August 27, 2019
AUDIO: Press Conference Where Rep. Tom Reed Calls On Feds To Take Legal Action
Statement From Congressman Tom Reed:
Today, Rep. Tom Reed called for a DOJ investigation into New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr.
“I am concerned for the safety of the traveling public along the stretch of Interstate 90 which runs through the Seneca Nation,” Reed said in the letter. “From the public’s view, this appears to be nothing more than the Governor exacting political revenge on the Seneca Nation at the peril of public safety. The federal funds have been delivered to repair the road, and it is time to fix the road before someone dies. Given this information, I kindly request the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Governor and his office for the misuse of federal funds, the abuse of power and any and all other federal crimes, related or unrelated, uncovered in this investigation.”
Today’s call for an investigation follows Governor Andrew Cuomo recent statements concerning his decision not to repair the NYS Thruway in the Seneca Nation and putting the traveling public at risk because of an unrelated political dispute over gaming revenue.
“The dangerous conditions of disrepair on this stretch of the Thruway is a threat to the safety and property of all who use it — including thousand of Chautauqua County residents and our neighbors on the Seneca Nation,” Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello said.
Local motorists have reached out to the office of Tom Reed in recent weeks expressing their own concern with I-90 road conditions through the Seneca Nation.
One motorist had this to say: “Just today, we hit a huge hole travelling through that stretch coming to our home (off the) Dunkirk Fredonia Exit and we broke a tie rod and something else, and we lost the ability to steer properly. We had our 11-year-old daughter in the car. We were lucky that we or other people did not get killed. Ultimately, we had to wait on the side of the road for an hour for a tow truck.”
Another motorist said he is tired of the political conflict and just wants to see the road fixed. “… This highway is how people travel to our area here in Chautauqua County. Without a decent road, we have less people wanting to drive to our area. That means less money coming to our area. Fix the road – I am sick of driving through this each time I drive up to Buffalo.”
We have just sent an email to the governor’s press office, asking for response. As soon as we get that response, we will include it in this story.
Update: Response from Governor Cuomo’s Senior Advisor Rich Azzorpardi”
“Weaponizing law enforcement to score dumb political points, may be what the congressman’s buddy the president does, but it doesn’t mean it’s right. Reed should stop with the cheap stunts, do his job, represent his constituents and demand that the Seneca’s pay their fair share under the arbitration they agreed to.”
