Probes into alleged corruption by former members and associates of the Cuomo Administration deepened Thursday afternoon, as the Attorney General’s office conducted a raid at SUNY Polytechnic offices in Albany.
A spokesman for SUNY Poly says the college “cooperated fully” with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s “request to search an office.” SUNY Poly confirms that the office had, until recently, been used by one of two people that Cuomo Administration officials have acknowledged are a target of a federal probe, lobbyist Todd Howe.
Howe, who is close to the Cuomo family, represented numerous developers and other companies that were competing for or awarded contracts in big upstate development projects, including the Buffalo Billion.
SUNY Poly, through third-party entities, arranged for the contracts for many of the development projects.
Since subpoenas were issued by federal prosecutors in late April, Cuomo and his staff have cut off all contact with Howe. Howe, until recently, was employed by a subsidiary of Albany law firm Whiteman, Osterman and Hannah, but has since been removed from his post.
A source with knowledge of the investigation says the AG’s probe is part of a broader investigation into SUNY Poly’s bidding process and its relationship with various players and developers.
The Albany Times Union reported earlier this month that the Attorney General was looking into potential bid rigging in the proposed building of a new dormitory near the SUNY Polytechnic and SUNY Albany campus.
