Wall Street Journal indicates U.S. Attorney might be bringing cases that Moreland Commission failed to refer to state prosecutors
WSJ says Federal investigators are exploring whether they can take up cases of officials the Moreland Commission were looking into
WSJ also says Federal prosecutors are interested if New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo or his staff directed the Moreland Commission not to refer cases to various district attorneys for prosecution
According to the Wall Street Journal, "Federal prosecutors are examining whether New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo or his staff directed an anticorruption commission to not refer cases to district attorneys for prosecution, according to people familiar with the matter. *** The Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption, formed by Mr. Cuomo in 2013, turned up evidence of potentially criminal wrongdoing by from six to 12 lawmakers, The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing a commissioner and people familiar with the matter. *** Before being shut down by the governor in March, the panel made some criminal referrals and sent investigative files to the U.S. attorney for the Northern District and the state attorney general. *** Now, prosecutors are looking closely at whether anyone in the administration encouraged the commission to avoid referring cases to Albany District Attorney David Soares ..." (See "Federal Investigation Looks at Cuomo and Moreland Commission Referrals" by Erica Orden & Christopher M. Matthews, 8/7/14, Wall Street Journal [http://online.wsj.com/articles/federal-investigation-looks-at-cuomo-and-moreland-commission-referrals-1407459680]).
The WSJ report goes on to state that "Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's prosecutors are now conducting a three-tiered investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. *** First, they are exploring whether they can take up cases the Moreland Commission was investigating. *** Second, they are investigating whether the Cuomo administration interfered in the commission's work, and why the commission was disbanded. *** Finally, prosecutors have indicated they want to know whether the governor's office pressured several commissioners to issue statements in recent weeks disputing the notion the administration had interfered in its investigations, these people said."
The WSJ article ends with a bit of a whimper: "[A]ccording to a person briefed on the investigation, if U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's office "brings one case that the Moreland Commission failed to refer for prosecution, the investigation will be worth it..." But, I'm sure that is just the soft sell indicating a rather confident investigator-prosecutor.
I'm expect that if the Feds bring one case, there will be more than one. At any rate, none of what the WSJ had to say is good news for Governor Cuomo or several members of the New York State Senate.
Regardless of how this ends, Cuomo has been exposed as a crooked hack. Just like his father.
ReplyDeleteEverybody needs to wake up. These news leaks to the Wall Street Journal about Preet Bharara's investigations were from somebody that was "briefed". Nobody would leak a briefing unless they are or have the backing of somebody who can withstand any blowback, or somebody who knows that there won't be any blowback. It's got to be somebody on Schumer's staff or it's Schumer himself.
ReplyDeleteAll of Cuomo's Moreland Commission scandal had been the result of an orchestrated series of leaks. Who would have an interest in doing that and the ability to carry it out. There aren't a lot of people that can do that.
This remains an unreported story other than a little mention on this blog. Why is that ?
A Judge in the Brooklyn Courthouse will decide on Monday if there will be a primary for Governor.
ReplyDeleteWhat could go wrong?
Judge Kamins hand picked the judges who would preside over some of Hynes more controversial cases. He definitely chose the judge for the Weberman case (ask Dino as he can confirm that). And there are two others at least during 2013 that Kamins assigned. I thought it was supposed to be random assignments . . .
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara looking into the corruption in the the New York State Courts like he is going after the governor and the NYS legislators?
ReplyDeleteTo the comment above.
ReplyDeletePreet will investigate corruption in the Courts when Schumer tells him to.
BACKFILL: THE "FOLLOW THE GEORGES IN A HYNES 'LANDMARK CASE' " EDITION
ReplyDeleteHYNES - HIMSELF - CALLED WEBERMAN A "LANDMARK CASE" --- INDEED IT IS !
REMEMBER ATTORNEY GEORGE FARKAS A DEFENDANT'S ATTORNEY IN A PENDING MATTER IS THE "GEORGE" MENTIONED IN THE KAMINS-HYNES EMAILS
COMMENTER ABOVE SAYS THAT KAMINS AND HYNES DID FORUM SHOP IN THE WEBERMAN CASE AND OTHERS
Even though this comment is unrelated to the post above, I am putting it here for obvious reasons, related to the comments thread, immediately above this one.
The comment above by "Anonymous... August 9, 2014 at 6:15 AM" mentions specific facts about the "Weberman case" --- that the Brooklyn DA had a specific hand in the selection of a Judge to hear a specific case.
For a fuller understanding of what that was all about, there is a lengthy and detailed article that appeared in The Jewish Week last June that rates a close reading (See "Orthodox Abuse Issue Figures In Investigation" by Hella Winston & Stewart Ain, 6/3/14, The Jewish Week [http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new-york/orthodox-abuse-issue-figures-hynes-probe] Note; the subheading of that Jewish Week article is "...E-mails show ex-Brooklyn DA, judge colluding on campaign matters; criminal charges possible.")
It was former Brooklyn DA Charles J. Hynes, himself (writing as "Charles Hynes"), that called the Weberman case a "LANDMARK..." (See "Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes calls Weberman case landmark vs. predators" by Charles Hynes, 1/20/13, NY Daily News [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/brooklyn-da-calls-weberman-case-landmark-predators-article-1.1243280]).
[Note: the comment above by comment above by "Anonymous... August 9, 2014 at 6:15 AM" had been removed by me for a whole day until several of the facts and charges contained in it were "second sourced" in the Jewish Week article cited above.]
I read the e mails the DOI had in its report.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hynes told Kamins to jump he would ask how high.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThe whole Moreland investigation, which is now the subject of a Federal investigation, is a tempest in a teapot.
ReplyDeleteI think not to comment above. See WSJ Aug 10, 2014 "Prosecutor Playing Hardball with Cuomo".
ReplyDeletePreet did something out of ordinary. The custom had been that Us Atty first sought permission from Justice Dept before investigating political figure. Preet disregarded that and just followed Chucks orders.
Cuomo will lose the Democratic primary in September to Teachout.
ReplyDeleteI read the news today old boy . .
ReplyDelete