Why Is The Daily News Going Light On Sheriff Andy Cuomo?

Following the news that Governor Andrew Cuomo received $400,000 in campaign donations direct into his account or to a Democratic Party account that his campaign could tap for ad money from a real estate developer and his affiliates in return for $35 million in tax breaks, the Daily News is kinda sorta calling for an investigation into Cuomo:

The commission investigating Albany’s outrageous tax giveaway to five luxury condo towers in Manhattan must expand its inquiry to include large campaign donations to Gov. Cuomo.

As the Daily News’ Kenneth Lovett has reported, the builder of one tower, Extell Development, and its president, Gary Barnett, gave the governor’s campaign $300,000 over the past two years — including $100,000 days before Cuomo signed the tax breaks into law as part of a larger housing bill. A few weeks later, Barnett sent an additional $100,000 to the state Democratic Party, which has been sponsoring TV ads touting Cuomo’s record.

This is not to suggest a quid pro quo between Barnett’s cash and Cuomo’s signature. But it is to state that a developer who stood to gain a $35 million tax discount delivered big checks while exploiting loopholes in state campaign finance law.

The commission Cuomo has tasked with exploring the nexus between money and power in Albany would fatally damage its credibility were it not to examine these contributions — along with money that went to the Legislature.

The law in question was first drafted last year. What began as an extension of tax protections for condo and coop owners became stuffed with other provisions in last-minute wheeling and dealing.

Among them was difficult-to-decipher legalese singling out five Manhattan projects for special access to the so-called 421a program. Who added that language has not been explained.

Cuomo initially refused to go along with the package because it was a rushed hodgepodge. The Legislature passed it in the next session, once again including the tax breaks. Cuomo signed the overall package, which had many worthy provisions. His office appears to have been among the many that missed the hidden tax breaks.

Even so, having taken up the subject, his commission has to look at all contributions made by Extell and other developers as this bill gestated — with the single most important question being: Who put those tax breaks in there?

The DN editors give Cuomo too much credit here.

There's no quid pro quo between the $400,000 in campaign donations (that we know of so far - there may have been more given through other avenues) and the $35 million in tax breaks?

Cuomo's office seems to have missed the hidden tax breaks that directly benefited the company that gave him the $400,000?

Please.

Can you imagine what the News would be saying were this Shelly Silver who took $400,000 from a real estate developer who got $35 million in tax breaks from the state?

Yet somehow the DN editors are treading lightly with Cuomo, as if these tax breaks just happened to float down from the sky into the legislation and how could Governor Cuomo's staff be taxed to actually read that legislation before Sheriff Andy got his pen out to sign it into law?

Switch the names "Cuomo" for "Silver" and the DN editors would be calling for indictments.

But they're treating Sheriff Andy with kid gloves here.

You have to wonder if the DN, owned by real estate magnate Mort Zuckerman, hasn't received similar largesse from Sheriff Andy and tax break pen.