AG Cuomo Outlines Pension Corruption From Hevesi Era

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced charges against former Liberal Party boss Raymond Harding; NY1 reports that Harding allegedly "received $800,000 in illegal fees on state pension deals as a reward for opening an Assembly seat for former State Comptroller Alan Hevesi's son, Andrew."

Yes, apparently aides to the former comptroller who pleaded guilty to defrauding the government (Hevesi was using state employees to chauffeur his sick wife) apparently funneled money to Harding. Politicker NY explains that before becoming State Comptroller, Hevesi was an Assemblyman representing Queens: "When he left, Michael Cohen was elected to the seat. According to Cuomo, Harding help get Cohen to leave the office by installing him in a six-figure job at HIP, an insurance company. Harding then secured support for Hevesi’s son, Andrew, to run for the seat." Cuomo said Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi did not know about the scheme.

Back in 2007, Alan Hevesi denied he used his control over the state's $150+ billion pension fund to his political advantage. Last month, two of his aides were arrested for taking $30 million from financial firms who were then added to the state pension fund-and a hedge fund executive just agreed to plead guilty and pay back $12 million for his role in the scandal.