Joseph Percoco, left, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2013. Mr. Percoco who is now facing corruption charges, was Cuomo’s all-purpose body man and political enforcer. Mike Groll/ Associated Press
“Federal corruption charges were announced on Thursday against two former close aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a senior state official and six other people, in a blow to the governor’s innermost circle and a repudiation of the way his prized upstate economic development programs were managed.
The charges against former aides, Joseph Percoco and Todd R.
In doing so, says a 79-page criminal complaint unsealed on Thursday, Mr. Percoco and Mr. Howe sought to enrich themselves through bribes, using their positions to help particular companies receive ‘hundreds of millions of dollars in state contracts and other official state benefits.’
The charges mark the second major inquiry of the Cuomo administration by the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney in Manhattan; eight months ago, after investigating Mr. Cuomo’s handling of an anticorruption panel that he had created and abruptly shut down, Mr. Bharara said there was ‘insufficient evidence to prove a federal crime.’ ” (New York Times Thursday, Sept 22)
[Local efforts by the FBI and Mr. Bharara’s office have netted and charged 4 local Ramapo officials with federal criminal and civil charges. Those officials include the Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence (22 criminal and 22 civil counts), Executive Director of the Ramapo Local Development Corp Aaron Troodler (22 federal and 22 civil counts), Ramapo Town Attorney Michael Klein (22 civil counts brought by the SEC), and Nathan Oberman (22 counts brought by the SEC). We are still awaiting results of a recent widespread FBI raid of local religious schools and related businesses.]
Read the complete New York Times article here.