Carl Kruger (born December 3, 1949) is an American convicted felon and politician from New York. A Democrat from Brooklyn, he represented District 27 in the New York State Senate. Kruger was first elected to the State Senate in 1994 and later became Chair of the Senate Social Service Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. In December 2011, he resigned from the State Senate and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges. In 2012, Kruger was sentenced to seven years in prison.

First elected to the New York State Senate in a 1994 special election, Kruger represented Senate District 27 in Brooklyn. In February 2007, then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno—a Republican—appointed Kruger Chair of the Senate Social Services Committee, making him the first minority party senator to chair a committee in New York history. Kruger later chaired the powerful Senate Finance Committee.

In February 2007, Kruger presented legislation attempting to ban the use of electronic devices, such as mp3 players and mobile phones, in New York City crosswalks.

Kruger, along with Sens. Rubén Díaz Sr. (Bronx), Pedro Espada Jr. (Bronx), and Hiram Monserrate (Queens), threatened to abandon the Democratic majority that was elected to the New York State Senate on November 4, 2008. The self-named "Gang of Four" refused to back Malcolm Smith of Queens as the chamber's majority leader and sought concessions. Monserrate soon rejoined the caucus after reaching an agreement with Smith that reportedly included the chairmanship of the Consumer Affairs Committee. The remaining "Gang of Three" reached an initial compromise in early December that collapsed within a week, but was ultimately resolved with Smith becoming majority leader.

On December 2, 2009, Kruger was one of eight Democrats to vote against a same-sex marriage bill that failed to pass the Senate. On June 13, 2011, it was announced that he, Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Shirley Huntley had switched their intentions from "against" to "for" a pending same-sex marriage bill. Kruger voted in favor of the Marriage Equality Act in 2011; the bill passed the Senate and was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

In 2011, Kruger introduced a bill "that would ban the use of mobile phones, iPods or other electronic devices while crossing streets — runners and other exercisers included."

On June 25, 2010, The New York Times revealed that the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn were investigating Kruger for allegedly seeking campaign contributions in exchange for political favors. On March 9, 2011, Kruger was indicted on charges of bribery and profiting from a hospital merger he supported. On March 10, 2011, Kruger was among eight individuals (including William Boyland Jr., another New York State Assemblyman) who "surrendered to face charges in a federal corruption case accusing the lawmakers of taking bribes over the course of a decade in schemes large and small." According to The New York Times:

Kruger is accused of “receiving a stream of bribes totaling at least $1 million in exchange for taking official actions.” Among the charges in the complaint is that he shared fees paid to the lobbyist, Richard Lipsky, and then took “the very official acts in favor of which Lipsky had been paid to lobby." . . . [T]he detailed 53-page complaint portrays Senator Kruger as a lawmaker who offered a full range of corrupt services in exchange for bribe payments, performing official acts that included sponsoring and supporting legislation, lobbying other elected officials and directing state monies for the benefit of Mr. Lipsky and the lobbyist’s clients.