ALBANY – Assemblyman Richard Brodsky ordered the state Thruway Authority yesterday to clarify why some basic documents obtained under subpoena have been heavily redacted and why sworn testimony appears to differ from internal records released under subpoena.

Mr. Brodsky’s committee is investigating a Thruway Authority scandal in which the residential development rights to the 500-mile state canal system were steered to a single developer for $30,000.The contract has since been canceled by the Thruway and rescinded by the state comptroller, Alan Hevesi.

The Westchester Democrat questioned several documents among the 30,000 provided by the Thruway Authority. In the minutes of a 1999 public meeting of the state Canal Recreationway Commission at a Lockport inn, the names of voting members, state agencies, and 13 of 16 staff members were blacked out. Another page appears to obliterate all but one of more than 50 publicly paid employees of the authority’s state Canal Corp., according to copies of the documents provided by Mr. Brodsky. Authority spokesman Dan Gilbert declined comment on the letter. He said a response was being prepared for Mr. Brodsky.

A 1999 request for approval of travel fees blacked out a congressman’s name in requesting the payment of a $686 bill. That request stated the meeting in Washington, D.C., was “per request from governor’s office.” Mr. Brodsky has repeatedly questioned in his committee’s hearings whether the authority operates independently of the governor’s office, as required by law.

The 1999 meeting appears to indicate that the governor’s office was involved in the development project well before the developer was awarded the contract, Mr. Brodsky said. Several other records are redacted, including the name of an employee who requested $1,039 to pay for a Canal Corp. lunch meeting. Mr. Brodsky said he will reconvene his hearing as early as tomorrow.