The U.S. attorney”™s office may investigate Gov. Andrew Cuomo over his disbanding and alleged obstruction of his own anti-corruption panel, according to a New York Times report Thursday.
Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney in Manhattan, warned Cuomo in a letter that communication with commission members could be construed as witness tampering and obstruction of justice, according to the Times.
The letter was sent Wednesday after a number of statements issued by commission leaders portrayed the panel as independent from meddling of the governor.
“At least some of those statements were prompted by calls from the governor or his emissaries, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation who were unwilling to be named for fear of reprisal,” the Times said.
The letter from Bharara said that such actions may have been a violation of federal law. Bharara took an interest in the Moreland Commission since it was disbanded in April as part of a negotiation with the governor and state Legislature. The attorney has looked into the incomplete investigations of the commission, which was formed by the governor in 2013 after several high-profile Albany corruption scandals.
Republican Rob Astorino, Cuomo”™s opponent in this year”™s gubernatorial election, has called for an investigation into the governor”™s handling of the commission. Astorino, with cleaning chemicals in hand, appeared outside the Capitol this week to propose a 10-point plan to “clean up” Albany. The plan includes term limits for all elected state officials and legislators. It also proposes tighter restrictions on elected officials’ benefits and conflicts of interest, as well as looking to prohibit naming taxpayer-funded projects after current elected officials.
Cuomo has been embroiled in controversy over his handling of the scandal, after a Times report last week alleged he had interfered in the investigations of the commission and pressured its members not to investigate companies or individuals linked to the governor”™s office.
