$100K investment in movie, ‘Chooch,’ costs financial firm head $20M in pension pay-for-play scandal

After the pension fund committed $150 million to a joint venture between Riverstone and The Carlyle Group, Leuschen is said to have invested $100,000 in the poorly-received film "Chooch."

The film was produced by the brother of former Controller Alan Hevesi's chief investment officer.
Carlyle, which previously settled for $20 million over other parts of the scandal, was unaware of the Leuschen investment in the film, Cuomo's office said.

Riverstone, which invests in energy and power companies, previously agreed to repay the pension fund $30 million and adhere to a code of conduct pushed by Cuomo to settle the firm's involvement in the scandal.

"It is important that both firms and individuals be held accountable for conduct that jeopardized the integrity of (the pension fund)," Cuomo said.