By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday he had removed himself from two investigations into Gov. David Paterson and appointed Chief Judge Judith Kaye to take over as special counsel.
Two weeks ago, Paterson asked Cuomo to investigate charges that both the governor and the State Police had improperly intervened in a top aide's domestic abuse case. Last week, the Commission on Public Integrity asked Cuomo to investigate charges that Paterson broke state ethics laws by accepting free World Series tickets and lied under oath about it.
This news comes two days after a Marist Poll reported that Cuomo's approval ratings had dropped 13 points since he was asked to investigate Paterson. The public believed that there was a conflict of interest in having Cuomo, a likely gubernatorial candidate, investigate Paterson, even though the governor had dropped his election bid.
In fact, a Quinnipiac Poll released Thursday afternoon said that 61 percent of voters believed that an independent prosecutor, not Cuomo, should investigate the Paterson charges.
The timing of Cuomo's announcement prompted several questions from reporters about whether the attorney general and presumptive candidate's decision was politically motivated.
"I understand that it is incredibly important to all of us that the public has 100 percent confidence that this investigation is being handled properly," Cuomo said.
But he insisted that his decision had nothing to with ratings. He said it was simply "a legal determination as to what is the best way to conduct an investigation."
Cuomo said that in his role as attorney general he had learned that even the appearance of impropriety can be damaging and that becase he's been trying to "restore the trust in Albany," it was necessary that he appoint someone else to the cases.
Cuomo continued to duck questions about when he would be announcing his run for Governor.
"I will be focusing on being attorney general of the state, I have cases on my desk as we speak," he said. "At the appropriate time, I will have a statement as to my political intentions."
The attorney general said that his preliminary investigations had revealed that the cases brought to him did have merit and called it a "complex, weighty matter," saying “an immediate resolution of this matter does not appear to be at hand.”
Cuomo said the governor's office has been cooperative, and though he had already interviewed dozens of witnesses, there were several more — including key witnesses — that needed to come in for questioning.
"Any impression of the ultimate outcome of the case is thoroughly, thoroughly premature," Cuomo said.
