Former Moreland Co-Chair Kathleen Rice "Assisting" With Federal Prosecutors Looking Into Cuomo's Commission Meddling

So much Moreland news this morning, hard to get it all on the blog.

Here's another piece of news via Ken Lovett of the Daily News:

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, one of three former co-chairs of Gov. Cuomo’s anti-corruption commission, is “assisting” a federal probe into the governor’s handling of the panel, the Daily News has learned.

Rice has met multiple times with U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, whose probers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the panel’s abrupt end and, specifically, whether the Cuomo administration interfered with the commission’s work, a source with ties to the commission said.
Bharara said last week that he may look into the possibility that Team Cuomo engaged in witness tampering and obstruction of justice after administration members reached out to members of the panel, asking them to put out statements saying the governor’s office did not interfere with their work.

...

Rice and others who served on the commission were livid that the governor and his team last week sought public statements of support from members of the now-defunct panel, sources say. Much of the anger is directed at commission co-Chairman William Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney who last Monday released a statement denying that the governor and his aides interfered with the panel’s operations.

“Moreland people are really upset with Fitzpatrick,” said the commission-linked source. “He’s carrying water for the governor while everyone else is being candid with the U.S. Attorney and trying to help protect the integrity of the investigation by not speaking out.”

Cuomo repeatedly referenced the Fitzpatrick statement in defending his administration’s actions to reporters. “Cuomo saying Fitzpatrick’s statement represented the broader commission’s view was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” the source said. “It will backfire on him.”

Rice and Milt Williams, the commission’s third co-chair, were also described as none too pleased when the governor on Wednesday hinted that the two were on board with Fitzpatrick’s statement. “I’m sure if they had a different opinion you would have heard from them,” Cuomo said.

But asked if Fitzpatrick’s statement represented Rice’s view, Phillips said flatly: “It was not a joint statement.”

Fitzpatrick's been carrying water for Cuomo for much of Moreland but last week's public statement supporting Cuomo and saying there was no meddling into the commission was the most egregious instance.

That it angered the other former Moreland co-chairs doesn't surprise me.

It's one more example of how Cuomo's finagling this commission and now the defense of his handling of the commission is backfiring on him.

He now seems to have at least one - and maybe two - former Moreland co-chairs make a point of just how much meddling he did into the commission.