Fitzpatrick Acknowledges Schwartz’s Role In Moreland, Insists Panel Was Independent
Nick Reisman
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick released a lengthy statement on Monday insisting the Moreland Commission To Investigate Public Corruption made decisions independent of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, though he confirmed a top aide to the governor sought input on the panel.
In the same four-page statement released on his office’s letterhead, Fitzpatrick said the commission “was not an independent prosecutorial agency” that couldn’t make arrests or convene grand juries.
The statement comes as Cuomo continues to face questions stemming from his office’s involvement in the commission’s work and the efforts to block subpoenas from the panel to politically sensitive areas for the governor.
Interest in the commission was sparked again last week by an extensive New York Times story that detailed the extent of the role Cuomo’s office, along with that of his top aide, Larry Schwartz, played in shaping the direction of the anti-corruption body.
http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2014/07/fitzpatrick-acknowledges-schwartzs-role-in-moreland-insists-panel-was-independent/
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