U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara has announced he is closing his office’s investigation of Governor Cuomo over his early shuttering of the anti-corruption Moreland Commission as it zeroed in on shady dealings involving him and his allies.
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Cuomo launched the panel in 2013 to probe corruption among state politicians – but disbanded it in March 2014 following the passage of ethics reforms. And indeed, evidence from the commission led to the prosecution of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Leader Dean Skelos.
Blair Horner, legislative director at the New York Public Interest Research Group, said despite any finding of criminal wrongdoing, he continues to believe Cuomo was wrong to shut down the panel.
However, Cuomo defended this administration’s handling of the commission by saying any decision was ultimately in the hands of the commissioners. Bharara is also reportedly investigating the contracting in Mr. Cuomo’s “Buffalo Billion” economic development program. “The chairman says, ‘I’ll think about it” and then says, ‘I disagree, I don’t want to do that.’ That is not a sign of interference that is the proof of independence”. On Monday, he said he was “gratified” that the commission’s files have helped Bharara’s investigations into government corruption. Elkan Abramowitz said in a statement.
One of Cuomo’s toughest critics wasn’t satisfied with Bharara’s statement seemingly clearing Cuomo.
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In July 2014, the New York Times published an investigative report showing a top aide to Mr. Cuomo had directed prosecutors to pull back a subpoena of a company that had done business with the governor, among other examples of alleged interference with the commission. “The likelihood that state laws were broken was always the greater possibility”.
