WCDO Radio News

Federal prosecutor Preet Bharara reported that his investigation has found insufficient evidence of any federal crime in Governor Cuomo's closing of New York's Moreland Commission. Cuomo appointed the commission in 2013 to investigate public corruption by state officials, Cuomo closed down the commission following an agreement with lawmakers to enact ethics reforms. Bharara took over the commission's files and recently convicted Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver & Former State Senate Leader Dean Skelos, but after "a thorough investigation”, his office has concluded there's currently "insufficient evidence to prove a federal crime."

State Senator Tom Libous has spent more than $100,000 in campaign funds on attorneys this year, according to the state Board of Elections. The Thomas Libous' re-election campaign spent another $53,000 on criminal-defense attorneys from mid-July to late August. That's on top of the $60,000 it spent on lawyers from mid-January through mid-July, as well as about $75,000 in 2012 and 2013. Libous was indicted in White Plains federal court in July on a charge of lying to the FBI. The use of campaign funds to pay for attorney fees has been the subject of debate in Albany. Gov. Cuomo's latest filing shows he spent $10,000 on an attorney as an investigation continues into the dismantling of the Moreland Commission

A Wall Street Journal/ Marist College/ NBC News poll released Monday showed that Governor Cuomo's favorability rating decreased by 5% points compared to last month, down to 53%. Republican Rob Astorino's ratings were down by 1% to 22%. Cuomo's drop in numbers is attributed to a controversy that Cuomo's aids may have interfered with the 2012 Moreland Commission on ethics reforms, Astorino's numbers remained low as 53% of those polled, had never heard of him.

Governor Cuomo has hired an attorney, to be paid for out of his campaign chest, top refute allegations of possible interference with the Moreland commission. Cuomo set up the Moreland Commission in 2012 after the legislature refused to act on ethics reforms, they agreed to a reform package in March 2013, and the commission was deactivated as dictated by state law. Cuomo is accused of interfering with the commission's work, and he is being questioned about using campaign money to pay for an attorney. State law dictates that taxpayer money is used for lawsuits against a sitting governor.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the creation of an investigations division in his office. The announcement comes amid a number of investigations by several attorneys, following the expiration of Governor Cuomo’s Moreland Commission. Cuomo said that the Moreland Commission was formed after the legislature refused to act on ethics reforms last year, they agreed to a reform package in March, and the commission was deactivated. DiNapoli now has an agreement with State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that allows the attorney general's office to conduct criminal investigations into alleged wrongdoing by state officials.

Democrats in the state senate introduced 9 bills to curb government corruption. The measures would strengthen regulations on the use of campaign money, strip pension benefits from corrupt state officials, ban the use of campaign money for criminal defense, require more disclosure of campaign donations as well as a bill to establish a public financing system for state campaigns. The announcement comes after Governor Cuomo’s Moreland Commission ended its work & lawmakers passed an ethics reform package in the new state budget.

The Moreland commission is proposing limiting the use of public funds to help pay for political campaigns to combat Albany's misconduct. The commission also seeks lower limits for contributions, greater disclosure of legislators' private law firm clients, and greater disclosure of who contribute to politicians and political parties. Governor Cuomo created the commission after the latest spate of corruption cases brought by federal prosecutors.  30 state officials have been involved in corruption cases over the last 7 years.

A government watchdog group is calling for limits on money individuals and corporations can give candidates in state elections.  The New York Public Interest Research Group blames the state's political scandals on lax limits, poor enforcement and loopholes. They claim that individual limits per candidate should be $2,600 per election with a $1,000 corporate limit to any campaign committee during an election cycle. NYPIRG submitted its proposals to the state’s newly formed Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption, which is scheduled to issue a preliminary report December 1st.

Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy has withdrawn his name from consideration for a position with the Rochester Business Alliance and has committed to staying on as lieutenant governor through 2014. Duffy interviewed for the job on October 5th, state republican chairman Ed Cox is asking for the Moreland Commission to investigate any possible wrongdoing by Duffy, in not notifying Governor Cuomo of his interview.

A coalition of business groups that spent about $15 million pushing Gov. Cuomo’s legislative agenda is disbanding. The Committee to Save New York blanketed the tv airwaves in 2011 and 2012, promoting Cuomo's budget plans and financial austerity measures like the state's now-implemented property-tax cap. The group went silent in 2013 as new state rules took effect that would have required it to disclose its major donors. The decision to disband comes as the Moreland Act Commission, which was created by Cuomo earlier this year, conducts an investigation into corruption and the state's campaign finance system.

Better communication and transparency are among the fixes New York state has demanded from its utilities in response to recent severe storms. Gov Cuomo detailed recent actions by the state Public Service Commission, directing utilities to have better emergency plans in place, communicate more effectively with customers and work better with each other. The actions stem from recommendations made by the Moreland Commission to investigate the electric utilities’ management, preparation and response to Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The PSC requiring NYSEG and five other companies to address these issues in revised emergency response plans by Dec. 15.

Governor Cuomo today announced the formation of the “Commission to Investigate Public Corruption” under the Moreland Act, to probe corruption in state government, political campaigns and elections.

(Cuomo 7-2-13)

The Commission will have the power to subpoena and examine witnesses under oath, it was formed after Several lawmakers faced criminal accusations including former state senate leaders Joe Bruno, Pedro Espada, Hiram Monserrate, Malcolm Smith & John Sampson.

New York's Moreland Commission has issued subpoenas to utilities companies, regarding their response time & readiness in relation to Hurricane Sandy this year, as well as Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee last year. Governor Cuomo created the commission after numerous reports surfaced of new Yorkers being without power for excessive amounts of time following Hurricane sandy striking the state in late October. Spokesman for downstate utilities Con Ed and LIPA conformed receipt of the subpoenas, NYSEG officials have not publicly commented if they received one.