NY ethics board advances criminal referral over potential leak to Cuomo

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The New York state’s ethics oversight commission on Thursday called on New York Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the identity of the person who may have illegally leaked information from a 2019 closed-door meeting to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo,  according to reports.

The alleged leak disclosed details relating to a vote on a potential criminal probe into former Cuomo aide Joe Percoco, reported local news outlet Spectrum News 1. 

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The leak surfaced after Percoco was convicted in a federal bribery case in 2019, during which the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) held a closed-door vote on whether it should launch its own probe into the aide’s actions. 

The commission ultimately voted not to investigate Percoco separately, but the alleged leak to Cuomo’s office sparked an inquiry by the state inspector general's office. 

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In a separate vote Thursday, the JCOPE further asked the attorney general’s office to look into how the state’s inspector general handled the alleged leak.

If the New York attorney general’s office accepts the criminal referrals, it will look into who provided Cuomo’s office with legally protected information regarding the commission’s vote and whether the inspector general’s office bungled its investigation. 

The commission is comprised of appointees from the governor and members of the state legislature who oversee ethics and lobbying issues in New York, noted the local publication. 

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The Thursday decision to advance two criminal referrals to the attorney general’s office comes as the commission reportedly faces scrutiny from state lawmakers who believe the body should function more independently from the government.

Fox News could not immediately reach the New York attorney general’s office for comment.