New Charges Filed in New York Kickback Scheme
There are new charges this morning in the New York pension kickback case, but not against any of the private equity firms that paid (perhaps unwittingly) for access. Instead, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed a criminal complaint against Raymond Harding, former chair of New York's Liberal Party, for partering on the scheme with already-indicted David Loglisci and Hank Morris. According to a statement from Cuomo's office, Harding allegedly "obtained over $800,000 in illegal fees on State pension fund investments as a reward for opening up a State Assembly seat for then Comptroller Alan Hevesi's son and for over 30 years of prior political endorsements." Harding is charged with multiple violations of the Martin Act. Cuomo also announced that Barrett Wissman, a former manager of hedge fund Hunt Financial Ventures, has pled guilty to his participation in the scam. As part of his plea, Wissman has agreed to repay $12 million to the state. Read the complaint after the jump:
