Dear Mr. Cuomo 

It is time for you to stop throwing mud and come clean.

Almost everyday you loudly publicize rules for other candidates to follow, at the same time you make excuses for yourself. Instead of supplying answers, you deliver unfounded attacks. Instead of information, you provide obfuscation as only a Washington insider can. Your answers change and twist and your continued refusal to disclose needed information – when it is obviously in the interest of the voters to know any conflicts that might exist – can’t help but raise serious questions.

In May, your campaign told the New York Sun that “Mr. Cuomo was not a fulltime candidate for governor and had time to maintain his law practice.” But last Sunday, your spokesman was quoted in the Associated Press as saying you left in April. That same spokesman was quoted last week in the Albany Times Union as saying you stopped working at Fried, Frank in May, which the New York Post also reported your campaign claiming. Also, you didn’t tell anyone you stopped working at the law and lobbying firm until the end of June. Most of us remember when we stop working at a job, particularly if it is one that pays as richly as yours, so why can’t you or the firm once and for all just answer the question?

On Tuesday, after avoiding all interview shows for your 18 months as a candidate, you told NY1, “The firm I was associated with has a policy against releasing client list.” Yet the Fried Frank website (www.ffhsj.com) names more than 100 of its clients. You also said, “I was Of Counsel to the firm, I was not a Partner, and therefore I did not represent or share in the profits of the firm.” So who did pay you more than $400,000 while you campaigned for Governor? And if you are going to establish trust, don’t the voters have a right-to-know what you did and more importantly who you did it for?

One more question about the NY1 interview: Dominick Carter asked you, specifically, “What if one of your clients has done business with the State of New York?” In the past, your spokesman declared that none of your clients had any business with the state “whatsoever.” But on NY1, you appeared to backtrack, stating only that “I’ve said that I’ve never represented anyone before the state of New York, period.” I take you at your word that you did not personally lobby or advocate for any of your clients before the State Legislature or State Agencies. But, are you know backing off your campaign’s earlier assertion that none of your clients have any business with the state?

Not only that, last year you were paid $74,000 in speaking fees. Last week you gave still another speech. Once again you have refused to disclose who pays you, how much you are paid for each speech and what potential conflicts of interest are raised. Certainly your firm doesn’t prevent you from disclosing and you cannot be protecting anyone’s privacy because they pay you for a public speech. What could possibly be the reason to hide?

Everyday your campaign gleefully misrepresents Carl McCall’s distinguished record. Isn’t it time you provided some straight answers? It’s time to come clean.