ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Senate leader John Sampson says he gave details of other competitors’ proposals to the low bidder for a massive contract to install video slot machines at Aqueduct race track, but he didn’t violate any laws or ethic rules.
Sampson told reporters he provided an internal Senate memo comparing all the bidders to Carl Andrews, a lobbyist representing Aqueduct Entertainment Group. He insisted Friday that the data he turned over last fall during a heated argument with his former Senate colleague was all publicly available.
State Inspector General Joseph Fisch is investigating the release of what may have been confidential information and how AEG rose from last place in early rounds of the bidding to first.
Sampson says the data had no effect on the troubled process because the requirements changed several times afterward.