Testing using diesel fuel has been halted at the plant
ALBANY – Former executive deputy secretary to Governor Cuomo, Joseph Percoco, was convicted on Tuesday of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and solicitation of bribes. The South Salem resident accepted more than $315,000 in bribes in return for taking official state action to benefit energy company Competitive Power Ventures in Wawayanda and Syracuse-based real estate developer COR Development after an eight-week trial.
Percoco, 47, faces a maximum of 50 years in prison.
Steven Aiello, a COR executive, was also convicted of bribery conspiracy. The jury deadlocked on charges against co-defendant Peter Galbraith Kelly.
Cuomo issued a statement after the verdict saying “there is no tolerance for any violation of the public trust. There is no higher calling than public service and integrity is paramount – principles that have guided my work during the last 40 years.”
Pramilla Malick, founder and head of the grassroots group “Protect Orange County,” said the ball is in Cuomo’s court now.
“If he really wants to redeem himself, undo the damage that is done he has got to shut down this power plant, and the longer he delays doing that or resists doing that, the more guilty he appears,” she said.
Malick and her group have been leading the charge to prevent the plant from operating.
In the wake of the Percoco conviction by a federal jury, State Assemblyman James Skoufis (D, Woodbury) whose district includes Wawayanda said the governor should pull the plug on CPV immediately.
“I am saying that the plant should not become operational until, A, all of the permits are withdrawn, but, B, until there is a full investigation of every aspect of this plant including both state and local approvals,” Skoufis said.
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D, Forestburgh) echoed the call for the governor to revoke the permits and Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R, Deerpark) said Cuomo “goes on with his business as if nothing happened – a truly myopic and feeble leader.”
Following the jury verdict, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said the state should revoke all permits granted to CPV. “You cannot act illegally in the permit approval process and then keep the permits,” he said. Neuhaus said the state should pass legislation creating a “presumption of invalidity for any project in which criminal conduct by public officials occurred and for which permits were issued.”
Meanwhile, the Orange County Industrial Development Agency said it will begin a “full audit of the CPV tax incentive and PILOT agreements to ensure full compliance.” The board statement said it has asked its attorney “to conduct a full review of the agreements and will consult with its New York State oversight agencies, to ensure compliance of all terms.”
The executive director of the Reclaim New York organization, Brandon Muir, said the Percoco guilty verdict “confirms conclusively that bribery and corruption reached the highest levels of the governor’s office.” He said Cuomo’s “signature economic development efforts were for sale, not to create jobs and opportunity, but to pad the pockets of Joe Percoco.”
