SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOE

 It has never been much of a secret that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is a vindictive man who does not take criticism lightly. So when journeyman politico Joe Ruggiero stepped down from his cushy job as executive director of the New York State Bridge Authority to run for Dutchess County Executive, it was assumed it was with the enthusiastic support of Cuomo. For it was County Executive Marc Molinaro who put Cuomo’s feet to the fire as his opponent in the 2018 governor’s race, winning an impressive number of votes and counties north of the Tappan Zee Bridge along the way. Cuomo is said to be determined to use Ruggiero’s candidacy as payback to Molinaro for daring to call him out on so many failed initiatives during the 2018 campaign. 

What is lesser known is the degree to which Ruggiero and his rubber stamp Bridge Authority board have done to ease any financial hardship of a Ruggiero run for office or if he wants his Bridge Authority job back should he lose to Molinaro. Hudson Valley News has obtained documentation including a copy of Ruggiero’s resignation resolution detailing Ruggiero’s self dealing and favorable treatment by his toadies on the board.

Ruggiero was appointed executive director of the Bridge Authority in March of 2010 with a salary of $150,000. In August of that year Ruggiero granted himself four weeks of paid vacation leave annually on March 11.

When rumors of a possible merger between the Bridge Authority and Thruway Authorities surfaced in 2015, Ruggiero quickly inserted a termination clause guaranteeing him a full year payout in the event he lost his job in a merger. In 2017 Ruggiero, with the backing of the Authority board, then inserted a six-month leave of absence clause which would allow him to return to the job if he wasn’t elected to office. At the time the electorally challenged Ruggiero was said to be considering a run for state senate or congress. 

However, in January 2019, the New York State Legislature amended the political calendar forcing candidates to declare by the end of February which didn’t play well with Joe’s six-month clause. The clause had been inserted years before when the nominating conventions and primaries were in June and September. Ruggiero now had to resign or not run for county executive. He resigned but not before taking full advantage of his position and crafting a scenario that maximizes the terms of his employee contract knowing his Dutchess board members, Roger Higgins and Diane Jablonski, would rubber stamp them. (Jablonski ran unsuccessfully against Molinaro in 2015). Ruggiero’s resignation was effective on February 22, 2019, but he agreed to continue his employment with the Bridge Authority as executive assistant to the acting executive director until March 12, 2019. Thus guaranteeing an incremental payout of his annual four weeks of vacation that was triggered on March 11, 2019.

While Ruggiero has denied any financial incentive to run, it’s clear in addition to feathering his financial nest over the years, he has managed to give himself a sweetheart severance package of $134,691.64. This March 2019 payment reflects $45,364 for accrued vacation, sick, personal and holiday leave, $58,600 severance pay (90 days or 720 hours at $81.39 per hour) and another $35,485 (based on 436 hours). 

While the fact that a career politician can leave a state job with the understanding he can return to his former position in six months is apparently legal, it just doesn’t pass the smell test. Since Ruggiero resigned, the Bridge Authority has been operating under the leadership of “Acting Executive Director” Tara Sullivan. Neither Ruggiero or Sullivan will comment on whether Ruggiero will head back to the Bridge Authority should he lose to Molinaro. But it’s difficult not to conclude that Ruggiero is being subsidized by taxpayers to run for office with the promise of getting his political patronage job back if he fails. As one local politico told Hudson Valley News, “What else is he going to do? Get a job in the dreaded private sector.”