More Percoco fallout: Senator seeks ouster of ethics chief
New York State Sen. John DeFrancisco at a gathering of New York State town officials at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square Feb. 19, 2018. Credit: Charles Eckert
ALBANY — A Republican candidate for governor said Monday that the head of the state ethics commission should be fired for ignoring transgressions exposed in the recent corruption trial of Joseph Percoco, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s former close adviser.
Sen. John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse) said Seth Agata should be dismissed as executive director for the Joint Commission on Public Ethics in part because Agata testified that he witnessed Percoco using state offices in 2014 while off the public payroll and running Cuomo’s re-election campaign. State ethics laws prohibit the use of public resources to run political campaigns
DeFrancisco alleged that Agata might have decided to “look the other way” on the issue of the office use because he’s a Cuomo insider — he formerly was the governor’s counsel.
“Is it possible that JCOPE hasn’t investigated because its Executive Director, Seth Agata, was working alongside and advising Mr. Percoco while Mr. Percoco was illegally operating out of 633 Third Avenue in 2014?” DeFrancisco said in a letter to JCOPE, referring to the address of Cuomo’s Manhattan offices. “Is it possible that the JCOPE Executive Director, a longtime Cuomo employee and loyalist, decided to look the other way?”
JCOPE didn’t immediately comment.
Agata testified that he gave Percoco advice about working for private clients while serving as Cuomo’s campaign manager. That testimony prompted a complaint by David Grandeau, former director of the now-defunct state lobbying commission, who alleged Agata violated the law in giving advice to a private citizen.
Further, State Republican chairman Ed Cox previously filed complaints alleging Percoco and Cuomo broke the law banning the use of public offices to run political campaigns.
Last week, a jury convicted Percoco on three corruption charges and acquitted him on three others. The charges stem from an alleged scheme to pocket bribes in exchange for helping Cuomo campaign contributors win state contracts and permits.
Gilgo victim update ... Convicted killer pins murders on Heuermann ... Blakeman deputies ... Deal-breakers for homeowners
