Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara watched with smug satiꦇsfaction Thursday as a judge slapped the second of Albany’s “three men in a room” with prison time.
But the sure-shot lawman made it clear that Gov. Andrew Cuomo remains on his mind — taking time from his victory lಌa⛦p to fire a salvo straight toward the state’s chief executive.
“In the span of just 16 months, we have seen the arrest, prosecution, conviction and sentencing of both leaders ཧof the New York State Legislature,” Bharara said in a statement minutes after former Senate M▨ajority Leader Dean Skelos was given five years in prison.
“These cases show — and history teaches — that ꧟💯the most effective corruption investigations are those that are truly independent and not in danger of either interference or premature shutdown,” Bharara added — a clear jab at Cuomo.
Cuomo created a Moreland Commission panel in 2013 to fight against corruptio🥂n in state politics, but abruptly shut it down less than a year later amid pressure from lawmakers.
Bharara launched a probe into the panel𝄹’s closure but said earlier this year that there was “insufficient evidence” to prove the Cuomo administra🌺tion had committed any federal crime.
But with his statement Thursday, Bharara made it clear that the battle against cor🔜ruption in Albany continues.
The term “three men in a room’’ refers to the Assembly and Se𝔍nate leaders and governor, who have been notorious for making all the state’s major decisions in secrecy.
“The US attorney has been following these trials very closely and has mad🧸e it clear that there’s more and stay tuned,” an Albany source said Thursday.
“Th🃏e🔯 only thing that is truly bipartisan in Albany right now is the corruption.”
Bharara sat in the back of the courtroom as Manhattan federal Judge Kim෴ba Wood sentenced Skelos.
Bharara kept his head down as Skelos’s wife, Gail, sneered, “You can go to hell,” as she wa꧋lked past him,.
