“As investigations continue to swirl around contracting for the Buffalo Billion economic development project, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration is moving to block any communications between state agenices and a lobbying firm that has come under scrutiny in the probe, Whiteman, Osterman and Hanna.
Meanwhile, documents obtained by Capital Tonight show the man Cuomo has hired to review contracting under the program, former prosecutor Bart Schwartz, will have power over all decisions regarding contracts until further notice.
“He’s going to do a full internal review and find out all the facts so we know exactly what we’re talking about,” said Cuomo, D-New York.
Whiteman, Osterman and Hanna severed ties Friday with lobbyist Todd Howe, believed to be a central figure in the investigation. Records on file with state lobbying regulators earlier this week showed Howe’s name on a variety of filings. His name has since been removed from the public database, making it difficult to track what work Howe was doing for the company.
His firm represented SUNY Polytechnic, now under investigation for bid-rigging by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. They also represented COR Development, which former Cuomo aide Joe Percoco claims to have received as much as $75,000 in consulting fees from in 2014.”
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Reisman, Nick. Spectrum Local News 6 May 2016.