The news conference will be presented by Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Adam Cohen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Shantelle Kitchen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
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Federal prosecutors this morning announced public corruption charges against nine defendants, including Joseph Percoco, a close former aide to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo; Alain Kaloyeros, the governor’s Nanotechnology guru and point man on the Buffalo Billion project; and Buffalo developer Louis Ciminelli.
In the speech and then in a follow up with reporters, the Democratic governor said he was hurt by the alleged actions of people close to him.
When the wife of Percoco, the Cuomo aide, was alleged earlier this year to have received payments from consultants related to the Buffalo Billion contract, he was technically not on the governor’s staff because he had taken time off to join his campaign. He said that, for the first time since his father’s death, he did not wish to bring him back to life.
Cuomo added that if his father had lived to see the scandal, it “would’ve broken his heart”.
Also charged in the case is SUNY Polytechnic Institute President Alain Kaloyeros, who had led many of Cuomo’s efforts to lure high-tech investment upstate.
Last year, the two former legislative leaders, Dean Skelos and Sheldon Silver, were convicted on corruption charges by Bharara, who again said Thursday that Albany hasn’t cleaned itself up.
Percoco’s attorney has said he will be vindicated. As Attorney General, I put people in jail for wrongdoing.
Howard Zemsky, head of the Empire State Development Corporation, will be taking over management of SUNY Polytechnic Institute projects.
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Authorities accused Percoco of conspiring with Kaloyeros and Howe to ensure lucrative state bids would go to COR Development and Buffalo contractor LPCiminelli.
