WRFA-LP 107.9 FM https://www.wrfalp.com A listener supported, non-commercial, low power FM radio station in Jamestown, NY. Wed, 14 Mar 2018 12:38:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.wrfalp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/wrfa-favicon-54e2097bv1_site_icon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 WRFA-LP 107.9 FM https://www.wrfalp.com 32 32 58712206 Percoco Found Guilty on Three of Six Counts in Corruption Trial https://www.wrfalp.com/percoco-found-guilty-on-three-of-six-counts-in-corruption-trial/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=percoco-found-guilty-on-three-of-six-counts-in-corruption-trial https://www.wrfalp.com/percoco-found-guilty-on-three-of-six-counts-in-corruption-trial/#respond Wed, 14 Mar 2018 12:38:20 +0000 http://www.wrfalp.com/?p=24575 NEW YORK – Joseph Percoco, a former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo whom he described as “my father’s third son”—was found guilty on three of six felony counts in a corruption trial that lasted eight weeks.

Percoco, 48, who served as Cuomo’s former campaign manager and deputy executive secretary, was facing six counts, but the jury found him guilty of only three: conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and solicitation of bribes and gratuities.

When asked if he was disappointed by the verdict, Percoco responded in the affirmative and noted that he will look into appealing it.

His sentencing will take place on June 11. He is facing 50 years in prison.

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Cuomo Rolls Out Ethics Reform Proposal as Part of 2017 Agenda https://www.wrfalp.com/cuomo-rolls-out-ethics-reform-proposal-as-part-of-2017-agenda/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cuomo-rolls-out-ethics-reform-proposal-as-part-of-2017-agenda https://www.wrfalp.com/cuomo-rolls-out-ethics-reform-proposal-as-part-of-2017-agenda/#respond Thu, 12 Jan 2017 14:00:45 +0000 http://www.wrfalp.com/?p=20769

Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his 2017 State of the State speech in Buffalo on Jan. 9, 2017. (image from New York Governor’s Office)

ALBANY – With scandals continuing to plague the state Capitol, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday rolled out a series of ethics reforms that are similar to previous proposals, but which have  so far failed to get approved by the state legislature.

“We are limited by our public support, and if that legislature and if our executive wants to really do all they can, we need to improve the public trust,” Cuomo said during the final of his six regional State of the State addresses in Albany.

The state Legislature last year grappled with the convictions on corruption charges of the former leaders of the Senate and Assembly and in September, Cuomo’s own office was rocked by scandal. His former top aide Joseph Percoco and economic development czar Alain Kaloyeros, then president of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute, were among nine people charged with alleged kickbacks and bid rigging involving upstate projects.

Last month, Cuomo sought to get the Legislature to agree to a package of ethics reforms as part of a deal for their first pay raise since 1999. But the deal fell apart, and now Cuomo is trying yet again to get lawmakers to approve his sixth attempt at ethics reform.

Cuomo’s 10-point proposal released on Wednesday is largely the same ideas he put forth last month: limiting lawmakers’ outside income; imposing term limits; and eliminating a loophole that lets companies open LLCs to skirt campaign-contribution limits. He also again proposed a system of public financing for elections and bolstering the state’s Freedom of Information Law by requiring the Legislature to comply. For the executive branch, he would install greater oversight of the state’s contracting process, including at the state’s public colleges.

Some of the measure have been backed by lawmakers, but Republicans who control the Senate have largely opposed limits on their outside income — which is the key issue that led to the conviction of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan.

It remains to be seen how much of the new proposal will be accepted during this current legislative session.

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