Agata misses another one

There was an informative piece by  Erica Orden over the weekend in the WSJ.  It described facts that could lead one to believe that the Governor may have known Todd Howe and his activities a little better than he is willing to admit.

But that wasn't what caught my attention.

Nor was the fact that the WSJ is like an early warning system for what Preet and the US Attorneys office are going after next (the NYT for what is coming in the short term the WSJ for the long term)

No it was the description of Linda Lacewell's role in the vetting of donations to the CUOMO CAMPAIGN.

Put aside for the moment that Lacewell is portrayed as someone in a white hat even though all she did was counsel how to obscure the connection between donor and state work by delaying the donations.  And put aside that she departed for parts unknown just before the ax started falling on Cuomo staffers and lobbyists (you think she got a helpful hint to leave?) and focus on what she actually did.

Here it is - and read this carefully Seth Agata:

"A pair of vetting documents sent by a senior aide, Linda Lacewell, to a group of the governor’s top lieutenants a month before the event show she was concerned about the optics of taking money from companies awarded state contracts long before the heads of several of those companies were arrested on corruption charges.
The emails vetted two contributions: one from Mr. Aiello and one from Mr. Ciminelli. In each, Ms. Lacewell itemized state contracts recently awarded to both men’s companies."

The question Agata should ask and investigate unless yet again he already has personal knowledge thru his own work for the governor is . . . WHO WAS LACEWELL WORKING FOR WHEN SHE VETTED THESE CONTRIBUTIONS?

If it wasn't the campaign then she most likely violated the Public Officers Law by using her state position to benefit another (just like Agata representing the governor in his private book deal with a subsidiary of a client of a lobbyist).

I did a quick search and Lacewell does not show up in a word search of those paid by the Cuomo campaign during the relevant time period.

But it's a simple case Agata just ask her.  If she was working for the campaign and didn't use state resources no problem if she did use state resources send the notice of hearing.  Of course we will never know since it is all confidential now.  But you already have a track record on these 2nd floor cases and I have pretty good sources so I'm betting it's yet another Agata screwup or coverup.

FIRE AGATA