U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara will have more information later today on public corruption charges against nine defendants, including Joseph Percoco, who was once a top aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo.
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Subpoenas sent to the governor’s office also targeted Cuomo donor Louis Ciminelli, SUNY high-tech official Alain Kaloyeros and energy company Competitive Power, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported about the imminent arrests.
At the heart of the charges are payments Percoco and his wife received while the governor’s aide was on sabbatical from the state to manage his 2014 re-election campaign, though the complaint purports that the alleged scheme dates back to 2012.
A press conference announcing the charges will be held at noon Thursday at the New York City office.
The indictment charges Percoco with using his top post in Cuomo’s second floor Capitol office to personally enrich himself.
The case against Percoco goes to the very heart of the Cuomo administration. The prosecutor claims Aiello and his corporate attorney passed Percoco another $35,000 to get the Empire State Economic Development Corporation-a Cuomo-controlled entity-to pay it for building the facility.
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Authorities also investigated whether the Percocos failed to properly disclose thousands of dollars they had been paid by at least one company that did business with the state. Percoco’s lawyer and Kaloyeros weren’t initially available for comment. Lobbyist Todd Howe, who Cuomo previously said was a target in the probe, is cooperating with federal investigators.
