Percoco’s wife did ‘sloppy’ job, manager testifies

A manager for an energy company that hired Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ex-aide Joseph Percoco’s wife as part of an alleged bribe scheme testified in Manhattan federal court Friday that she was “subpar” and “sloppy” preparing an elementary school energy curriculum for $90,000 a year.

Yanina Daigle, an assistant to Percoco co-defendant Peter Galbraith Kelly, an executive at Competitive Power Ventures, said that Lisa Percoco taught only 19 half days over a 22-month period after the curriculum was developed for the company’s community outreach program.

Prosecutors said it was a “low show” job designed to line the pockets of Percoco, 48, of South Salem, Cuomo’s longtime right-hand man, in return for favors — one of two bribery schemes allegedly set up by lobbyist Todd Howe for his clients.

Daigle testified that Lisa Percoco was a good teacher, but made more than either co-workers or successors, refused to help in extra social media efforts to build the program and either was late for work-related conference calls or took them in her car or “at the pool.”

At Kelly’s instruction, she said, Percoco’s name and likeness was kept out of brochures and publicity materials, and was called “Miss Lisa” by students to avoid revealing the link to Cuomo’s aide “because it could have been interpreted the wrong way.”

Percoco and Kelly contend the hiring was based on friendship and wasn’t a bribe. The trial resumes on Tuesday.