Governor Cuomo says he spent a very emotional and disturbing day on Thursday as longtime friend Joe Percoco and SUNY Polytechnic head Alain Kaloyeros were indicted on corruption charges.
Speaking in Buffalo, the governor says this is very disappointing but he won’t let it stop the Buffalo Billion or his other Upstate New York renewal plans. Cuomo says the portfolio of high-tech projects managed by Dr. Kaloyeros has been turned over to Empire State Development Corporation head Howard Zemsky. He says part of Zemsky’s job will be to learn what went wrong and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Cuomo says he wants all New Yorkers to know that state dollars are being guarded professionally. He says the entire state procurement system will be overhauled following the recommendations of a former federal prosecutor hired by the administration to review the situation after the federal investigation became known.
As for his former aide, Joe Percoco, the governor says justice will be “sure and swift.”