Cuomo KO’d 15 probes
1 case eyed Hikind
The Moreland Commission panel, hailed by Gov. Cuomo as a “phenomenal success” in battling corruption, had 15 cases pending against lawmakers when he pulled the plug on it, according to a report Monday.
Investigators were zeroing in on a few Democrats in the Assembly, but most of their targets were Republicans in the state Senate, the Albany TimesUnion reported.
The commission referred two cases to federal prosecutors before Cuomo shut it down on March 29, the paper said.
A source close to the commission told The Post one of the cases involved Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind and was forwarded to Brooklyn US Attorney Loretta Lynch.
Last year, Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn confirmed that it received a subpoena from the panel.
The hospital has spent tens of thousands of dollars over the years for ads on Hikind’s popular radio show, but Hikind failed to report the income from the hospital until Crain’s New York raised the issue last year.
He amended his financialdisclosure forms dating back to 2006.
Lynch’s office declined to comment. Hikind’s office didn’t return calls or emails.
State Sen. George Maziarz, a Republican, is involved in the second case sent to the feds, The Post’s source said. The 62nd District senator announced earlier this year that he wouldn’t be running for reelection after nearly 20 years in office.
Maziarz is facing questions about $137,000 in campaign checks written to “cash” — $60,000 of which was never reported to the state Board of Elections.
The commission also questioned the $125,000 Maziarz’s campaign spent at Target, BJ’s Wholesale Club and other retailers — half of which wasn’t reported.
Maziarz responded in an email that he has “not been contacted by either entity about per diem expenditures or anything else.”
A spokeswoman for the US attorney in the Northern District declined to comment on whether the office was investigating Maziarz.
Senate Republican Campaign Committee spokesman Scott Reif also said he had no comment.
The TimesUnion reported that the commission tried to hand over cases to Albany DA David Soares, who said he didn’t have the resources to pursue them. Soares spokeswoman Cecilia Walsh would not comment.