Facing Possible Investigation, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Office Lawyers Up

CBSNews ^ | August 1, 2014

[Steelfish]

August 1, 2014, 10:52 AM Facing Possible Investigation, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Office Lawyers Up

ALBANY, N.Y. - A criminal defense attorney said Thursday that he has been retained by the office of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo as a federal prosecutor threatened to widen an investigation into the governor's handling of an anti-corruption commission.

Elkan Abramowitz said Thursday he was hired some time ago to represent the governor's executive chamber as a whole and not Cuomo or another specific person.

Cuomo's administration is facing questions about whether it meddled with the commission when a top aide, Larry Schwartz, urged commissioners not to investigate entities with links to Cuomo. Cuomo abruptly shut down the commission this spring. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara criticized the panel's demise as premature and has vowed to continue its work.

On Thursday, The New York Times reported that Bharara has threatened to investigate Cuomo for obstruction of justice or witness tampering for allegedly asking members of the commissioners to speak out about their work on the panel.

The newspaper reported that Bharara wrote to the commission's attorney on Wednesday saying his office will investigate any attempts to "influence or tamper" with the recollection of commission members, "as we must consider whether such actions constitute obstruction of justice or tampering with witnesses that violate federal law."

[EQAndyBuzz]

“This is Obozo’s ‘gift’ to Hillary. Take out Cuomo before the 2016 primaries.................”

It’s not Obamas gift to Hillary. It is Obamas gift to Liz Warren and Julian Castro. As a follow up, since it is in NY, now you tie Clinton to it. The perception alone will force her from the race.