Albany

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Moreland Commission on public corruption has reached an agreement with one of the state's major political organizations which had previously been in court trying to quash a subpoena against them seeking greater disclosure.

On Wednesday, the Senate Republican Campaign Committee said they would comply with a narrowed subpoena after the Moreland panel agreed to drop its demand for communications about political strategy.

Moreland co-chairs Kathleen Rice, Milton Williams Jr. and William Fitzpatrick released a joint statement saying they were "pleased" by the decision. "Cooperation and reason prevailed," the statement said, "and we look forward to continuing to work with the SRCC on this matter."

Within minutes, Cuomo called into Susan Arbetter's WCNY radio show to make the case that the SRCC's decision unspools earlier arguments by legislative leaders that the Moreland panel's subpoenas in search of legislators' information violated the state constitution.

SRCC's choice "makes a mockery of the theory of (Moreland breaching) separation of powers," Cuomo said, adding that the Legislature's resistance was "clearly not a matter of principle."

Referring to the Moreland panel's willingness to narrow its request for information, the governor said it's commonplace to negotiate the scope of a subpoena. Shortly after the governor's interview, SRCC lawyer Michael Chertoff of Covington & Burling LLP reiterated his claim that the initial subpoena asked for too much information that should remain private. He said the initial request "would have compelled disclosure of all internal party communications and deliberations during the 2012 election."

He said the SRCC had agreed to produce "a limited set of documents reflecting financial records and certain external communications associated only with the committee's housekeeping account. Accordingly, the committee will now withdraw its petition to quash the subpoena, while reserving its right to refile should circumstances warrant."

This doesn't mean the legal battle between the Moreland panel and the Legislature is over.

Michael Whyland, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, pointed out that the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee had already decided to cooperate with the Moreland Commission.

Jeremy Creeland, a special counsel and ethics advisor to Cuomo, said, like the governor, he believes that cooperation shoots holes in the idea that this about the separation of powers.

"This cooperation belies the remaining holdouts' theory justifying their noncompliance; namely, separation of powers" Creeland said in a prepared statement.

In contrast with the campaign committees, law firms are continuing to resisting subpoenas seeking information about legislators who work for them.

Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif said the SRCC's decision to comply had no bearing on the separate argument against those subpoenas. Whyland, spokesman for Silver, agreed.

"There is a world of difference between a subpoena to a party committee, which falls within the Moreland Commission's mandate to examine campaign contributions and spending, and a subpoena that is a fishing expedition if you will, aimed at legislators," Whyland said in a statement.

Silver works for Manhattan firm Weitz & Luxenberg; Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos is with the Long Island firm of Ruskin, Moscou & Faltischek. He earned up to $450,000 at the firm last year; Skelos made up to $250,000, according to disclosure documents.