Gov: Don’t blame me for ‘Billions’

ALBANY – Gov. Cuomo Friday tried to distance himself from a key player in Thursday’s bid-rigging convictions involving his signature upstate economic development projects.

At the same time, Cuomo’s Democratic primary challenger, Cynthia Nixon, suggested the corruption scandals that have been surrounding the governor’s administration should cause him to step down. “I don’t know what I could have done differently to prevent the situation,” Cuomo insisted to reporters in Brooklyn. Cuomo accepted responsibility as governor that the scandals “happened on my watch” — but not the blame for them. He said in a massive state government “people are going to do bad, stupid, venial things” and defended how he responded to the illicit behavior once it became known.

Cuomo repeated several times that Alain Kaloyeros, the former head of SUNY Polytechnic Institute who he once called “New York’s secret weapon,” began working for the state long before he became governor and that his operation fell under the purview of the State University of New York.

Kaloyeros was convicted for rigging bids to favored contractors tied to the governor’s upstate Buffalo Billions and other economic development projects

“Before you get to me, there are 57 levels,” he said, naming everyone from SUNY to the inspector general to even the attorney general’s office that signs off on some contracts.

Thursday’s convictions were the second that have touched the Cuomo administration in recent months. His former top aide and confidante, Joseph Percoco, was convicted earlier this year on three public corruption charges involving companies with business before the state.

Cuomo was never accused of any wrongdoing.