Page 34 - Sept Oct Issue
P. 34
The Cycle of Correction in New York State Politics
The investigators did not realize that the irm, Buying Time, also counted Mr. Cuomo among its clients, having
bought the airtime for his campaign when he ran for governor in 2010.
Word that the subpoena had been served quickly reached Mr. Cuomo’s most senior aide, Lawrence S. Schwartz.
He called one of the commission’s three co-chairs, William J. Fitzpatrick, the district attorney in Syracuse.”
According to the story, the Senior Aide, Leonard Schwartz said three simple words to William Fitzpatrick
regarding the subpoena to Buying Time. “PULL IT BACK.”
The Commission co-chairs caved and withdrew the subpoena, based upon the directive from the Governor’s
Ofice. Although this was one of the most lagrant examples of how the Commission’s independence was
compromised by the Governor’s Ofice, there were many more found. The New York Times conducted a three
month investigation into the hampering of the Commissions independence and found that the Governor’s Ofice
“deeply compromised” the panel’s work, forcing them to kibosh investigations into persons or business entities
that had ties with Andrew Cuomo. The Commission was marred by suspicions that Andrew Cuomo appointed
a mole into the Commission to report directly to the Governor’s Ofice on any activity that involved any of
Cuomo’s cronies.
Cuomo was very defensive on the decommissioning of the Moreland Commission, walking back his prior
statements that the Commission was totally independent, and stating that they had a duty to report directly to
him and it would’ve been a conlict for the panel to investigate his own Administration. The entire article can
be seen at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/nyregion/governor-andrew-cuomo-and-the-short-life-of-the-
moreland-commission.html?_r=0 I highly suggest that it be read.
Enter Federal Prosecutor, Preet Bharara
Photo Courtesy of justice.gov
34
The investigators did not realize that the irm, Buying Time, also counted Mr. Cuomo among its clients, having
bought the airtime for his campaign when he ran for governor in 2010.
Word that the subpoena had been served quickly reached Mr. Cuomo’s most senior aide, Lawrence S. Schwartz.
He called one of the commission’s three co-chairs, William J. Fitzpatrick, the district attorney in Syracuse.”
According to the story, the Senior Aide, Leonard Schwartz said three simple words to William Fitzpatrick
regarding the subpoena to Buying Time. “PULL IT BACK.”
The Commission co-chairs caved and withdrew the subpoena, based upon the directive from the Governor’s
Ofice. Although this was one of the most lagrant examples of how the Commission’s independence was
compromised by the Governor’s Ofice, there were many more found. The New York Times conducted a three
month investigation into the hampering of the Commissions independence and found that the Governor’s Ofice
“deeply compromised” the panel’s work, forcing them to kibosh investigations into persons or business entities
that had ties with Andrew Cuomo. The Commission was marred by suspicions that Andrew Cuomo appointed
a mole into the Commission to report directly to the Governor’s Ofice on any activity that involved any of
Cuomo’s cronies.
Cuomo was very defensive on the decommissioning of the Moreland Commission, walking back his prior
statements that the Commission was totally independent, and stating that they had a duty to report directly to
him and it would’ve been a conlict for the panel to investigate his own Administration. The entire article can
be seen at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/nyregion/governor-andrew-cuomo-and-the-short-life-of-the-
moreland-commission.html?_r=0 I highly suggest that it be read.
Enter Federal Prosecutor, Preet Bharara
Photo Courtesy of justice.gov
34
