Federal Judge Valerie Caproni clearly intended the six-year prison sentence she slapped on former top Cuomo aide Joe Percoco Thursday as a message about the putrid state of corruption in New York.
Percoco was found guilty in March of “pay-to-play” bribery and fraud in connection with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion fiasco. Prosecutors had asked for at least five years behind bars, arguing that the trial “exposed wrongdoing at high levels of state government” and that such corruption “is hardly aberrant.”
Caproni plainly agreed, saying: “I hope this sentence will be heard in Albany.”
Prosecutors stressed that “political power and responsibility in New York” is at the root of corruption, and Percoco is a prime example. He was a top lieutenant to Cuomo, who described him as his father’s “third son.”
And if the gov’s telling the truth, that he had no idea what his aide was up to, then it just shows how little Cuomo cares about monitoring such behavior — and about Albany’s pay-to-play sleaze in general.
Indeed, Cuomo’s see-no-evil approach may explain why his campaign saw nothing ironic in rolling out a TV ad — on the very day of Percoco’s sentencing — seeking to taint GOP gov candidate Marc Molinaro as guilty of similar pay-to-play shenanigans.
“You can’t clean up government with dirty hands,” the ad asserts. Dirty hands? At least three close Cuomo associates (Percoco, ex-SUNY Polytechnic chief Alain Kaloyeros and lobbyist Todd Howe) have now all been convicted of corruption.
“Andrew Cuomo was sentenced today — he just doesn’t have to do the time,” Molinaro snarked of the Percoco sentence.
Truth is, the judge served up justice to Percoco — and the people of New York. It’ll be up to New York voters to decide Cuomo’s “sentence” in November.
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