Cuomo Donor, Head Of NY Racing Association, Takes Leave After His Company Showed Up In Skelos Indictment

Casey Seiler at Capital Confidential:

Anthony Bonomo is taking a leave of absence — effective immediately — as the chairman of the board of the New York Racing Association less than a week after his company was revealed to have provided an alleged “no-show” job to the son of former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

“I do not want to have recent events distract from the ongoing work of NYRA,” Bonomo wrote in a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday. “I wish you and NYRA continued success.”

On Monday, a Cuomo spokesman refused to respond when asked if Bonomo retained the governor’s confidence — a silence that in itself sent a message. His exit comes just days before NYRA’s biggest day of the year: the running of the Belmont Stakes, including potential Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Bonomo, whose term as board chair lasted slightly more than two months, serves as CEO of Physicians Reciprocal Insurers, which according to court documents provided Skelos’ son with $100,000 in payments and health benefits. The company was described but not named in a federal indictment returned by a Manhattan grand jury last week.

Anthony Bonomo and PRI donated $877K to pols and their various party committees during the 2014 election cycle, putting them in the top 25 in political contributors.

Bonomo and members of his family have donated $400K to Cuomo and the State Democratic Party over the past four years.

Wonder what Preet makes of all of this?