By Trey Garrison
New emails contradict earlier claims Cuomo adviser recused himself
Emails have come to light from 2007 and 2008 that show an influential mortgage industry lobbyist played a big role in then-New York Attorney General (now Governor) Andrew Cuomo’s signature financial investigations into the housing finance crisis.
The emails show that longtime Cuomo adviser Howard Glaser, was involved in an investigation of mortgage industry professionals, including some that were clients of Glaser’s lobbying firm.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were both clients of Glaser’s firm. The claims in the emails contradict Glaser’s previous account, wherein he minimized any involvement in Cuomo’s financial investigations.
The Times Union of New York has the full story:
In one email, Glaser touted his influence over a Cuomo deal that weakened rules to prevent misdeeds in the mortgage market. That deal, with mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, reflected Glaser’s “significant, critical and current input,” he wrote in an email, “a fact to which current (Fannie and Freddie) employees and the NYAG’s office are prepared to attest.”
ProPublica and the Times Union reported last year that Glaser had worked simultaneously as a consultant for the attorney general’s office and for a bevy of mortgage industry firms. Glaser said at the time that he only gave general advice to Cuomo’s office, that he did not represent clients with the attorney general, and that he was “not involved” in specific mortgage industry cases.
The emails, however, suggest Glaser was involved in mortgage industry cases, and traveled to Cuomo’s office repeatedly over the course of nearly two years while the investigations related to Glaser’s clients unfolded.
To read the full story, at Times Unionclick here.
