A Roslyn-based insurance company is talking to investigators probing whether former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) secured payments and medical benefits for his son Adam Skelos from an unidentified malpractice firm.
A spokesman for Physicians Reciprocal Insurers, the second largest medical malpractice firm in the state, said in an e-mail to Newsday that “We are aware that the U.S. Attorney is investigating Dean Skelos and his son Adam. PRI is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney and has no further comment at this time.”
A telephone message left to PRI was not immediately returned.
Dean and Adam Skelos pleaded not guilty on Monday to corruption charges alleging the senator used his political power to get jobs, money and benefits for his son from sources that include a developer, environmental firm and malpractice insurance company.
The insurer, which has not been officially identified, allegedly provided Adam Skelos with $100,000 from a no-show job and benefits, according to the indictment against the Skeloses.
Physicians Reciprocal Insurers is led by Anthony Bonomo of Manhasset, who in April was selected by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to chair the New York Racing Association.
Campaign finance records show the Bonomo family contributed more than $800,000 to candidates in the 2014 election cycle, including Cuomo, Skelos, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
According to a Capital New York report, Physicians Reciprocal Insurers has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years in lobbying the state on various medical malpractice issues.
Among the lobbying firms retained by Physicians Reciprocal Insurers is Park Strategies, which is owned by former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato.
A 2013 Blank Slate Media investigation found D’Amato and state Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) personally asked the Long Island Power Authority to accelerate the restoration of Physicians Reciprocal Insurers in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
A LIPA spokesman at the time said the power authority did not dedicate extra resources to PRI or alter its restoration priority in wake of the requests.
Physicians Reciprocal Insurers, located at 1800 Northern Blvd. in Roslyn, is the second North Shore area business to find itself involved in the Skelos probe.
Dean Skelos is alleged to have obtained more than $200,000 in payments for Adam Skelos by pressuring the New Hyde Park-based real estate developer Glenwood Management Corporation, which relied on the state Legislature for tax abatements and other legislation, such as rent regulation, essential to its real estate business.
