Alain Kaloyeros, State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute President, resigned on Monday after being charged in a bribery and bid-rigging case, according to Associated Press.
Kaloyeros will face federal and state charges that allege “he steered lucrative state contracts to hand-picked companies.” He is facing state charges for allegedly working to rig a bid for a student housing project for an Albany-area developer.
Kaloyeros was one of the eight men arrested in September in an investigation into the Buffalo Billion and Nano, two administration programs under Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Kaloyeros is accused of working to ensure Buffalo contractor LPCiminelli and Syracuse-based COR Development “won contracts for construction projects related to the initiatives,” according to AP.
Kaloyeros was New York State’s highest paid employee with a salary more than $800,000.
Mike Miller, Kaloyeros’ attorney, said Kaloyeros left because he didn’t want his criminal charges to “become a distraction to his colleagues.”
Others arrested in the case include Joe Percoco, who was a former top Cuomo aide and executives at LPCiminelli, COR and an energy company.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said there is no evidence of wrongdoing by Cuomo. Cuomo said he had no knowledge of the alleged acts and they are “reprehensible” if true.
Hannah Stein is the co-senior news editor and can be reached at hannah.stein@ubspectrum.com
