New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Monday he is "proud" of the accomplishments of his anti-corruption panel despite the fact that it is currently under federal investigation, the New York Post reports.
A New York Times report published last week revealed that Cuomo aides told the panel to back off when it began to investigate friends of the administration.
The panel was created in July 2013 and shut down in March.
When pressed about the Times report, Cuomo argued his aides didn’t tell the commission what to do.
"Interference is different. Interference says their independence was trumped by the second floor. That is false," Cuomo said after a jobs announcement in Buffalo.
He claimed the commission was "an overwhelming success"—but had to be shut down to save money. […]
"It’s not a legal question. The Moreland Commission was my commission. It’s my commission. My subpoena power, my Moreland Commission. I can appoint it, I can disband it. I appoint you, I can un-appoint you tomorrow. So, interference? It’s my commission. I can’t ‘interfere’ with it because it is mine. It is controlled by me," Cuomo told Crain’s NY in April.
