New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters that he wasn’t aware of the connections between many of the nine people charged in a federal corruption case last month, saying he didn’t know the details of their business relationships.
But as the Wall Street Journal reports, Cuomo was briefed in a memo prepared prior to a May 2014 campaign fundraiser about the ties between his administration and some of the alleged conspirators who attended the event. The memo shows that his campaign sought to outline lobbyist Todd Howe’s role as the event organizer and his representation of the attendees. Howe was charged and has pleaded guilty to eight counts of extortion in connection with the alleged schemes.
Cuomo denied knowledge of the situation, saying last month: “I was not aware of who some of these people were representing, and who were their business consultants. The situations laid out in the complaint were breathtaking to me.”
Some of the other notables charged in the public corruption case include SUNY President Alain Kaloyeros, former aide Jospeh Percoco, and President of COR Development Steven Aiello.
