New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, in his most extensive comments to date on the controversial Moreland Commission on anti-corruption, which is now under federal investigation, says his opponent is wrongly trying to score “cheap political points” by pressing the issue.
Schneiderman says he’s been quiet about the anti-corruption commission shut down by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and now under federal investigation, because he’s cooperating with prosecutors. Schneiderman deputized the commissioners as assistant AG’s to give them subpoena power. He says after that, he treated them as an “independent commission.”
“I’m not going to jeopardize an on going criminal investigation just to answer a cheap political point,” Schneiderman said.
Schneiderman would not say whether he agrees with Cuomo’s decision to disband the commission early, but he said in an interview with public radio and television that it was essentially the governor’s show.
“The Moreland Commission is set up by the governor,” Schneiderman said. “He has complete jurisdiction over it.”
Republican candidate John Cahill says there are plenty of questions that Schneiderman can answer on Moreland without interfering with the federal investigation. The GOP candidate says the incumbent AG has “failed to assert the independence of the office of Attorney General.”
