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Alan Hevesi
Wilson Pounces
Sep 28th - 10:34 pm
So, as it turns out, Sen. Eric Schneiderman isn’t the only one trying to capitalize on the reports that AG Andrew Cuomo is negotiating with Alan Hevesi for a plea deal in which the former comptroller would cop to yet another felony corruption charge – and this time potentially go to jail.
GOP/Conservative state comptroller candidate Harry Wilson released a statement not long after Schneiderman did, seeking to tie his Democratic opponent, incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, ever more firmly to the Hevesi scandal.
As you’ll recall, Cuomo said earlier this year that a meeting that took place on DiNapoli’s watch was indeed part of his pay-to-play pension fund probe, even as DiNapoli has tried to portray the problem as something that predated him.
As recently as tonight during his CapTon interview, Cuomo has refused to say whether he’ll endorse DiNapoli, who is running statewide for the first time in hopes of holding onto the office he was given by his former Assembly colleagues after Hevesi resigned following his guilty plea in the Chauffeurgate scandal.
Here’s Wilson’s statement, which, unlike Schneiderman’s, doesn’t hedge on whether there’s actually a deal, which the AG insists there is not:
Times: Hevesi Expected To Plead Guilty To 2nd Felony Corruption Charge (Updatedx2)
Sep 28th - 8:03 pm
The Times is reporting former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who resigned in late 2006 after pleading guilty to a felony charge of misusing state resources in the so-called Chauffeurgate scandal, is poised to plead guilty to yet another felony corruption charge – this time in connection with AG Andrew Cuomo’s pay-to-play pension fund probe.
“Barring an 11th-hour change of heart, Mr. Hevesi will become the highest-ranking state official convicted in the case and most likely to serve time in prison,” the Times story states.
“…The pension investigation, conducted by Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo’s office, is one of the longest running in Albany and came to symbolize the ethically troubled culture of the capital. It focused on allegations that Mr. Hevesi’s friends, family and associates sold access to the state’s $125 billion pension fund, one of the world’s largest, to reward allies, pay back political favors and reap millions of dollars for themselves.”
“The deal comes as Mr. Cuomo, the Democratic nominee for governor, is seeking to burnish his credentials as a reformer who can clean up state government, and his office has been anxious to secure a plea from Mr. Hevesi.”
According to this report, Hevesi may have been motivated to plead to protect his sons – former Sen. Dan Hevesi and Assemblyman Andy Hevesi.
UPDATE1: The Post quotes a law enforcement source thusly: “There’s no deal. It’s close. Either there is a deal or it’s not done. And it’s not done.” In other words: There might be an announcement imminent, and, then again, there might not.
UPDATE2: Hmmm. Wonder who that source was…Here’s an official statement from the AG’s office: “There is no agreement between the Attorney General’s Office and Alan Hevesi; the Office has an ongoing investigation.”
Cuomo Settles With Hevesi Fundraiser
Sep 16th - 11:48 am
AG Andrew Cuomo announced this morning that a former fundraiser for ex-state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, William “Bill” White, will pay $1 million to settle an allegation that he acted as an unlicensed placement agent in connection with the state pension fund.
“The state pension fund, which should be safeguarded for taxpayers, was instead served up to fixers, finders, and fundraisers like Bill White, who used his access to fill his pockets,” Cuomo said in a press release.
“Unlicensed placement agents, secret fees, and even the appearance of pay-to-play erode taxpayers’ trust and pose an intolerable risk to our pensioners’ retirement funds. New York’s pension system is fraught with systemic problems that we can no longer afford to ignore.”
Details of Cuomo’s allegations against White appear in full after the jump.
Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of settlements/indictments that have come as a result of Cuomo’s ongoing pay-to-play pension fund investigation that has largely focused on Hevesi’s tenure, but has also touched on at least one meeting that took place while the AG’s fellow Democrat, Tom DiNapoli, was in office.
The investigation is the reason why Cuomo has yet to endorse DiNapoli – and probably won’t.
Lazio Uses Cuomo’s Anti-Albany Ad Against Him (Updated)
Sep 8th - 7:55 am
With the primary just six days away now, GOP/Consverative gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio is continuing to focus on the man he hopes to oust in the general election, frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, releasing a new Web ad that ties the AG to three disgraced fellow Democrats: Eliot Spitzer, Alan Hevesi and Pedro Espada Jr.
Lazio, who has promised state Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long he’ll remain on Row D in November even if he loses next week to his primary opponent, Carl Paladino, has been steadfastly refusing to acknowledge the Buffalo businessman, preferring instead to keep hammering away at Cuomo.
This ad features black-and-white stills of the former state comptroller and ex-governor (pictured at a scrum with Cuomo by his side) as well as the scandal-scarred Senate majority leader, who is fighting for his political life against his establishment-backed primary challenger, Gustavo Rivera.
The spot mimics an anti-Albany ad released last month by Cuomo – in fact, the voiceover is exactly the same.
But while the announcer talks about the AG’s tough plan to clean up the Capitol and reign in special interests, red script appears across the screen that says things like: “His agenda looks a lot like Spitzer’s” (that’s from the Times magazine) and “Andrew Cuomo has accepted $9 million from special interests.”
UPDATE: State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs’s response:
“Nobody has ever accused Rick Lazio of being a stickler for accuracy and his latest video shows why. What do Spitzer, Espada and Hevesi have in common? They’ve all be investigated by Attorney General Cuomo. If Mr. Lazio wanted to be honest, his video would have reflected that fact.”
DiNapoli Backs Cuomo’s Tax Cap Plan
Jul 30th - 12:35 pm
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said (through a spokesman) that he supports AG Andrew Cuomo’s 2 percent property tax cap proposal, and also thinks an expanded circuit breaker “must be an integral part” of the plan.
Here’s the full statement from OSC spokesman Dennis Tompkins:
“Comptroller DiNapoli supports a property tax cap. His audits and reports have identified the need to control both state and local government spending. New Yorkers cannot afford endless tax increases.
“Comptroller DiNapoli supports Attorney General Cuomo’s tax cap proposal and he strongly believes that an expanded ‘circuit breaker’ must be an integral part of any property tax cap plan. The state must also evaluate the costs it pushes down to local governments.”
NOTE: I’ve updated this post throughout and re-titled it because I was wrong: Apparently Cuomo’s plan DOES include a circuit breaker (see P. 52 of his “New New York Agenda” to provide relief to middle class homeowners). Mea culpa.
Zulunova Drops Her Hevesi Primary
May 10th - 11:29 am
Lilianna Zulunova has abruptly ended her campaign to oust Queens Assemblyman Andy Hevesi in a primary this September, citing her recent marriage and a desire to “put my family first.”
“As you may know, on May 3 I got married to Rabbi Emanuel Yelizarov,” Zulunova wrote in an e-mail to supporters that was sent out last Friday.
“This is an exciting time for my family and me. It’s with this in mind that I have decided to put my family first and end my campaign. My obligations as a wife, and eventually as a mother, give me certainty that this is the right decision for me at this time.”
Zulunova had already begun to fundraise and had a good shot at landing the Queens Independence Party’s endorsement. She promised to rally members of her Bukharian Jewish community to support her candidacy, estimating there are some 15,000 of them in Hevesi’s Assembly district.
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