Preet Bharara backs Cynthia Nixon's anti-corruption panel plan

ALBANY - Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on Wednesday endorsed Cynthia Nixon’s plan to create a new anti-corruption panel if she’s elected governor.

Bharara, who was critical of Gov. Cuomo’s move in 2013 to shut down a similar panel — known as a Moreland Commission — signaled his approval of Nixon’s plan in a late-morning tweet that also took a dig at Cuomo.

“The rare sequel guaranteed to be better than the original,” Bharara said in the tweet. “The first Moreland Commission never should have been disbanded and every New Yorker should support a strong anti-corruption measure like this.”

Nixon, who is challenging Cuomo for the Democratic nomination, quickly heralded Bharara’s approval in a press release that was issued less than an hour after the tweet.

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“Preet Bharara Endorses Cynthia's Call For New, Independent Moreland Commission on Public Corruption,” read the headline of the press release.

Nixon announced her plans for a new Moreland Commission panel to look at government corruption on Tuesday and ripped Cuomo for abruptly shutting down the prior one.

The Daily News at the time wrote a series of stories detailing interference with the commission by top Cuomo aides.

Nixon accused Cuomo of failing to deliver on campaign promises to clean up Albany, and cited, among other things, last week's conviction of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and earlier conviction of former Cuomo top aide Joseph Percoco on federal corruption charges.

Cuomo shut down his previous Moreland Commission after legislative leaders agreed to enact a package of ethics reforms.

Bharara blasted the move, saying it was wrong to shut down an investigative panel before it had completed its work, and later took possession of its files.