Gov ‘cleanup’ gets trashed

ALBANY — For Gov. Cuomo, Tuesday’s conviction of longtime top aide and confidant Joseph Percoco on three federal corruption counts is a huge black eye heading into his reelection campaign. It was Cuomo in 2010 who stood in front of the Tweed Courthouse in Manhattan announcing his run for governor on a promise to clean up Albany. But the conviction of Percoco and the alarming revelations that came from the trial will continue to hound him during his reelection campaign this year. Percoco was no ordinary staffer. Cuomo once said his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, considered Percoco a third son. His conviction is sure to be a centerpiece issue for actress Cynthia Nixon, should she decide as expected to challenge Cuomo in a Democratic primary. And it has already been a top talking point for state Republicans, who haven’t won a statewide race since 2002. But in reality, Percoco’s conviction is more like icing on the cake for the governor’s critics and political foes.