Aubertine Among Democrats Who Allegedly Traded Votes For Campaign Cash In 2008 - Watertown Daily Times

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20140513/NEWS07/705139792

Well surprise surprise!!!  But it ain’t the whole story!!! 

Cape Vincent appears to continue its reputation as NYS unethical central and the umbilical cord goes right to Albany…as it always has in the CV ethical mess!

 And why is it that former  Darrel Aubertine’s name  keeps popping up.  Below are a few of Aubertine’s “missteps!” 

His letter to the former CV town board encouraging them to vote on wind issues despite the fact he and they had wind energy leases with CV wind developers.  As best as I can tell this would be in direct violation of CV and state ethics codes and laws.

Appointing his sister to his staff which apparently violates a law he even voted to approve.

Voting at the state level on issues related to farmers hosting wind development getting a tax break for rezoning their land, when Aubertine, family and CV buddies had wind leases.

Now he is the lightning rod of the CV water district fiasco were some residents appear to be illegally hooked up to the water system.

And now this story in the WDT, although keep in mind it is “alleged”!

But that is just part of the story. There is a much bigger and more serious question we, and WDT reporter Booker, and the WDT editors should be asking.

How does a guy with this record end up on the staff of two of NYS’s top officials…Gov. Cuomo and NYS Comptroller Tom Dinapoli.  Are they or their vetting staff completely asleep at the switch?  Or is this just the same old NYS cronyism, that Cuomo in particular has promised to eradicate?  Remember him screaming “INTEGRITY IN GOVT”  during his last election!!!!  Pure bullshit, and read on to have a first hand view how he has scammed the public in my opinion.

Cuomo was the former NYAG before he became NY Gov. and both Cuomo and Dinaploi are, or should be, watchdogs over unethical or corrupt practices in NYS government.  

Well I don’t know about Dinapoli…although he should be at least highly embarrassed to have Aubertine on his staff, but Cuomo knows damn right well what is going on and has for a long long time, and that was BEFORE he appointed Aubertine as NY Ag. Commissioner.  I know that for FACT since I was involved along with others with his office on this CV wind ethics matter!  And in my opinion Cuomo and Dinapoli are enabling it! 

Cuomo and Dinapoli should be hiding under their desks hoping the media or their political opponents (who I would be more than happy to talk to) don’t catch on in the upcoming elections!  Any sharp opponent could have, especially  Cuomo, tripping all over himself trying to explain this mess away!!!  Not to mention his unpopularity over his gun control legislation.

It is time for him to go!!!

And both Dinapoli and Cuomo’s coziness with Aubertine by providing him with state jobs was AFTER the voters had ousted Aubertine from office in large part because of his several ethical issues particularly concerning his wind leases and the CV unethical wind cesspool.  It was clear voters did NOT want Aubertine in power in state office.

No problem for Cuomo and Dinapoli... since  they as two of the highest state officials (actually 3 if you consider Cuomo was once AG) both with high responsibilities to monitor and deal with unethical behavior in NYS, blatantly defy voter wishes and continue to play musical chairs with jobs for Aubertine despite his issues.  And the current job in Dinapoli’s office even appears to have been newly created for Aubertine.

But maybe I can shed some light on this having been directly involved in Cuomo’s forgotten AG CV investigation and met with his staff as AG…that magically evaporated after Cuomo was elected Gov, and he appointed Aubertine as Ag. Commisioner!

You see…in 2010 (an election year for Cuomo running for NY Gov.) after three years of our own investigation (including Aubertine’s role starting with his now famous  letter mentioned above) on the unethical Cape Vincent wind issue myself and a few others  finally got the attention of Cuomo’s AG office and his investigators.  Like I said it was an election year.  This came after repeated notifications to the AG’s office of the unethical CV wind mess since 2007.  It also came after contact and a meeting with the Jefferson County DA Cindy Intschert, who turfed it to the AG then did little else.  Seems she has a little embarrassment to share here as well.

Finally Cuomo agreed to a meeting away from CV between us, our attorney,  and some of Cuomo’s top legal staff, including John Howard, Cuomo’s Deputy Chief of Staff, and Henry Greenberg, one of Cuomo’s top staff attorneys who contacted me in July of 2010, and an AG investigator who had tracked the case for a couple years.  This meeting took several hours on the CV wind issue and the apparent unethical behavior of former CV officials with wind leases.  They indicated they would look at it and give us an answer.

 

In this meeting the subject of Aubertine’s involvement was avoided, until the very end where I was determined to bring it up.  When I did, these AG officials suddenly looked at the floor with only a vague shaking of their heads indicating they had heard what I said, but I could see they were not likely to touch that subject.

MEETING OVER!!!

After all Aubertine was still a state senator in the summer of 2010, losing his seat in the fall elections. Either way maybe Cuomo had big plans for him and an investigation that might involve Aubertine wouldn’t be good for either of them.

Here is part an excellent article on Aubertine's career shuffling. You can read the rest at the link below.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The best thing that ever happened to Darrel Aubertine's government career was losing a tough re-election campaign three years ago for New York State Senate….

His unemployment in state government didn't last long. Just six days into his new term as governor, Andrew Cuomo nominated Aubertine to serve as commissioner of the Department of Agriculture & Markets. In October, Aubertine left the post. And the next day he started a newly created position as the state comptroller's special assistant to the comptroller for external affairs.

Aubertine acknowledged the job appointments might look like political rewards from fellow Democrats DiNapoli and Cuomo, especially in the weeks just after losing that close Senate race.

Geees do ya think!!!  You can read the rest of this excellent article at the link below.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/darrel_aubertines_career_ny_paycheck_soar_after_tough_campaign_loss.html

 Who knows maybe they already knew Aubertine was on Cuomo’s short list for NY Ag. Commissioner, and this meeting and investigation was only an election year ploy by Cuomo who was dancing around NYS spouting off how he was going to attack corruption.

In my opinion this meeting with Cuomo’s high staff, and resulting bogus investigation in an election year was because Cuomo probably knew we had potential information to prove his corruption and integrity campaign platform was pure bullshit, because of his knowing full well for three years about CV and Aubertine's wind issues and doing absolutely nothing about it. 

However, around Aug 13^th or 14^th Cuomo’s office announced an investigation into the CV wind mess and the former CV town officers involvement with wind leases.

It was likely a clever ploy by AG so to be Gov. Cuomo to keep the waters in CV calm with the illusion he was doing something about it, just long enough for him to get elected as Gov. … and THEN he appointed Aubertine to his staff and the investigation evaporates.  Imagine that!!!  Wouldn’t you love to know how that back scratching might have been arranged?

In fact the first call I got from Greenberg, Cuomo’s AG attorney, was not initially about an investigation.

It was about asking me to squelch a large anti wind/ corruption protest about Cuomo’s inaction on the unethical wind mess in CV that was scheduled in Watertown at the Italian American Club., where Cuomo would be making a campaign stop screaming about integrity in govt. 

 The explanation was that they might be willing to have a private meeting about the CV wind mess if we could tone down or cancel the protest.  This protest wouldn’t look good for Cuomo or Aubertine!

Nothing worse than to come to the wind corruption capital of NNY,  and be spouting off about integrity in govt, and then having media see a protest about the unethical wind fiasco only 25 miles away Cuomo was doing nothing about, and it included a former state assemblyman and senator with wind leases!!!

Oooops!!!

Well I had no control over the protest and it went on anyhow, although it may have been toned down, but the meeting with the AG’s office went on too and ended in an investigation. They probably figured they needed to at least stall and appease the people screaming about wind corruption in NNY and state wide.

The investigation was reported in the WDT.

But as I mentioned, the investigation magically evaporated after Cuomo was elected.  And I know of one investigator on Cuomo’s staff who may have left the AG’ office in part over frustration with the lack of integrity of Cuomo’s AG office and in part of this CV investigation.

Oh…but that is not all.

As the town of CV was involved in the state’s NYPSC Art 10 siting process with wind develop BP, we find out that one of the NYPSC commissioners Maureen Harris just happens to be wife of attorney John Harris who is representing BP in their CV Wind Farm siting  matter against the town.  Of course the PSC assures us commissioner Maureen Harris has nothing to do with Art 10, and this is all on the up and up.  This gets reported in the WDT.

So who appointed Ms. Harris to the NYPSC?  Well that would be Gov. Cuomo! The same Gov. that has Aubertine on his staff with CV BP wind leases.

 And here is the weird part.  Cuomo appointed her after he went after her in a high visibility investigation and law suit involving improper funds she received from the state pension fund. She ended up settling.  Here is a quote from an article on Cuomo’s investigation of Maureen Harris.  In fairness keep in mind Harris was not the only attorney AG Cuomo went after in the probe.

Underlining emphasis is mine.

“In recent months my office has uncovered long-term and systemic fraud on the public pension and benefits systems which have potentially wasted millions of taxpayer dollars,” Cuomo said.

“Lawyers representing school districts and BOCES across the state were given public benefits they were not entitled to. Some lawyers have received illegal perks for years and were improperly put on district payrolls. My office will continue to follow this investigation wherever it leads, and we will put an end to this abuse.”

http://legalnewsline.com/news/212524-angry-lawyers-suing-cuomo-over-pension-probe

 

 And then after accusing and investigating her and others for long term systematic  fraud, abuse of public funds, and wasting millions or tax payer dollars he appoints her to a top position at the  NYPSC????? 

What is wrong with this picture????

Is Cuomo just a real good guy out there to rescue people having hard luck?  Like former NY Sen. Aubertine who was ousted from office primarily over his  wind ethics behavior, and then Cuomo appoints him as Ag Commissioner. Then Ms. Harris who Cuomo investigated and had to settle with his AG office, and she gets appointed as a high powered NYPSC Commissioner!  The same NYPSC who controls the Art 10 process that will oversee the siting of the BP CV Wind Farm of which Aubertine and his family have wind leases!

Is being involve in questionable or unethical behavior a prerequisite or application question for NY appointments in Cuomo’s mind???  Or does he figure it’s easier to control people and squeeze favors out of them, or ensure they follow his agenda. 

Well…we do know that Cuomo was in love with wind energy and the Art 10 process that took away community home rule rights that he rammed down NY communities throats…mainly for the purpose of siting renewable (wind) projects…just like the one Aubertine was involved with in CV with BP and Acciona.

So let me get this straight (this will make you dizzy!)

Aubertine gets bounced from office by voters in large part over questionable behavior surrounding his wind leases. Cuomo, knowing full well about this, and knowing his former AG office has  an active investigation in CV that might include Aubertine, just up an appoints Aubertine to his staff as  NY Ag. Commissioner. 

Current NY Sen Patty Richie who defeated Aubertine and used his ethics lapses as part of her campaign issue then  turns around  to approve Aubertine for Cuomo.  There is even a video of Cuomo winking at Richie in a news conference telling her she is already acting like an old pro Albany politician. Yeah, I'll bet!  See the video below.

 

http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2011/04/cuomo-ritchie-handled-aubertine-confirmation-like-a-pro/

Wonder what political  knife was he pressing against her throat????  How many state prisons jobs are in Ritchie’s district????

Then Cuomo also appoints Harris to the NYPSC who he was once investigating for “fraud” and “abuse of and wasting public funds”, and of whose husband just happens to be the attorney representing BP in the CV Wind Farm matter before Art 10 and the NYPSC, to which Aubertine and family hold BP wind leases, at the very time Cuomo has in defiance of NNY voters appointed  Aubertine to his staff and knowing full well of Aubertine’s CV wind issues and probably should be investigating him, yet the investigation magically disappears!

And I just don’t find it credible that Cuomo didn’t know full well that Maureen Harris was the wife of the very guy BP hired as an attorney who would basically be fighting for the CV Wind Farm siting, and essential for Aubertine and family’s BP wind leases.  If he didn’t then his Gov. office and staff are incompetent!!!

Then Dinapoli the NY  Comptroller willingly inherits  Aubertine and Cuomo’s mess right into his office and provides Aubertine with a new job.

And if you want to have a real chuckle  look up on the Internet ethics opinions from the NY AG office.  They repeatedly advise that to ensure the public trust officials should avoid EVEN THE APPEARANCE of a conflict or unethical behavior.

Seriously??? There are an awful lot or "appearances" here in my opinion!!!

 I guess those AG opinions are just used as toilet paper and flushed down the toilet into the Cape Vincent / Albany ethics cesspool!!!

Interestingly enough, back in 2009 myself and another person from CV met with a special agent of the Syracuse FBI office to lay out the wind mess in CV.  He felt it would fall mostly under the jurisdiction of the NYAG (Cuomo).  Although he took interest in the “Pelo Rd. “waterline to nowhere” since apparently federal money was involved.  But I took particular interest in one thing he said.

He felt to go after the town officials on ethics issues  would be “low hanging fruit”(his words)  for AG’s office  in this CV case.  In fact he indicated he had tried to talk to the AG’s office (Cuomo) and they wouldn’t talk to him or the FBI. He thought that was real odd in that most other agencies he worked with were very cooperative.  I even heard from a very credible source in the AG’s office that one of the AG staff got in hot water for attempting to talk to the FBI. 

 Was the NYAG’s office hiding something?    Makes ya wonder doesn’t it when one law enforcement agency is not cooperating with another!!! And at this time Aubertine was still a NYS senator with wind leases.

Last summer I contacted AG Schneiderman’s office about this whole issue and about the evaporated AG investigation, and  Aubertine and his wind leases etc.

What response do you think I received????  It is a NO BRAINER.

 ZERO!!!

Well that isn’t exactly correct. I did get on Scheiderman’s mailing list of a periodic AG newsletter on what a wonderful job he is doing going after all kinds of corruption etc.  I guess he missed a few thing up in CV and that an investigation his office inherited just disappeared!!! 

I also contacted Deanna Nelson of the AGs office in Watertown.  She didn’t have a clue what had happened to the investigation, and said she would get back to me.  That was last summer, and you can bet I am not staying up at night sitting by my phone waiting for a response!!!

Albany business as usual!

But it occurs to me that despite my severe disagreements with our former CV wind conflicted town officials, that if you launch a locally highly publicized investigation, that in fairness to those investigated  you would need to reveal the results either way.  It would be especially unfair and I think reckless and irresponsible if the investigation exonerated these officials but that fact was never released to the public…which it appears it never was.

The NYAG’s office under both Cuomo and now Schneiderman have badly and recklessly  screwed over both pro wind and anti wind in CV, and left us all twisting in the wind.  Well except for Aubertine who gets nice cozy state jobs regardless!

And ironically one news release in Schneiderman’s little PR  letters tells of how he AND Dinaopli the NY Comptroller have gone after a NYC councilman for corruption.

Yeah boys…well whoooooopy dooooo!!! 

Maybe you should take a long hard look at your own behavior first!!!

Makes me wonder what else we aren’t seeing between CV and Albany?????  I’m betting it goes deeper!

If the WDT or some other paper wanted to get real serious, they would have a field day.