New York - Jury slection begins today in a much anticipated corruption trial expected to strike at the heart of the Governor's closest political allies.
Longtime Andrew Cuomo Aide and ally Joe Percoco and three other men are accused of bribery, bid-rigging, and corruption. Federal prosecutors say that Percoco accepted bribes in exchange for deals on lucrative State contracts.
Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi are executives at Fayetteville's COR Development. Prosecutors say that, through their ex-lobbyist Todd Howe, they paid $35,000 in bribes to Percoco's wife in exchange for his influence to skirt past Labor Union rules for a development project in Syracuse's Inner Harbor.
The trial will also highlight the backroom dealings of the Buffalo Billion where prosecutors will allege that Percoco took more than $300,000 in bribes.
The ties between Percoco and Cuomo run deep. At his father's funeral Cuomo described Percoco as his father's third and favorite son.