In an indictment in 1987, he was accused of assigning legislative employees to campaign work and giving no-show jobs to his political allies.

The only recent example of such no-show jobs involved two supposed aides of Assemblywoman Gerdi Lipschutz of Queens.

Officials of three construction companies were charged with making illegal labor payoffs and providing no-show jobs.

He also denied that the union created "ghost" or no-show jobs.

His lawyers have said they believe the investigation involves allegations that one or more people on Mr. Gray's staff arranged no-show jobs.

There were also no-show jobs and kickbacks worth millions of dollars, paid by everybody from construction companies to lawyers and accountants.

The payoffs, the indictment said, frequently took the form of "wages" paid to members of the groups for being "labor coordinators," even though those were often no-show jobs.

"Nobody lays on their deathbed wishing they had saved more no-show jobs."

So do no-show jobs, a staple of Pemex operations for decades.

She resigned March 9 to avoid censure for creating two no-show jobs on her payroll at the request of Mr. Rubin.