chairman of the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, had subpoenaed Jeff Bray, executive vice president of the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation, and Peter Sciocchetti, executive vice president of its sister agency, Crossroads Incubator Corporation.

Brodsky said each man received nearly one million dollars over a two year period in salary and bonuses.

An attorney for the Fulton County Economic Development Corp. claims the agency is a private non-profit and not subject to legislative intervention. But Brodsky says both agencies get governmental assistance and both deal in “public issues,” such as jobs and unemployment.

Brodsky says Michael Reese, the current CEO of the EDC, testified on Monday that the boards of the two agencies both were unaware of the huge amounts paid to the men in 2007-08.

Bray and Sciocchetti both have been suspended, but Bray’s attorney, Michael Koenig, told the committee in a letter “there has been no wrongdoing or impropriety.” Rather, Mr. Bray earned that performance-based compensation pursuant to the terms of his long-standing, written employment agreement.

Koenig said Bray would be willing to testify privately or in writing, but he was concerned that a public hearing would further damage his reputation unfairly.

Reese, the current CEO, has not returned NEWS10’s phone calls for the past two days.