New York Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno's (R) employment with a Connecticut company with which several Albany unions have invested their pension funds is the subject of a federal investigation. The potential conflict of interest has arisen out of two years worth of investigation into Bruno's employment. The New York Times has the details.

At issue is the degree to which Bruno's relationship with the company was disclosed (or not, as New York rules on the subject are lax) and whether this points to the need to dig deeper into ethically questionable employment by lawmakers that interferes with or overtly influences their legislative activities.

Albany has been battling questions about these kinds of ethics issues, alongside questions about campaign finance disclosure, donation limits, and other considerations to do with the integrity of the legislature. Will these kinds of stories serve to put the spotlight on proposed solutions, like the Clean Elections proposals long supported by many members of the legislature and New York Governor Eliot Spitzer?