His political and legal problems mounting, Cuomo now blames Hochul

Having turned on itself, the ‘‘System’’ is becoming more and more unpredictable

Waiting in the wings : Preet Bharara Ever since news broke of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's admitted interference with the Moreland Commission's anti-corruption investigations, the Cuomo administration has been in a downward spiral. An egotistical fuck, Gov. Cuomo has tried to deflect blame, pretend like everything is normal, gone into hiding, and now, in a final act of sexist desperation, is looking to make somebody the fall gal. Due to rising discontent amongst Democratic Party primary voters, Gov. Cuomo is reportedly examining the scorched earth option of dumping his running mate, former Rep. Kathy Hochul, candidate for lieutenant governor, in order to substitute Lt. Gov. candidate Tim Wu as his running mate, if Mr. Wu wins the Sept. 9 primary. Gov. Cuomo has until Sept. 16 to make this substitution. Motivating this substitution is the fact that many Democrats have become angry at the conservative bent in Gov. Cuomo's economic and social policies, and although Gov. Cuomo's opinion poll ratings remain high, word on the street is that his pick of former Rep. Hochul for lieutenant governor is vulnerable. Obsessed with winning by a huge margin of victory, Gov. Cuomo is taking drastic measures as his political and legal future becomes bleak. Following revelations that top ranking officials in the Cuomo administration reportedly obstructed the work of the Moreland Commission's anti-corruption investigations, Gov. Cuomo faces the fallout of a federal investigation into obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and possibly other crimes. As it stands, three officials connected with his administration or the Moreland Commission should have already met with federal prosecutors, to discuss their activities in the alleged obstruction : Larry Schwartz, the highest ranking aide to Gov. Cuomo, voluntarily agreed to meet with and be interviewed by federal prosecutors in August about his involvement with the doomed Moreland Commission ; Mylan Denerstein, official counsel to Gov. Cuomo, voluntarily agreed to meet with and be interviewed by federal prosecutors in early August about her involvement with the doomed Moreland Commission ; and Heather Green, the former assistant to Moreland Commission Executive Director Regina Calcaterra, testified before a Manhattan federal grand jury on July 28. As Gov. Cuomo becomes more and more desperate, he appears to be looking to blame others for his impending political and legal downfall. Whilst Gov. Cuomo tries to shore up his trouble reelection campaign, some political bloggers and government reform activists privately speculate whether federal prosecutors will be able to hand down criminal indictments before the primary and general elections, further adding to Gov. Cuomo's political and legal troubles.

RELATED ‘‘Wu is me’’ : Cuomo may dump Hochul, fearing a Tim Wu primary win (The New York Post) Afraid to come out of his cave, Cuomo is told by the Editorial Board : ‘‘Debate them, governor’’ (The New York Post)

Former Members of do-nothing Moreland Commission will receive taxpayer-paid criminal legal defense representation

Even investigators of rampant corruption need legal counsel to fend off investigations of corruption, how's that for government integrity ?

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has arranged for Michael Koenig, a former federal prosecutor who is now a partner at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP, a law firm specializing in government investigations, to represent the former members of the do-nothing, now-defunct Moreland Commission. Taxpayers will pay for Mr. Koenig's representation of the Moreland Commission ex-members.

• RELATED : Criminal Defense Lawyer Hired for Members of Ethics Panel Disbanded by Cuomo (The Wall Street Journal)

Once empaneled, the members of the Moreland Commission were nominally tasked with investigating runaway political and campaign finance corruption across New York State, but the Moreland Commission never, ever -- not once -- prosecuted any crime. In the run-up to his re-election campaign this year, Gov. Cuomo disbanded the Moreland Commission, before it exposed any corruption that would embarrass him during a gubernatorial election year that may determine whether he will ever be popular enough to run in 2016 for president of the United States, a victorious dream that eluded his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, in part, some say, because of potential controversies in Andrew's young adulthood.

It was reported earlier that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara had empaneled a grand jury, which was issuing subpoenas right and left, from Manhattan all the way up to Albany, for records of what exactly the do-nothing members of the Moreland Commission actually did. A member of the Editorial Board of The New York Times, Eleanor Randolph, had previously complained that the Moreland Commission's first interim report was watered down to the point of being practically meaningless. That the members of the Moreland Commission believe that they need criminal defense representation has led some legal observers in the New York City activism circles to conclude that perhaps federal prosecutors were obligated to go on the record about possible forthcoming criminal indictments.

Before federal fraud indictment, Melvin Lowe was director at Bertha Lewis's new non-profit

Bertha Lewis, close advisor to Mayor de Blasio, still playing with political fire

The indicted political consultant, Melvin Lowe, served as a board of director of The Black Institute, the current non-profit out of which former ACORN head Bertha Lewis now operates, The New York Post reported today. Mr. Lowe was charged in a federal criminal complaint with federal fraud and tax violations. Mr. Lowe was identified as a board member of The Black Institute in 2012, but he is no longer on the board, according to the group’s Web site, The New York Post reported.

• RELATED : Former ACORN head Bertha Lewis, a friend of Mayor Bill de Blasio, is raking in benefits at her new non-profit -- even as she recruits board members with checkered pasts. (Former ACORN honcho, Bertha Lewis, rakes in the green at new group * The New York Post)

• RELATED : Melvin Lowe, an influential political consultant whose clients include the New York Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and leading real estate developers, including Forest City Ratner, was arrested on federal corruption charges. (Consultant to Democrats Faces Corruption Charges * The New York Times)

The report by The New York Post raised questions about other board members, as well as the finances, of Ms. Lewis's new non-profit. These questions come as federal prosecutors in New York, led by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, are waging a historic campaign against political corruption.

The charges against Mr. Lowe stemmed from a plan to defraud $100,000 from the New York State Senate Democrats' campaign committee. The payment was made to a New Jersey political consulting firm, which the media identified as Cornerstone Management Partners. Cornerstone was run by Elnatan Rudolph, who has a relationship with the lobbyist Michael Cohen. Mr. Cohen worked on Councilmember Mark-Viverito's controversial campaign for New York City Council Speaker. Before Mr. Cohen's lobbying firm took the lead on Councilmember Mark-Viverito's speakership campaign, Councilmember Mark-Viverito was advised by the lobbyist, Scott Levenson, who has years-long ties to Ms. Lewis. Mr. Levenson was ACORN's chief spokesperson as the group was grappling with several controversies that eventually led to the closure of ACORN. To save on rent, Ms. Lewis's new non-profit also shares office space with Mr. Levenson's lobbying firm. The space is roomier now that NY-CLASS, a 501(c)(4) animal rights political group, moved out. For a time, all three entities shared the same office space. Ms. Lewis and Mayor de Blasio have close ties to the Working Families Party, which they both take credit for co-founding. And finally, Mr. Levenson's consulting firm managed several political campaigns last year at the same time he both advised Ny-CLASS and administered a Super PAC for NY-CLASS that are the subjects of several investigations for possibly coordinating their political activities to help elected Mayor de Blasio. In the face of investigations, Mr. Levenson's firm, The Advance Group, has been rapidly downsizing to get rid of witnesses, some government reform speculate.

Given that Mr. Lowe was a director at a non-profit sharing space with The Advance Group, it's not known what relationship might have developed between Mr. Lowe and Mr. Levenson.

U.S. Attorney Bharara is Being Pressed to Help Uncover Corruption

What Happen to the BOE Machine Count Due Out Sunday Night ? Where Is the City Council Hearing On the Missing Vote Count ?

Where's the demand that @ChrisCQuinn hold @NYCCouncil hearings on @BOENYC broken lever voting machines and botched vote counting ?

— Informed Voting (@informedvoting) September 18, 2013

Preet Bharara Begs the New Media Companies to Do What the Old Media Has Not Done, Investigate Corruption

From True News From Change NYC :

Bharara: New Media End NYC's Journalism of Sheep

• Public corruption, based on all evidence, appears rampant,” Bharara told the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption at its first public hearing. “And the ranks of those convicted in office have swelled to absolutely unacceptable levels.” \Earlier in the day, Bharara’s office moved to take away the pensions of state officials convicted of corruption. The office filing seeks to include pensions as part of the property It comes in the case against state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens), who stands accused of scheming with officials in New York City and Rockland County to raise funds for his one-time attempt to switch parties and run for mayor as a Republican. Letting felons collect state pensions is a “a galling injustice that sticks in the craw of every thinking New Yorker,” Bharara planned to say Tuesday night in a speech before Gov. Cuomo’s new anti-corruption Moreland Commission.
• Bharara planned to say Tuesday night in a speech before Gov. Cuomo’s new anti-corruption Moreland Commission. * Preet Bharara hopes for more muckraking in Albany (Capital New York) Albany has been fertile ground for investigative journalists in recent years, with two governors embroiled in ethical woes, and a number of legislators either indicted or forced to resign. With each press outlet that closes or downsizes, opportunities to ferret out fraud and waste and abuse are lost.
• Preet Bharara: “fresh news outlets like BuzzFeed … bent on doubling down on political investigations will provide grist” 4 corruption probe Bharara, SDNY US Atty, bullish on @buzzfeed, @politico/@ capitalnewyork, & new @WashingtonPoint, in testimony tonight to Moreland Commission * In testimony, Bharara laments loss of investigative journalists, and puts high hope in new outlets and revived old. * Bharara says pensions of corrupt officials should be tapped (Capitol Confidential) * U.S. Attorney To Commission : Political Corruption Is Out Of Hand In N.Y. State (WCBS)
• While Bharara Was Speaking Last Night At the Moreland Commission Hearing This Is What the Political Director of the Times Was Tweeting :

My goodness. Among blacks, de Blasio leading Joe Lhota 86 to 3 percent. http://t.co/ChGwIdUwBz

— carolynryan (@carolynryan) September 17, 2013

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Carolyn Ryan Update

SIDE BAR : Is it me, or do other folks agree that Carolyn Ryan doesn't get it ? Do you think she never will ? She reminds me of some of the people, who I saw promoted at my last job, who were given supervisory roles, because they were dumb or were known to fold, and they could be counted on to let the power players have their way.

It's in a lot of powerful people's best interests to install a weak link in a powerful post, so that the powerful people can run roughshod over the system. Having somebody disconnected from the serious problem of corruption be installed as the politics editor of The New York Times sure seems to help propagate corruption. Imagine their delight at the prospect of installing Ms. Ryan as executive editor of The New York Times ?