Albany’s latest corruption cases focus on New York City real estate interests seeking tax breaks from politicians. Most notable is an exemption worth about $1 billion a year that legislators and the governor must now decide whether to extend.

Federal prosecutors allege Senate and Assembly leaders took hefty campaign contributions or other payments in return for laws benefiting the city’s wealthiest landlords.

Real estate developers say without the tax breaks, rents would be higher and many tenants would have fewer options.

Advocates for the less affluent say the exemption amounts to a needless subsidy in a hot commercial real estate market. They say it mostly helps build luxury high-rise apartments.

The tax breaks have been packaged with rent controls for a million city apartments, all scheduled to expire in June.

(AP)