James Called 'Biggest Hypocrite in Albany' Over Whistleblower Records Release

New York Attorney General Letitia James is being called the "biggest hypocrite in Albany" by a former top adviser to ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The criticism stems from James' office releasing the personnel records of a whistleblower, Daniel Wiesenfeld, who alleged he was pressured to pursue an insider trading case against President Trump despite a lack of evidence.

Richard Azzopardi, who served as senior adviser and communications director for Cuomo, drew a parallel between James' actions and his own in 2020. At that time, Azzopardi was accused of retaliation by James' office for releasing records of a staffer who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. "AG James is probably the biggest hypocrite in Albany — and that’s a contest," Azzopardi told The Post. "It’s galling that she’s doing the same thing and is expecting everyone to look the other way." He added, "If what I did was retaliation, what is this? There’s no daylight between these two situations."

Wiesenfeld, a prosecutor in the Attorney General's Investor Protection Bureau, was terminated after his personnel files were obtained by the Times Union through a Freedom of Information Law request. These records indicated Wiesenfeld had been "counseled" for performance issues, including failing to participate in meetings or respond to supervisors. A letter from the AG's human resources director stated that Wiesenfeld had emailed "privileged and/or confidential information related to the work of OAG to your personal e-mail account."

However, Wiesenfeld denied the documents were confidential and privileged, stating in emails obtained by The Post, "These documents are simply evidence and your threats will not compel me to destroy such evidence." He also claimed the AG's office threatened him for refusing to delete evidence of alleged corruption. Wiesenfeld asserted that James herself was the driving force behind the push to investigate Trump, stating, "Tish was the boss and what Tish wanted, Tish got."

President Trump, who has engaged in legal battles with James, shared The Post's exclusive interview with Wiesenfeld. Wiesenfeld was reportedly fired after he emailed over 2,000 colleagues in August claiming he was forced to investigate Trump, his family, and associates.

A spokesperson for James defended the office's actions, calling Azzopardi's criticism "disingenuous." The spokesperson stated, "The Office of the Attorney General is duty bound to take disciplinary action when one of its attorneys violates the law, the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, or agency policy. Mr. Wiesenfeld was terminated for cause after it was determined that he committed such violations."

The AG's office also stated that Wiesenfeld's personnel files were released in accordance with state FOIL and that his allegations that the office was pushing another probe of Trump were unsubstantiated, adding that Wiesenfeld himself did not participate in such a probe.

Azzopardi's past actions involved releasing personnel records of Lindsey Boylan, a former executive chamber staffer who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. In December 2020, after Boylan's public accusation, Azzopardi sent reporters confidential files detailing workplace complaints against Boylan and a statement denying the allegations. He testified that legal counsel had approved the release of these records.

James' report on the Cuomo administration's conduct, which detailed the release of Boylan's records, concluded that such actions constituted "unlawful retaliation" and sent a "chilling message" to potential complainants. This report was a significant factor in Cuomo's resignation in 2021.

James is currently seeking re-election for a third term and is running against Republican Saritha Komatireddy.