New York State Police Superintendent Kevin Bruen has announced that he will step down following media reports that he improperly shielded a staffer from HR complaints.
The announcement, first reported Friday by the Albany Times Union, comes days after Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed to the upstate newspaper that her administration was investigating the matter.
A spokesman for the state police did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Hochul has faced growing criticism over alleged pay-to-play schemes involving campaign donors in recent weeks – including one who landed a $637 million no-bid deal with the state for COVID-19 rapid tests.
“She doesn’t need another scandal before the election,” an Albany source told The Post this week about Bruen.
Read Related Also: Mindy Kaling Husband: Is She Married To B.J. Novak? Kids And Net Worth
Results of the probe are unlikely to become public ahead of the Nov. 8 election against Republican nominee Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Suffolk).
First Deputy Superintendent Steven Nigrelli, who has a longstanding relationship to the governor and her husband Bill Hochul, is one possible replacement for Bruen.
A recent report by state Inspector General Lucy Lang bashed state police for mishandling an internal discipline case involving a state trooper who dated a daughter of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo while he remained in power.
This is a developing story.
