One of the biggest obstacles for Gov. Andrew Cuomo”™s short-lived ethics commission was the governor himself, according to a scathing New York Times report Wednesday.
The Moreland Commission, formed in 2013, was highly touted by Cuomo after a number of high-profile scandals that included arrests of Albany legislators. The commission, which was supposed to last for 18 months, was disbanded after only nine months but faced meddling from Cuomo aides when the committee”™s investigations involved groups with close ties to the governor or when its work would have meant negative publicity for Cuomo, the Times said.
“Things got so bad that investigators believed a Cuomo appointee was monitoring their communications without their knowledge,” the report said.
The report outlines actions by Cuomo aides to steer subpoenas and edit a preliminary report. The governor”™s office has said it was not interfering in the investigation because the panel had been formed by Cuomo. A statement from the governor”™s office said the commission was in disarray.
The commission was disbanded as the state legislative session ended this year, with the governor agreeing to break up the commission as part of a deal with lawmakers in exchange for budget concessions and ethics legislation.
