What’s the matter, Carl — no love?
Embattled state Sen. Carl Kruger turned his back — literally — on a Courier-Life reporter on Sunday, and kept a low profile as he crashed the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush’s annual breakfast at Kings Terrace in Midwood.
Event organizers said that Kruger, who was charged earlier this month with taking $1 million in bribes from developers, was not invited to the event — though he was not kicked out.
“We can’t stop him from showing up,” said Rabbi Echezel Pikus, executive director of the Council.
Pikus explained that the networking event is open to anybody, and elected officials often show up to work the room.
“When people are in office, we don’t bar the doors to them,” he said, adding that he is withholding judgment until a jury finds Kruger guilty.
“Obviously people know the story, [but] in American law, someone is innocent until proven guilty,” he said.
Kruger was not among the guests who made an optional donation to COJO, Pikus said.
We spotted Kruger hanging out by the door, shaking only a few hands as many wondered what this political Typhoid Mary was even doing at the major networking event.
“If this was me [charged in such a crime], I wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning,” said Joel Schnur, a lobbyist who was there.
And when a Courier-Life reporter tried to chat him up, the senator turned his back, and a staffer got between the lawmaker and the scribe.
Kruger left after about an hour — well before heavy hitters such as Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Anthony Weiner (D–Midwood) arrived. He left even before touching the fish (which was a big, though not prosecutable, error).
Some, of course, said they expected to see Kruger, as he is still the senator, though out on bail.
