Page 16 - AB

a27
“Dios ta amor... y amor ta Dios,
maske mi no ta na e mundo aki, tur dia lo mi
ta banda di boso Curazon, mi por stens di loke
Señor ta hasi”
Salmo 33
Cu dolor na nos curason, nos ta anuncia
fayecimento di nos ser stima:
Omaira M. Montas Perez-Quandt
*25-10-1958 – †03-02-2022
Acto di entiero lo wordo anuncia despues
“ Tambien ustedes ahora estan tristes, pero yo
los volvre a ver, y tendran
Una alegria que nadie les podra quitar”. Juan
16:22
Cu dolor na nos curason, nos ta participa
fayecimento di nos ser stima:
Tomás Mercedes Angela
Cariñosamente jama: “Padu”
*24-09-1944 - †05-02-2022
Acto di entiero lo wordo anuncia despues.
obituario/u.s.news Diamars 8 Februari 2022
Ethics groups want investigation of free help
Cuomo received
(AP) — Good government
groups say New York’s eth-
ics commission should inves-
tigate whether former Gov.
Andrew Cuomo broke the
law by accepting free help
from a group of former aides
who worked to defend him
against sexual harassment al-
legations.
New York ethics law bans pub-
lic officials from accepting gifts
or services worth more than $15
from lobbyists and companies
that do business with the state.
Violators can face fines of up
to $25,000 or the possibility of They included three former you give him any opening where
criminal charges. Cuomo aides — Rich Bamberg- he can figure out a way to charm
When Cuomo’s first accusers er, Josh Vlasto and Maggie Mo- you, or move you, or cajole you,
came forward, he turned to a ran — who, at the time, worked or persuade you, he will do it,”
team of outside advisers — for- for the public relations firm Moran said.
mer members of his administra- Kivvitt, which has received $26 Kivitt spokesperson Tom Meara
tion — who provided the Dem- million from state contracts and said “it is well documented that
ocrat with strategic advice and regularly lobbies the governor’s the firm declined to work on
public relations help.
office and lawmakers. these issues and the former em-
Several of those ex-aides worked ployees were not acting on be-
for companies that lobby the Their services included things half of the firm.”
like helping Cuomo’s team de-
state or have had state contracts.
velop a media strategy, interact- Bamberger and Vlasto declined
ing with reporters and dissemi- comment when reached by The
New York’s gift ban doesn’t nating documents to potentially Associated Press. Moran didn’t
apply to family members or undermine the governor’s first respond to messages left by
friends, and Cuomo’s attorney, public accuser, Lindsay Boylan. phone and email. All have since
Jim McGuire, said simply seek- left Kivvit.
ing advice from longtime allies Vlasto and Moran told investi-
in a crisis breaks no law. gators that as the scandal grew, Other former aides who helped
Cuomo did offer to pay them. Cuomo respond to the allega-
“Every elected official, every Vlasto said he declined. Moran tions include Facebook commu-
politician, every person has a said Kivvitt declined because the nications manager Dani Lever,
kitchen cabinet they rely on,” firm doesn’t work “on the oppo- who told the attorney general’s
McGuire said. “It’s called having site side of victims.” investigators she had helped
friends.” Cuomo on her “personal time.”
“The governor tried to negotiate
New York Public Interest Re- with me and pay Kivvit $100,000 Lever and Facebook, which lob-
search Group Executive Direc- a month,” Moran testified. “He bies New York officials, didn’t
tor Blair Horner said ethics of- wanted Josh full-time. I said respond to request for comment.
ficials should investigate. no. I told him we’d volunteer. I
didn’t mean it.” Ethics experts said it doesn’t
“If the governor’s getting free matter if employees were acting
professional consulting in this Moran also described the dif- independently of their compa-
capacity and he is an elected of- ficulty of saying no to a gover- nies on personal time. They are
ficial, that should be prohibited nor famous for demanding long still subject to the ban on gifts.
under the law,” Horner said. hours from his staff and bearing
“They’re giving free professional grudges against people he felt “As a lobbyist, giving your pro-
advice to the governor and nor- were disloyal. fessional services without charge
mally they would charge.” “The Cuomo family people, like obviously is prohibited, in fact
they feel an obligation to serve it’s a misdemeanor, it’s a crime,”
A spokesperson for New York’s him, when I don’t think they David Grandeau, New York’s
Joint Commission on Public should,” said Moran, who man- former top ethics regulator, said.
Ethics, which enforces the state aged Cuomo’s 2018 campaign. “The laws are crystal clear. The
rule, declined to comment. problem is with the people en-
“It’s hard to say no to him. Do forcing and interpreting those
Cuomo resigned in August sev- you worry that you’re tarnish- laws.”
eral days after the state’s attorney ing a decades-long relationship?
general issued a report conclud- Sure. Do you worry that he’s go- New York’s ethics commission
ing he had sexually harassed 11 ing to survive the whole thing has issued $136,000 in penal-
women. and be frustrated at those that ties for violations of the gift ban
helped him and didn’t help him? since 2017. Nearly all penalties
The investigators who prepared
that report interviewed several Sure.” involved companies that do-
nated to a nonprofit company
former Cuomo aides who had “If you’re going to say no to formed to promote the policy
played a role in the governor’s him,” Moran said, “you’ve got to agenda of former New York City
defense and weren’t paid for look him dead in the eye. You’ve Mayor Bill De Blasio, a longtime
their help. got to not quiver in your voice. If Cuomo foe.