Tragically, I was not able (or, for that matter, invited) to be with Gov. Cuomo during the U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's #tawdrygraft presser on the case against Assemblyman Eric Stevenson. I'm sure that would have been some must-see TV.
Cuomo's statement on the unsealing of the corruption complaint against the Bronx lawmaker does two things, and it does them in a specific order.
First, the governor reminds the public that as attorney general, he locked up a few dirty dealers himself. Then he gives Bharara & Co. a pat on the back for a job well done.
What's an AG-turned-governor to do, really?
It's reasonable to think he wouldn't be totally thrilled with hearing Bharara roll out his second bombshell investigation of this week by asserting that a "show-me-the-money culture in Albany is alive and well" after the four years Cuomo spent as New York's top legal authority before winning his current Second Floor office in a campaign that emphasized his will to restore integrity to the Empire State.
At the same time, given that very track record, there's no choice but to send a "we includes me" message about supporting the feds' probes of venal pols.
Here's the governor's full statement:
“The allegations of public corruption by City and State officials revealed this week are appalling. New Yorkers deserve a government that is as good as the people it serves and the events of the last few days fail this and every standard of public service.
"As Attorney General I prosecuted numerous public corruption cases, including putting former Senator Espada and Comptroller Hevesi behind bars, and believe firmly that anytime the public’s trust is violated, we must act quickly and aggressively to hold the guilty parties accountable.
"I commend US Attorney Preet Bharara, District Attorney Robert Johnson and their partners in law enforcement on their dedication to prosecuting corruption at every level.
"Those of us committed to the public and honored to hold its trust have zero tolerance for the actions brought to light this week, and will continue to use our power to fight to ensure integrity and trust to government in New York.”
Three things to say here.
First, as I noted earlier this week, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo refused to put even one bankster responsible for the '08 collapse behind bars.
Not even one.
As the Times notes here, he investigated lots of the banksters, but he never pulled the trigger on even one indictment.
Perhaps he didn't want to anger his donor base before running for governor in '09?
Or perhaps he was too busy taking suitcases full of cash from them in hotel rooms?
Hard to know, but on Wall Street criminality, Cuomo was a zero.
Next, as I pointed out earlier this week, Preet Baharara has the same track record on Wall Street crime that Cuomo has.
Not one bankster responsible for the '08 collapse scalp in Preet's belt.
Not one.
These guys can bump chests and measure legal brief sizes over the political corruption all they want.
The fact is, they're putting guys who took $20,000 or $50,000 bribes behind bars while the guys at Goldman and AIG and JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup and BoA and Lehman and Bear Stearns who stole billions get off scott free.
Want to bump chests, fellas - put some banksters in jail before they wreck the economy again.
Finally, note the snarkiness from Celeste Katz on the Cuomo presser.
Can't say for certain, but it sounds like Little Andy is mad at her and had her barred from it.
For a guy who thinks he's so tough, these reporters do get under his skin, don't they?
But of course they are asking for large bail for those 130 Atlanta teachers for cheating. All black teachers while Rhee walks.
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